{"id":9942,"date":"2022-09-12T13:09:40","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T13:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/blog\/uncategorized\/peanut-butter-for-puppies\/"},"modified":"2023-03-30T11:04:51","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T11:04:51","slug":"peanut-butter-for-puppies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/en-us\/blog\/puppy-health\/feeding\/peanut-butter-for-puppies\/","title":{"rendered":"Peanut Butter for Puppies: Is It Safe?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We all agree on peanut butter being something brought down pretty much from heaven, right? Most dogs seem to, anyway. Peanut butter is a fantastic occasional “high value” treat for puppies that\u2019s useful for much more; like hiding pills or distracting your dog while giving them a bath or trimming their nails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before you hand your puppy over the entire jar, there\u2019s a few things you should know about feeding peanut butter to puppies. In this article, we\u2019re here to help you figure it all out: if peanut butter is safe for your puppy, how much peanut butter should you feed a puppy, how can you add peanut butter to your puppies treats, what type of peanut butter is the best to feed for puppies, and what you might want to look out for when feeding peanut butter to puppies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peanut butter, peanut butter, peanut butter. Get ready, we\u2019ll say it a bunch of times.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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Over 100,000 puppies trained through Zigzag<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Start your personalised plan today!<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tRated 4.8<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Oh, and since peanut butter can be used as a training treat, it means that you can do any of the training in the Zigzag puppy app<\/a> with it too. We have dedicated chapters that follow important developmental milestones for your puppy, so you get the right content and lessons at the right time. There\u2019s also a team of expert puppy coaches<\/a> here for you 7 days a week whenever you run into any bumps along your puppy training journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Victor Grabarczyk<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is peanut butter safe for my puppy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Peanut butter can be a safe treat for puppies when fed in moderation. It contains a large amount of protein as well as healthy fats and vitamins. Since we\u2019re talking about health, it\u2019s always a good idea to think about your puppy\u2019s nutrition<\/a> and how you can make sure to give them a balanced and complete<\/a> diet. While peanut butter for puppies is safe, don\u2019t over do it! Usually a little taste is enough. Also because you want to keep them hooked on it, let\u2019s admit that. It will help loads with training, remember?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s important is that you read the label and make sure you recognise the ingredients. Peanut butter shouldn\u2019t really need anything added, except for a little oil. Anything that you can pronounce, you should avoid – including things like xylitol or artificial sweeteners. We talk a bit more about that below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much peanut butter should I feed my pup?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How much peanut butter you can feed your puppy will depend on their size, because their calorie requirements vary . Due to peanut butter being high in fat, you don\u2019t want to overfeed to your puppy. Too many calories and fat in a pup\u2019s diet can make them have sloppy poo – which you surely don’t want to clean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what is generally thought of as a safe amount to feed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size of dog<\/td>How much peanut butter to feed – daily<\/td><\/tr>
Toy – small dogs<\/td>Half – 1 teaspoon<\/td><\/tr>
Medium dogs<\/td>1.5 teaspoons<\/td><\/tr>
Large<\/td>Max 1 tablespoon<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overall, just make sure you pay attention to your puppy\u2019s nutrition<\/a> when feeding peanut butter to your puppies. If you\u2019re feeding a raw diet<\/a> to your pup , keep an eye that you\u2019re not giving them too many calories. As a general rule, treats should make up no more than 10% of your puppy\u2019s daily calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I incorporate it into treats?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Peanut butter can be made into delicious homemade dog treats<\/a>. There\u2019s so many DIY dog recipes to try that feature peanut butter – if you\u2019re feeling fancy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use peanut butter as an excellent filler and treat inside toys like Kongs<\/a>, West Paw Toppls and other chew toys. You can always top them up using peanut butter as glue, and sticking your puppy\u2019s regular kibble to it for an extra dramatic treat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lickimats can be spread with a thin layer of peanut butter, which makes bathtime<\/a> and grooming<\/a> much easier as your puppy has something to focus on<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When practising leadwalking<\/a>, peanut butter can be a great licky treat. Slap some on the end of a wooden spoon for your puppy to lick and you won\u2019t have to bend over to feed them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Berkay Gumustekin<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What type of peanut butter is best for puppies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The best peanut butter for puppies will be one you make yourself. But indeed, we know that making homemade peanut butter may only exist in our dreams for many of us because we miss the equipment or time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for some options at Tesco\u2019s, here\u2019s some suggestions of what to look for the packaging:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose a peanut butter for puppies with simple ingredients<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No, your puppy doesn\u2019t need peanut butter with jelly or maple syrup, and definitely not chocolate or dates as these are poisonous for dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose an unsalted peanut butter or one with low amounts of salt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Puppies don’t need salt in peanut butter and it\u2019s not good for them either, so choose one with low sodium levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiment if your puppy likes crunchy or smooth peanut butter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do a taste test and see if they prefer the texture crunchy or smooth. If you have a toy breed or tiny puppy it might be safer to go for the smooth variety of peanut butter to prevent the risk of choking. We\u2019re not helicopter parents, but we just want their experience of peanut butter to be as wondrous as everybody else’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid palm oil in peanut butter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Palm oil can act as a laxative in dogs, so unless you want to run into watery poops, best to avoid feeding it to puppies too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose a dog safe peanut butter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many peanut butters made specifically for dogs on the market these days. These are free from nasties like artificial sweeteners or high levels of salt, so you can be sure that they\u2019re safe for your puppy to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dog safe brands of peanut butter <\/p>\n\n\n\n