Is Molasses Bad for Dogs & Puppies to Have?
When the sugar is made Molasses are created as a By-product. One of the healthy choices for many people, mainly vegetarians. The reason being that it is loaded with vitamin B12 and iron, it even has vitamins, which are good for individuals, who eat a plant-based diet and their body lacks them. However, many of the dog parents have a simple question. Can dogs eat molasses? Do they benefit the dog in any way? Or this black, sticky substance only messes your house when your dog spreads it on the floor?
Let us tell you that some dogs require extra iron, and molasses are a perfect way to rectify the issue. In this article you will come to understand if dogs eat molasses. You will also find out the health benefits of giving molasses to your dog.
What Is Molasses?
As you already know by now that molasses is a by-product of sugar. This by-product is extracted from sugarcane and sugar beets during the extraction process and makes these two ingredients into sugar. Molasses is black or brown in color and look & consistency vise it becomes a thick, dark, sticky liquid. The sweetness of molasses may differ, and generally not that sweet; it sometimes tastes very bitter. Molasses is used as a flavoring agent in many human foods which are processed and is available in treats given to dogs.
One of the most dark and bitter molasses is the Blackstrap molasses. However, it has a rich flavor, the reason being that the sugar is crystallized and removed, which provides it the bitter taste.
Can I Give My Dog Molasses?
Molasses as an ingredient that many would eat daily or even considering feeding it to their dogs. However, you may have seen that molasses is used as a product in popular dog treats. Dogs for sure can eat molasses in small amounts, but it’s better not to give your pet molasses too much.
If you are thinking of feeding molasses to your dog because of the health benefits it is better to buy natural molasses which are free from impure ingredients. Many molasses have unhealthy ingredients which could be poisonous to dogs. Make sure to avoid molasses which contain artificial sweeteners. You should be more cautious if the ingredient has xylitol on the label. The ingredient Xylitol is a sugar replacement and is toxic to dogs.
Chemical-free and organic molasses are very healthy for dogs. This ingredient in pure form can be added to your pet’s food. It would be excellent if I made homemade dog treats with it. This product would help stick all the other ingredients together. Many dogs like the taste of molasses, it also has many essential minerals & vitamins.
Health Benefits of Molasses
Blackstrap molasses is good for humans and dogs if you give it to them in a limited amount. Yes, it does taste bitter and may take some time to get used to but it has a lot of iron and many vitamins. The calorie count in molasses is very low and has the good cholesterol along with the healthy fats. It does contain iron and also does have the highest vegetarian source of B12. This will help to reduce the risk of anemia.
Molasses also contains calcium, copper & vitamin B6. Calcium is good for dogs as it helps in protecting your dog’s bones against harmful diseases. It keeps your dog’s bone and teeth healthy in a fine condition. It even reduces the aspects which may cause joint pain and arthritis when your dog becomes old. Vitamin B6 which is also found in dogs is good for dogs as it will help them to digest fats and metabolize the amino acids which are there in the protein.
Molasses also contains manganese, magnesium, potassium & chromium. Chromium is one of the important vitamins as it prevents diabetes in dogs and also improves your pet’s glucose tolerance.
Feeding Molasses to Your Dog
Molasses is available in many colors such as light brown to black which totally depends on what amount of sugar is present. Light-colored molasses syrup has an amount of sugar. This is not consumable by dogs. This would make their teeth condition worse and is especially harmful to diabetic dogs.
Darker molasses is good, the best being, blackstrap molasses which gives the utmost health benefits. This type of molasses will also be bitter as the sugar has been removed.
Prior to feeding molasses to your dog, make sure you check the label to ensure they don’t have the ingredients that are poisonous to dogs.
