Can Dogs Eat Butter? The Definitive Answer: Explained

While butter is favorite to the majority of people out there and reportedly it also offers certain health benefits for us humans the case is almost opposite for our favorite pets. As you already know, dogs are generally lactose intolerant. It means, dogs do not have the necessary enzymes that are essential for digesting Milk or milk by-products. So, it is quite questionable how healthy butter is for dogs. Can dogs eat butter? Is butter safe for dogs?

Let’s find out.

Click here to jump to the conclusion.

About Butter

Butter is by far, one of the most popular cooking ingredients today. Whether it is about a chocolate cookie; or a piece of cake, butter is always there as a major element.

Butter is made from the solid components of milk which are fat and protein. Between these two, fat can be as high as 80% and the rest is protein and milk. Another thing about butter is, it contains a high amount of saturated fat.

Lots of people enjoy butter as a regular part of their food habits. But not everyone can tolerate butter. Those people who have milk allergies can be affected by butter due to some of the allergic we proteins it contains.

Moreover, people who are lactose intolerant can also face difficulties while digesting butter the butter contains a limited amount of lactose.

The fat content of butter is also connected with humans’ heart health and heart diseases. Though, some debates are going on about this particular issue.

Can Dogs Eat Butter?

So now the question comes, Can dogs eat butter actually? Is butter bad for our dogs?

Simply, the answer is no. While we humans can digest it is really, butter and other Milk products are in general difficult for our dogs to digest due to their lactose intolerance. Other than that, the majority of butter consists of fats and that may not benefit our dogs from a health perspective.

To be honest, butter is not toxic to dogs. But as it is a dairy product, it is best avoided. It doesn’t necessarily mean that if your dog happens to eat a slice of bread with butter spread on that, there is nothing to panic. Your dog may show some mild symptoms but there will be gone within days. But still, if the symptoms are severe and don’t go away within a few days you must contact a doctor.

Is Butter Bad for Dogs?

The high-fat content of butter can also cause problems and affect the regular food habit or diet of your dog because even one spoonful of butter along with the regular diet of your dog can cross the daily recommended fat intake limit and thus cause various digestive problems like bloating gas or diarrhea.

Besides the fats can also lead to increased cholesterol levels of your dog which can eventually result in in several negative effects on the overall health of your dog.

For example, if your dog is suffering from diabetes or some kind of pancreatic condition, then feeding your dog with butter will possibly worsen the existing condition.

It is always better to be safe than taking any potential risk.

Among various kinds of butter, there are sold at once and unsalted butter as well. In the case of salted butter, the added salt can also be harmful to your dog.

When it comes to fat, dogs can face real difficulties while digesting them. This is just true for larger dogs as it is for small dogs or puppies.

Due to the fat content of butter, there always remains the possibility of weight gain. And with gained weight, the possibility of various diseases is also increased.

As a responsible pet owner, it is our first duty to ensure that our pets are getting the best and the healthiest of food out there. Also, so it is our responsibility to keep them away from food that can harm them even on a small scale.

A high-fat food item like butter can even lead to Pancreatitis in dogs. There is an increased chance of Ideas when a dog gets one large serving of fatty food in a single sitting. And if you already are aware of pancreatitis, you made never want your dog to have this disease in any way.

Conclusion: Can Dogs Eat Butter?

Not only just butter but any high fat-containing food can cause various short-term or long-term adverse effects for your dog, which is never favorable for your pet and should be avoided in every way.

So, it is recommended that you avoid giving your dog butter or any other kind of fatty food item.

See more: Can Dogs Have Oatmeal?