If you’ve ever had a dog or know someone who has, chances are that you’ve heard of peanut butter.
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This tasty treat is often used to make dog food, but it can also be used as a yummy snack for your pup (in moderation).
Peanut butter is a popular nut butter made with ground peanut flour. It typically contains peanut oil, salt, and sugar.
Peanut butter has medium protein content which is good for dogs, especially when it comes to its growth.
As peanut butter contains proteins and amino acids, it helps to build strong muscles in dogs by producing an adequate amount of glucose.
Glucose or sugar is required to generate the energy needed by the body cells during growth periods.
Eating healthy food will make a healthy skin coat on your dog as well as improve their immune system.
It may be tempting to feed your dog peanut butter, but there are other options available. Here are five peanut butter alternatives for dogs.
What Is Peanut Butter?
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Peanut butter is a smooth, creamy spread made from ground peanut kernels. It’s full of protein and has other nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Peanut butter is popular for many reasons. One of which is that it takes lesser time to make than other dog treats, and it’s cheaper to make at home too.
Additionally, dogs love the taste of peanut butter.
However, while it’s great for dogs in moderation, some people may not want their furry friends to eat peanut butter because of its ingredients: sugar and vegetable oils.
If you’re looking for alternative recipes for your dog that are healthier and more cost-effective than regular peanut butter, you will find alternatives below.
Why Dogs Shouldn’t Eat Peanut Butter
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Peanut butter is a tasty treat for humans, but it’s not the best thing for your dog and puppies. There are many reasons why your furry friend shouldn’t be eating peanut butter.
One reason is that peanut butter can make your pup sick and in some cases, even cause life-threatening damage.
Peanut allergy in dogs is a serious issue and can sometimes even lead to death.
Some dogs also have an allergy to peanuts and can react with life-threatening symptoms if they eat these foods.
Another reason why your dog shouldn’t be eating peanut butter is that it can hinder its digestion. It may cause gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea in the long run.
Additionally, when you feed your dog food that contains sugar or flour, as peanut butter does, they will often want more of that item which could lead to obesity or weight gain in your pup.
Finally, feeding peanut butter to your furry friend can strain their joints due to the high-fat content of the food item.
This could lead to arthritis or even joint disease in the long run.
Alternatives To Peanut Butter For Dogs
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Your dog may like the taste of peanut butter, but it’s too rich and delicious for them and they might find it hard to digest.
If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to peanut butter, we recommend trying these five alternatives:
1) Green Beans
Green beans are rich in calcium, fiber, and protein. They also contain vitamin K, folate (vitamin B9), potassium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Just like peanut butter though, green beans can be given to your dog in moderation since they’re high in sodium.
2) Bananas
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Yes, bananas are on this list. You may have heard these aren’t the healthiest option for your dog, but that’s not true.
Your dog can still get all the benefits of a banana while also getting some fiber and Vitamin C.
Bananas can also help regulate your dog’s digestion, which is good for their overall health. Add it to their food or make a tasty snack out of it!
3) Carrots
Believe it or not, carrots are a great alternative to peanut butter.
Carrots are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well as vitamin B6, which your dog needs to maintain healthy skin and teeth.
Carrots are also high in dietary fiber, which is essential for digestion.
The key is to find the right size of carrot for your pup—smaller vegetables may be inappropriate since they can choke your pet.
4) Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a healthy substitute for peanut butter. It’s high in nutrients and contains medium-chain triglycerides that dogs can easily digest.
Coconut oil also has a neutral taste, unlike the more savory peanut butter variety.
Another benefit of coconut oil is its affordability. You can get a jar of organic, pure coconut oil from most grocery stores for less than $10.
Just make sure to store it in a cool, dark place so it doesn’t spoil!
5) Almond Butter
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Almond butter is a great peanut butter alternative because it doesn’t contain any dangerous, potentially fatal peanut products and it has similar nutritional values.
Almond butter contains magnesium, iron, and potassium which can help keep your dog healthy.
It also has the same amount of protein as peanut butter, but without the high caloric content.
Additionally, almond butter is much lower in fat than peanut butter and has a smoother texture that makes it easier for your pup to chew.
Give your dog almond butter for a tasty snack that won’t make them sick!
Several other nut butter snacks help your pet maintain a healthy lifestyle without consuming peanuts or any other nuts products (which can cause numerous health problems).
A few examples include pumpkin pie butter made from pumpkin seeds, cashew butter/cashews, sunflower seed butter, etc.
Peanut butter is a very difficult food item for dogs to digest, not only because it contains high amounts of fat but also due to its carbohydrate content.
Its pure carbohydrates cause digestive problems in many dogs especially if they have been on diets with too much cereal or were overweight when starting their diet.
If you are used to using peanut butter as an ingredient in your dog treats, you can replace it with tuna fish.
Tuna has less fat and more protein than peanut butter without losing any other nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
On top of that, tuna does not cause any digestive problems to dogs.
Conclusion
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You can find many different alternatives to peanut butter for your pup.
You may be thinking that these alternative foods aren’t as tasty as peanut butter, but they’re certainly healthier.
Your dog will probably like the taste of these options and you’ll be able to feel good about giving your pup a healthy meal.
Another benefit of these alternatives is that they’re environmentally friendly.
A lot of them are made from natural ingredients and don’t create a lot of waste when they’re used up.
This is perfect for people who like to cut back on excess waste and enjoy an environmentally friendly product for their pets.
If you’ve ever stopped by the pet aisle at your local grocery store, you know there’s a lot of products available for dogs.
There are even some recipes out there that have been developed specifically for dogs!
Some of the recipes out there that are more popular use beef as the main ingredient in the dog’s food.
Whatever alternative you decide to give your dog, just introduce it to your pet slowly, especially if it’s new to him.
Eventually, he will like the taste of it, and will forget all about peanut butter!
