A small amount of brown sugar shouldn’t harm your dog, but we don’t recommend it. High sugar foods can cause negative short and long term effects for your pooch.
What is brown sugar?
Brown sugar is essentially white sugar mixed with molasses, to give it its brown colour and slight caramel taste. Nutritionally it contains more minerals, such as iron and magnesium from the molasses, compared to pure white sugar.
Is brown sugar bad for dogs?
Brown sugar is bad for dogs – both in the short and long term.
Some short term effects of eating too much sugar can be:
- An abrupt spike in blood sugar levels
- Stomach pain
- Increased urination
- Increased thirst
Keep feeding your dog too much sugar, and it can lead to:
- Diabetes (and ketoacidosis if not managed properly)
- Gaining weight (and the problems associated with it, like increased stress on joints)
- Heart disease
- Tooth decay and cavities
And, of course, these all lead to expensive vet costs for you and a load of unwanted stress watching your pooch suffer!
Can dogs eat brown sugar?
Eating a tiny bit of brown sugar is unlikely to harm your dog. But eating a high amount of it, and consistently over time, will likely cause the short and long term effects described above. So it’s best to avoid brown sugar, or any type of sugar, for your pet.
Conclusion
Brown sugar is mainly sugar with molasses, and a small amount is unlikely to harm your dog. There are no significant nutritional benefits and it can cause short and long term effects in your pet. As such, it’s best to avoid brown sugar in your dog’s diet.
