Whenever I need a quick pick-me-up, I choose a nice granola bar. It’s a delicious, healthy choice.
I was wondering if I could share them with my dog. Can dogs eat granola, and is it as good for them?
So I started exploring the wonderful benefits of this treat, and here’s what I found out.
Can Dogs Eat Granola?
Yes, dogs can safely eat plain granola with no harmful ingredients and in moderation. It can be great for your dog’s health as it offers many health benefits.
However, granola can also contain substances and food toxic to dogs. Xylitol and chocolate are common ingredients in store-bought granola, and even small amounts can seriously harm the dog. Raisins and nuts are also common harmful ingredients.
With any food, it’s essential to know the ingredients you’ll be feeding your dog.
Is Granola Good for Dogs?
Granola can be an excellent addition to a dog’s diet and an occasional healthy treat. Eating granola and even some granola bars might give your dog many health benefits.
Protein
Protein is an important nutrient for dogs and is necessary for many bodily functions. Protein helps build and repair tissues, muscles, bones, and organs.
It also helps create enzymes, hormones, and other vital chemicals in the body. Dogs need about 0.03 oz of protein per pound of ideal body weight per day.
One granola bar (1 oz) contains about 0.1 oz of protein, making it an excellent and rich source of protein.
Calcium
Calcium is another essential nutrient for dogs. It helps build and maintain bones, muscles, and nerves. Dogs need about 25 mg of calcium per pound of body weight.
One granola bar (1 oz) contains about 17.1 mg of calcium, making it a good source of this critical nutrient.
Calcium is especially important for growing puppies and pregnant dogs.
Potassium
Potassium is vital for a dog’s health — it ensures healthy muscles and blood vessels. Dogs need about 100 mg of potassium per pound of body weight.
Granola is very high in potassium — one granola bar (1 oz) contains 94.1 mg of potassium. If your dog has hyperkalemia, be careful with potassium.
Dietary Fibers
When dogs eat granola bars, they also ingest loads of fiber.
Fiber is super important for a dog’s digestive tract and healthy weight. Fiber keeps the digestive system working properly and prevents constipation. Dietary fiber also helps control blood sugar and reduce cholesterol levels.
However, it is important not to overfeed your dog with granola since too much fiber leads to an upset stomach and might further irritate the digestive system.
Is Granola Bad for Dogs?
Plain granola is good dog food, but store-bought granola can contain harmful ingredients. Some of these ingredients are downright toxic and even fatal for our furry friends.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a type of artificial sweetener that is extremely harmful to dogs. It is found in many store-bought granola bars, and even a tiny amount can be deadly to dogs.
Xylitol causes a dog’s blood sugar to plummet, and it can also lead to liver failure. If you suspect your dog has eaten a granola bar that contains xylitol, take them to the vet immediately.
Raisin
Raisins and dogs are not a good mix. Raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs, and this can happen even if they eat just a few raisins.
Dogs should avoid raisins altogether.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a sweet, delicious treat that many people enjoy. However, chocolate is not suitable for dogs and can be quite dangerous.
Chocolate granola contains theobromine, a stimulant that is toxic to dogs. When dogs eat chocolate, they can experience vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and even death.
It is important to keep chocolate away from dogs and never give them chocolate as a treat.
Nuts
Many people wonder if it is safe to give their dogs nuts. The answer to this question is a bit complicated, as not all nuts are safe for dogs to eat.
You want to avoid almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and pistachios. These are harmful to dogs.
On the other hand, plain old peanuts are safe for dogs to eat and provide many health benefits. Peanuts are high in protein, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber.
They also help control blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Be careful of the fat content — too much can lead to weight gain, diabetes, and pancreatitis.
Sodium
Salt is another ingredient that you should look out for. Too much salt in a dog’s diet can be toxic and lead to sodium ion poisoning.
This poisoning causes diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. If a dog eats too much salt, they could experience seizures, tremors, or even death.
Sugar
Some granola bars are a healthy snack for dogs, but it’s important to watch out for added sugar. Too much sugar in a dog’s diet can cause many health issues: weight gain, obesity, diabetes, heart problems, and even contribute to arthritis.
One granola (1 oz) typically contains 0.3 oz of sugar. This is high, so don’t make granola a regular treat for your four-legged friend.
Fat
Dogs need fat in their diets to help them absorb essential nutrients and keep them healthy. Fat provides dogs with energy and helps them maintain a healthy weight. It is important to choose a dog food containing good quality fats, such as Omega-3 fatty acids.
However, too much unhealthy fat can be harmful to dogs and lead to weight gain, obesity, and other health problems. Always check the fat content in any food and don’t overfeed dogs if the fat is high.
Calories
A granola bar (1 oz) contains 132 calories. This number is not too bad for medium-sized dogs. However, it can go significantly higher depending on ingredients.
Avoid feeding granola to dogs on weight management and diabetic dogs, as too many calories lead to weight gain and obesity, and even heart problems.
Different Types of Granola
Not every granola is just a puffed brown rice and rolled oats combo. While some granola types are great for dogs, others can be harmful and toxic.
Always check the ingredients before feeding your dog. Let’s look at the common ones and see which ones are safe for your canine.
Can Dogs Eat Granola Cereal?
Yes, you can feed your dog granola cereal if it doesn’t have harmful ingredients.
Granola cereal contains rolled oats and puffed brown rice, which are safe for dogs to consume.
You want to watch out for ingredients like raisin, chocolate, and xylitol — these are extremely toxic to dogs and can be fatal.
Even though granola cereal is safe, you shouldn’t overfeed your dog — the fiber content in can be pretty high and cause digestive issues.
Can Dogs Eat Honey Granola?
Yes, dogs can eat honey granola.
Honey is fine for dogs, so honey granola is acceptable in moderation. Still, this granola does have a lot of sugar. Too much sugar leads to weight gain, obesity, and even diabetes in dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Granola Without Raisins?
You already know that raisins are toxic to dogs. But can we feed our canine companions granola without raisins?
The answer depends on the ingredients. If it is plain granola without harmful ingredients — go ahead and give it to your furry friend in moderation.
However, if the granola in question contains nuts or xylitol — it’s best to stay away from them.
Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter Granola?
Peanut butter is perfectly safe for dogs in small amounts. However, some peanut butters contain xylitol and should be avoided.
So, yes — it’s perfectly fine that a dog eats peanut butter granola without harmful ingredients. However, moderation is still the key here because of the fats and fiber content. This particular granola is very high in calories.
Can Dogs Eat Granola Bars
Dogs should probably not eat granola bars because they are made for human consumption.
They simply don’t contain the nutrients that our canine friends need for good health. Plus, they can be high in sugar and salt. Finally, they might have chocolate or raisins, which are toxic to dogs.
Plain granola is fine if it’s crushed up and mixed with your dog’s food — but you should be extra careful with a granola bar!
Let’s look at a few granola bars and see which ones are safe for your dog.
Can Dogs Eat Oats and Honey Granola Bars?
No, our canine friends should not eat oats and honey granola bars.
While a little bit won’t hurt them, oats and honey granola bars still have too much sugar. If your dog eats loads of sugar regularly, it can cause obesity, diabetes, and even heart problems.
Can Dogs Eat Nature Valley Granola Bars?
Yes, dogs can eat Nature Valley granola bars but only in very small amounts.
If a granola bar doesn’t have any harmful ingredients like chocolate, raisins, or nuts — your dog can eat granola bars in small bits. But keep in mind that Nature Valley bars are still processed food, and there’s a lot of sugar involved.
Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter Granola Bars?
Since peanut butter is safe for dogs, the answer really depends on the other ingredients. In general, yes, dogs can eat peanut butter granola bars.
However, bear in mind that commercial peanut butter granola bars can contain many harmful or even toxic ingredients. If you see raisins, xylitol, or nuts in the ingredients list, it’s best to avoid them.
Also, some peanut butters are known to have xylitol as well. Don’t give these to your dog as xylitol is highly toxic to them.
Finally, even if they can eat these granola bars, feed them to your dog only in moderation. They still have too much sugar, leading to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
What Should You Do if Your Dog Ate Granola?
Eating granola doesn’t have to be bad for your dog. If your dog ate a moderate amount of plain granola with no harmful ingredients, they should be fine — and actually benefit from it. Even if they ate too much plain granola, the dogs should recover fast.
However, store-bought granola can contain many harmful ingredients. Xylitol, nuts, chocolate, raisins are just some of the substances and foods that are extremely toxic to dogs.
If your dog ate granola with these ingredients, you need to monitor them for the following symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Wobbly posture
- Lethargy
- Difficulty breathing
- Rapid heartbeat
- Seizures
- Coma
If you see these symptoms, take them to a vet clinic immediately. In cases of severe toxicity, time is of the essence. Sadly, these ingredients can be fatal for pets in some cases.
It’s always a good idea to take a sample of the food your dog ate — this way, the vet will know exactly what they ingested.
The vet might try to induce vomiting if the dog ingested toxic ingredients recently. If not, they might order IV fluids, dialysis and keep the dog at the clinic for monitoring.
Friend or Foe
Granola is great for your dog, but human foods always carry additional risks. If you are feeding your dog granola, always check the ingredients as it may contain toxic substances.
Chocolate and xylitol, along with nuts and raisins, are pretty common. None of these are good for your dog — in fact, they can be lethal.
The best option is to make your own granola bars — this way, you control the ingredients, and you can give your furry buddy the best treat they deserve. Health always comes first, and with plain homemade granola, your pet will be enjoying many health benefits.
Learn more about human foods your dog can safely eat (and that you can maybe add to granola?).
