Yes, dogs can eat bananabread in moderation. However, dog owners should ensure this banana bread doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients like raisins or chocolate chips. Raisins are fatally toxic when consumed by your dog. Want to incorporate good old banana bread into your dog’s treats? Read this article for a detailed outlook.
Table of Contents
What is Banana bread?
Banana bread is a variety of bread prepared from mashed bananas. The essential ingredients for baking banana bread are flour, butter, banana, sugar, salt, and spices. Unfortunately, most of these ingredients are quite harmful to dogs.
Nutritional Value of Banana Bread
1 Slice of Banana bread – 57g
A slice of banana bread contains – 240 Kilocalories
Total Saturated Fatty Acids
0.997g
Total Dietary Fibre
1.03g
Iron
1.08mg
Sodium
170mg
Energy
240 kcal
Sugar
24g
Cholesterol
25.1mg
Carbohydrate
39g
Protein
3g
Total Lipid (Fat)
9g
Is Banana Bread Safe for dogs?
Banana bread is safe for dogs as long as it is fed in moderation and precautions are taken. Providing small quantities of banana bread (made with dog-safe ingredients) to your dog is safe. However, ensure your dog chews it properly to avoid diarrhea and constipation.
Note here that the banana bread you feed to your dog should not contain spices, herbs, or any other ingredients that can be harmful to them. Banana bread available in supermarkets that contains artificial additives will introduce health risks. Remember to peel the skin and squash the fruit alone while preparing this delicacy.
Is Banana Bread Good For Dogs?
Banana bread is suitable for dogs because bananas are a great source of the following vitamins and minerals:
Magnesium
Potassium
Biotin
Vitamin B6
Fiber
Pectin
Tryptophan
Banana bread prepared with dog-safe ingredients can be a healthful treat for dogs, but they shouldn’t consume an entire loaf.
Why Is Banana Bread Bad For Dogs?
A few bites of banana bread may not cause any harm to your dog, provided that there are no health problems. Some dogs have health conditions that stop them from feeding on any sugar. Ensure you don’t take any risks. However, avoid feeding banana bread to your dogs, whether it’s regularly or seldom. If banana bread is a staple in your household and if your dog eats some, there are some side effects that you can watch out for:
Calories: Too many calories are not suitable for your pups. Obesity is a problem for dogs as in humans. An excess amount of calories will make your furry friend obese at a later stage. That may have immediate adverse effects and also lead to serious health problems.
Bananas: Contain small amounts of oxalates, leading to calcium precipitates in dog’s urine, resulting in urinary stones.
Sugar: Sugar is not suited for dogs. Many dogs have a sweet tooth! Your dogs enjoy feeding on sugary bites. If they get used to it, they will even start craving it. Sugar may cause dental problems, like tooth cavities.
Further, constant sugar intake will gradually cut down your dog’s metabolism. This might lead to weight gain and, if the diet is not changed, diabetes. Diabetes is a severe condition that will shorten your pup’s life span.
Dried Fruit and Raisins: Banana bread with dried fruit and raisins can introduce gastrointestinal health risks. A dog that eats raisins is at immediate risk. That is very critical; if you suspect that your dog ate raisins (or grapes), do not panic and take your pup directly to the vet.
Oil and Butter: Excess fat is dangerous and even lethal for dogs.
Nuts: Nuts like macadamia are toxic to dogs. These nuts can cause pancreatitis in dogs when consumed in excess. Symptoms of pancreatitis include:
Stomach pain
Prolonged vomiting
Prolonged diarrhea
Dehydration
Lack of appetite
Depression
Chocolate: Banana bread containing chocolate chips in them can prove to be lethal to your dog. Chocolate never sits well with dogs. It is best to avoid this ingredient. Chocolate contains three substances: stimulants, caffeine, and theobromine, which increase heart rate. It might take several hours to show signs of indigestion. So, do not wait until it’s too late to contact your vet.
Common Signs of chocolate poisoning in your dog include:
Hyperactivity
Anxiety
Panting
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Extremely rapid heart rate
Arrhythmias
Frequent urination
Tremors
Seizures
Death
Xylitol: Xylitol is used in place of sugar in treats. Suppose the banana bread you choose for your dog contains this commonly used artificial sweetener. In that case, it could lead to dangerous consequences. It can lead to conditions like liver failure and low glucose levels.
Xylitol, when consumed by dogs, gets rapidly absorbed into their bloodstream. As a result, your dog’s pancreas releases a lot of insulin, causing a sudden drop in the blood sugar level. This condition is referred to as hypoglycemia.
The symptoms of hypoglycemia from xylitol toxicity are:
Vomiting
Excessive drooling
Seizures
Coma
Brain hemorrhage
Liver failure
Drowsiness
Loss of consciousness or slow to respond
Caramel: Smooth, sweet, and rich, caramel makes a tasty additive to banana bread for humans. However, it is advisable not to share any of your banana bread with your pup if it contains caramel. Caramel is not technically toxic to dogs; however, banana bread with caramel will be much higher in sugar than typical varieties of banana bread. A diet with excessive sugar can cause dental problems, obesity, and diabetes in canines.
Wheat or gluten allergy: Wheat grains have substances like gluten. Wheat flour has this gluten, a substance that gives the dough an elastic texture. Some humans and dogs are prone to this type of allergy. The signs of gluten allergy include:
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Constipation
Fatigue
Heartburn
Anxiety
Anemia
Dough: The fermented dough can cause stomach bloating in dogs as the ethanol in yeast can cause alcohol poisoning in dogs. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning in dogs are:
If untreated, alcohol poisoning results in organ failure and even death in severe cases. Even a tiny slice of banana bread without dog-friendly ingredients in them can be harmful to your dog. You have to be worried about banana bread that has these ingredients listed. These symptoms are pretty common a few minutes to hours after a dog has eaten enormous quantities of banana bread.
Kinds of Banana Bread and Why are they Bad for your Pups:
Banana bread is of many types. Some of them are unsafe for your pets, however. In addition, some of the ingredients found in everyday recipes are dangerous to your furry friend-raisins, for example.
Homemade banana bread is the safest. You can control the ingredients that are there in the recipe. Things to avoid are raisins, chocolate, macadamia nuts, and xylitol. Raisins are a threat to dogs. You can even get dog-friendly recipes online if you feel like baking your dog a treat!
Avoid store-bought banana bread: The dough used in-store bought bread contains ingredients that are not suitable for your dogs. Nuts, xylitol, coconut, alcohol, chocolate, and raisins are things you may find in banana bread from the store. They enhance the flavor, but they are not tolerated well by our canine friends.
They can result in mild adverse stomach allergies. However, few of them, such as raisins or chocolate, are hazardous.
How Much Banana Bread to Serve your Dog?
It is best if your dog is fed tiny amounts of banana bread as an occasional treat. If baking this treat, ensure that you cut off small pieces of the baked food and give your dog sparingly over time, but always be careful of their tummy limits.
Dog-Safe Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients (for approx. 12 slices of banana bread)
Spray your baking pan with some vegetable oil to ensure your bread doesn’t stick to the pan.
Combine the flour and the baking powder in a bowl.
Using a fork, smash up the bananas in another bowl. Add eggs, milk, and honey.
Whisk all these ingredients together and add this mixture to the bowl with flour.
Finally, mix it all evenly until all the ingredients are perfectly blended.
Scoop the batter onto the loaf pan and use a spatula to distribute the dough in the loaf pan evenly.
Bake for about 50 minutes.
Remove your loaf of banana bread. Let it cool for an hour before making slices and giving a piece to your pet.
What If My Dog Ate Banana Bread?
Symptoms of accidentally feeding your dog banana bread with toxic ingredients are:
Increased heart rate
Retching
Vomiting
Bloating
Low blood pressure
Weakness
Lethargy
Respiratory problems
Seizures
Coma
You should see a vet instantly if your dog suffers from the above or other dangerous side effects after eating banana bread.
Alternatives to Banana bread
Since dogs enjoy banana bread because of bananas, you have various tasty bites to consider. For example, you can give your dog banana chips. However, as with the above recipe, ensure you don’t use any toxic ingredients. Ideally, you should prefer homemade chips and evade deep-frying that can generate weight gain. You can feed or bake your dog frozen chips using 100% organic bananas. Some banana treats like chips and “cupcakes” with ground beef or turkey and carrots, rice, cinnamon, and eggs make good to go.
Tips: You can use bananas in your dog’s diet as an ingredient in home-baked or homemade dog treats. The following are some healthy homemade banana dog treat recipes to try:
Frozen Banana Treats
Ingredients
4 cups whole milk yogourt
2 tbsp peanut butter
Three ripen, peeled, and mashed bananas
Blend all the ingredients to a puree with a blender. Pour into small plastic cups.
Put them in the freezer and serve them cold.
Fruity Pops
Ingredients
1-liter fruit juice (no grapes)
One ripe and mashed banana,
1 cup of yogurt made up of whole milk
Blend the fruit juice and the mashed banana. Let it in the yogurt.
Pour in ice cube trays and keep in the freezer. When frozen, serve them.
Banana Cookies
Start with gathering your ingredients:
3 cups oats
1 cup flour
Two eggs
½ cup honey (local honey is best)
Two bananas (mashed)
Fun cookie cutters
Instructions:
You can either mix the ingredients by hand or use a blender if you have one. Mix all the wet ingredients first (eggs, honey, and bananas), and then add the flour and oatmeal until all ingredients are mixed well. Prepare the batter into a ball and then roll it out using a rolling pin. Once the dough is rolled, cut out the cookies with different shaped cookie cutters. Next, place the cookies on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes. Wait until the cookies turn cold, and then serve to your Fido–and kids! You’ve now successfully made healthy and easy dog treats that everyone can enjoy.
Banana Popsicles
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
A ripe banana
A slice of cheese
A luxuriant scoop of peanut butter.
Mix all ingredients in a blender until it has a smooth texture.
Put the spread in a shape maker and serve it chill.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Much Banana Bread Can I Give My dog?
A few bites should be okay.
How Frequently Can I Give Banana Bread to My Pet Dog?
You should avoid feeding banana bread to your pups regularly. However, if your dog seems to enjoy sweet or baked treats, there are plenty of dog-friendly recipes online to choose from.
Can Dogs Eat Banana Peels?
No, do not give your dog peels, even though they are high in fiber.
Can Dogs Eat Banana Chips?
Banana Chips can be suitable for your pet. Consider giving natural or home-prepared banana chips.
Can Dogs Eat Diet Banana Bread?
A slice of healthy banana bread may also contain some unhealthy ingredients. Xylitol, for example, can be toxic for dogs. Dark chocolate is harmful too.
What About Bananas Then. Are Those Even Good for Dogs?
No. But if you like to feed dogs with bananas, ensure that they are peeled. The skin is potentially very dangerous to dogs because of their high fiber content. The skin usually tends to cause abdominal pain and blockage. So, it’s better to squash all the bananas while preparing banana bread. Small pieces of banana fed occasionally are safe.
Suppose bananas aren’t your dog’s thing. Some other fruits and veggies are safe for dogs in small quantities.
You do not have to completely restrict yourself from giving a piece of banana bread to your pet. However, you have to be moderate since it can cause problems for your dog. You can constantly offer them tasty alternatives so they do not feel left out.
With plenty of nutritional value, banana bread is a good option for your dog. It poses very few risks as long as the ingredients are safe for your dog as an occasional snack.
Finally, anytime your dog eats something unfamiliar, it is best to watch for unusual traits. Keep the local poison control hotline number easily accessible in an emergency. Do your best to limit canines’ access to human food.
