Peanut Butter is Safe for Dog Treats

By Hugh Montgomery

Many people despair about the safeness of feeding their dog peanut butter. The reason for this apprehesion is perhaps due to the stories we have heard about nuts being unsafe for dogs. This is in fact true, many groups of nuts, are extremely unhealthy for dogs. These consist of the Macadamian and walnut, just to note a couple.

The problem with giving nuts to dogs is that several of these might become toxic over time. This is due to the excessive phosphorous levels and secondar ingredients that become even more toxic over time. These levels of toxicity may cause both kidney and bladder issues. In the most serious situations these levels may actually become fatal. It should also be noted that several mixtures of chocolate also include nuts.

There is marvelous news for those of us that want to use peanut butter as an aid in giving medication, rewarding our dogs with peanut butter dog biscuits or just sharing a smidgen on the tip of our finger. Peanuts are not actually nuts! In fact, peanuts are really a species in the legume family (Fabaceae) to be specific. In other terms, peanuts are really a type of bean!

That being said, dogs may have food allergies similar to people. As with any untested food item, it must be fed in moderation and halted if an allergic reaction is suspected. Although there are many beneficial nutrients in peanut butter, it is also high in calories. If you are concerned about preservatives, consider organic brands which might also be lower in sugar.

In closing, peanut butter is not known to be bad for dogs. Like any consumable or dog treats we provide our dogs, we should review the label and consider the other ingredients used in the manufacturing process. This is wonderful news for my dogs since they love a KONG(R) filled with peanut butter from the freezer. - 31976

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