Dogs are not different from humans when it comes to sugar. Of course, they love it when they get to eat stuff that is sweet. However, just like sugar is bad for humans in large quantities, it can be extremely bad for dogs. This is why our dog treats do not contain sweeteners, as our goal is to give you an option to provide daily rewards that are healthy and yummy. An occasional sweet treat is ok, but every day treats that contain sugar can cause long-term damage to your furbaby’s health. There has been an increase in diabetes in dogs, and the amount of carbohydrates in their kibble on top of sugary treats is most likely the cause. Sugar is also very bad for any dog that might be suffering from cancer. Last year, I made a trip to Tennessee where I visited some other Barkeries and bought some decorated cookies for Nacho. They were not heavily decorated, but were super cute. When in pet stores, I am the crazy woman that sniffs treats, if they have them out in the open for bulk purchases. Most dog treats smell like dirt, but these were sweet smelling. Out of curiosity, I took a bite. Honestly, had I not known these were for dogs, I swear I was eating a human sugar cookie. If I can taste the sugar…..I knew it had more sugar in it than Nacho should have in one sitting. I ended up giving him little bits of these treats throughout a two week period, even though he’s over 100 pounds and they were not large cookies. Another dog cookie I purchased from a dog boutique was heavily decorated with frosting, and I checked them out as well. The frosting felt waxy and the dog biscuit itself smelled a bit like dirt. I didn’t smell anything sweet, but Nacho loved it. So, I looked up the company and their ingredients to find that they used corn syrup, as well as the frosting ingredients were very similar to candy melts you can buy from local hobby stores. I can’t say for sure that’s what they used but the ingredients list was very similar. Ingredients are very important to watch as below are common ailments that refined sugar can cause in dogs:
- Inflammation
- Diabetes
- Can increase weight/obesity
- Cause digestive problems
- Even behavioral problems from the sugar rush
If you want to buy your furbaby frosted cookies from a Barkery, make sure to read the ingredients and don’t give them the entire cookie in one sitting. It’s best to break it up into smaller bits so that they don’t get a large dose of sugar in one sitting.