Cheerios is considered a healthy, low-cost breakfast cereal worldwide. This heart-healthy, low-fat breakfast is known to be packed with fiber and essential nutrients, making it a preferred breakfast source for humans. Cheerios may be approved by the American Heart Foundation as a healthy breakfast cereal for humans, but can dogs eat cheerios too? Before we move on to answer your questions, let’s take a closer look at what a healthy diet for a dog looks like.
Understanding a Dog’s Nutritional Requirements
Feeding a well-balanced diet to your dog is vital for its health and well-being. Just like you keep yourself informed about what is best for your growing toddlers, understanding a dog’s nutritional requirements is equally important. Not only this, but how these nutritional requirements have changed over time due to evolution is also worth considering.
This information will help you keep your dog’s diet in check but also help in getting answers to questions like can dogs eat cheerios or not.
Did you know that dogs use protein and fats as the primary source to meet their energy requirements? Dogs have also evolved to produce enzymes that help them digest carbohydrates and turn them into a source of energy for them.
Can I Feed My Dog Cheerios?
To answer the question, first, we need to understand what cheerios are made of. By learning more about its ingredients and whether they are compatible with your dog’s health or not, we determine whether our dogs can eat them.
Cheerios are made from whole-grain oats and contain many essential nutrients, but they lack protein and fat – two of dogs’ essential energy sources. As a result, while cheerios may benefit humans, feeding them to your dog only acts as a filler with no nutritional benefits for your fur babies. They merely act as fillers that satisfy hunger but have no contribution to their overall health and well-being, nor do they help fulfill their daily nutritional requirements. For this reason alone, making them a part of your dog’s regular diet would do more harm than good.
Can Dogs Eat Cheerios as an Occasional Treat?
Given the nutritional breakdown of cheerios, they don’t exactly qualify as a healthy treat. But using them as an occasional treat to reward your furry friends every once in a while won’t hurt them. Cheerios can be used as treats during their training sessions, whenever you want them to do something, or simply to reward them for good behavior.
Either way, these delicious treats can come in handy when getting your dog to do what you want. Just remember to practice moderation and don’t give them too many of them. Alternatively, try looking into healthier, dog-friendly treats that you can include in your regular training sessions to steer clear of any unnecessary trouble.
Since cheerios aren’t exactly the healthiest treat option, it’s best to avoid including them in their daily diet. Doing so would mean feeding them fillers and depriving them of good, nutritional food you could have given your dog to keep them healthy. Additionally, make sure to read the ingredients label to clear any doubts. If you are still confused, talking to your veterinarian about using cheerios as treats might get you the answers you want.
Is There Any Negative Impact From Eating Cheerios?
If someone were to look at the nutritional content of cheerios while trying to decide whether or not dogs can eat them, they might notice several red flags – especially in the ingredients. As far as the well-being of your furry friend is concerned, it is important to consider the negative impact some of these ingredients can have on your dog.
For example, oats are generally considered highly nutritious for dogs – helping them keep their cholesterol in check while promoting good skin health. However, studies indicate that since it is rich in fiber, eating a lot can lead to several health issues. Some of these include vomiting, diarrhea, chronic urinary tract infections (UTI), and even GI upset.
Cheerios also contain wheat and corn, which can be a problem for some dogs suffering from wheat allergies. So if you notice that your dog starts to cough, scratch, wheeze, or is even extremely thirsty, chances are that he might be allergic.
While the original cheerios may be safe for your pups when served in moderation, the variety of flavors available in the market today may ring some more alarm bells. This is because these flavored cheerios have Xylitol (a type of artificial sweetener) as one of the key ingredients. Xylitol can be lethal to your dog – even a tiny amount can cause serious trouble, sometimes even death. You should steer clear of flavored cheerios like honey nut and chocolate, which have high sugar content.
The Bottom Line
With all the varying advice and information available, it can be difficult at times to choose between which recommendations to follow. In these cases, it’s always best to try to do your own research and never hesitate to ask questions from your vet – no matter how basic or straightforward they sound.
Feeding your dog unflavored, original cheerios may not necessarily be bad. Just make sure they’re an occasional treat and not an everyday snack. However, you’ll also want to make sure to double-check the label of these filler treats for any sort of flavoring, harmful ingredients, or sugar content.
Remember, whether you are a first-time pet parent or a long-time dog owner, there is no shame in asking simple questions like, “Can dogs eat cheerios?” After all, ensuring you do what’s best for your furry friend is a sign of being a responsible and caring pet parent. Good luck and make sure to check out more of our articles to stay informed on what your dogs can and can’t eat.
