Can Dogs Eat Banana Bread?
It is difficult to directly answer the question if dogs can eat banana bread with a conclusive yes or no. Generally, in small doses banana bread should be ok for dogs. However, this is dependent on the specific ingredients in the banana bread.
Bananas themselves are a great healthy snack for dogs but other ingredients in banana bread like added sugar or raisins will cause your dog problems. On top of this, if your dog has a wheat allergy or is sensitive to grains, banana bread will not be a suitable treat.
Is Banana Bread Good for Dogs?
Bananas themselves can be healthy for dogs in small portions. Bananas contain lots of nutrients like potassium, manganese amino acids and vitamin C and B6 which are all good for dogs. Although, in larger quantities there may be some health risks to feeding your dog bananas.
As previously stated, there are many optional ingredients in banana that may upset your dog’s stomach and in some cases be detrimental to their health. Because of this you should only feed your dog banana bread that is homemade from a recipe that is tailored to dogs.
Health Risks and Precautions for Feeding Banana Bread To Dogs
Because banana bread ingredients vary wildly from recipe to recipe it can be hard to categorically deem banana bread as safe or unsafe for dogs. Here are some typical banana bread ingredients that should not be given to your dog.
- Nuts – Nuts are a common ingredient in banana bread. Macadamia nuts can cause health problems in dogs and should be avoided. Nuts that are not toxic to dogs are still high in fat which could lead to obesity in dogs. It should also be noted that salted nuts may lead to dehydration in your dogs or in some cases could be seen as a choking hazard.
- Chocolate – Banana bread containing chocolate is highly toxic for dogs. Dogs are unable to effectively metabolise chocolate because of its theobromine content, making it poisonous to dogs.
- Raisins – Banana bread containing raisins should never be given to dogs. Raisins contain an unknown substance that is toxic to dogs which can lead to kidney failure.
- Dairy – Most dogs don’t have issues with digesting milk. But if your dog is lactose intolerant you should make sure that the banana bread you are planning to feed him doesn’t contain dairy.
Sugar – Similar to humans, too much sugar can make your dog gain weight and cause problems with their teeth. Store bought banana bread contains high amounts of added sugar making it not suitable for dogs.
Alternative Banana Treats For Your Dog
If you have your heart set on treating your dog to banana bread there are options. Your best option is to avoid shop bought banana bread and make your own banana bread at home. This way you have full control over what goes into it.
Alternatively, there are lots of dog safe banana treats that can be found in pet stores or amazon.
