Can Dogs Eat Brown Sugar?

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Can Dogs Eat Brown Sugar?“.

I love to add some sugar to my oatmeal as many others do. I dropped some brown sugar on the kitchen table one day due to my clumsiness. My Labrador had already licked off the towel when I turned around to grab it. I almost panicked and wondered “Can my dog eat Brown Sugar?” Here is a short answer.  

Can dogs eat Brown Sugar? Brown Sugar should not be consumed by dogs because of its high glucose content and high yeast content. This combination can cause the dogs blood sugar level to suddenly rise and result in health issues such as vomiting upset stomach and even tremors. Since brown sugar isnot toxic your dogs should not have any problems if they accidentally ate it. However you should avoid giving your dogs Brown Sugar regularly as it can lead to a whole host of health problems down the road.   

Can dogs have Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar is not recommended for dogs. In order to fully comprehend why dog owners should keep Brown Sugar away from their canine friends lets look at what Brown Sugar is and how it can affect our dogs’ health. 

Brown Sugar vs white sugar

Lets compare white sugar and brown sugar to better understand brown sugar. 

Sugar whether brown or white can be considered both sucrose and sugar. 

Brown Sugar is distinguished from white sugar by the following: 

Brown Sugar	White Sugar
Brown Sugar has not been refined.	White sugar has been refined.
Brown Sugar is made with molasses.
Usually marketed as the better healthier and “natural sugar.”

Brown Sugar may sound like a better choice to give our four-legged friends but it still isnot a good idea. Ultimately Brown Sugar is still sugar regardless of whether its been refined or not marketed as a healthier natural sugar or made with molasses. 

The bodies of our canine companions cannot distinguish between Brown Sugar and sugar so they absorb it as sugar. Therefore Brown Sugar is harmful to dogs. We will discuss how brown sugar can negatively impact your dogs health in the next section.

Is Brown Sugar bad for dogs?

Its true that dogs should not eat Brown Sugar on a daily basis or regularly. The effects of brown sugar on our dogs health and general wellbeing since it is simply considered sugar by them.

Brown Sugar for dogs is a no-no!

Brown sugar should not be fed to your furry friends as sugar will cause the following in dogs.

Brown Sugar can cause upset stomach in dogs

Brown Sugar isnot a good addition to your dogs diet. Dogs can develop upset stomachs when they eat sugary foods. They have healthy levels of helpful bacteria and other microbes in their guts which helps them digest the food they eat. 

The higher dose of brown sugar can disrupt the healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in their guts when they ingest more sugar than usual or more sugar than what they are used to eating. After this dogs will have an upset stomach and may vomit or have bloody and explosive diarrhea.

So does sugar give dogs diarrhea?

You should not be surprised if you find vomit or bloody diarrhea on your carpet or floor after your pooch eats sugar. Avoid giving your four-legged friends Brown Sugar or other types of sugar if you do not like to clean up their diarrhea or vomit.

Note: Dog vomit can come in a variety of colors including yellow green and red. In addition there are different types of dog vomit that can tell you why your dog is feeling sick. Donot forget to save this Dog Vomit Color Guide for future use.

Brown Sugar can cause dental issues in dogs

In the same way we can get cavities from eating too much sugar dogs can also get cavities from eating too much sugar. 

When we feed our furry friends Brown Sugar the bacteria in their mouths use it to produce acids that dissolve the minerals in their enamel. This eventually causes the dogs outer coating to disappear which puts your dog at risk for dental diseases. 

It is possible for your pooch to develop tooth decay cavities and tooth loss.  

You should avoid giving your pooch sugary food snacks or treats if you want to prevent dental problems. Including brown sugar you should avoid sugar in all forms.  

You should brush your poochs teeth if you notice he or she has eaten Brown Sugar or other sugary foods. My dogs veterinarian recommended that I brush his teeth every day. Its fine for busy pet owners to brush their dogs teeth weekly as well

At least once a year your vet should check and clean your dogs teeth. Keeping their teeth healthy and pearly white helps prevent dental disease in dogs.

Brown Sugar can lead to canine obesity

Despite not being refined Brown Sugar is still sugar. In general sugary food is considered “empty calorie” food and our four-legged friends should avoid this type of food. Sugary and empty-calorie food can cause your dogs to gain weight because of their high-calorie content. 

Adding weight to your dog puts unnecessary strain on their joints chest and can even affect their gait. To make matters worse weight gain can also negatively affect your dogs health. 

In overweight dogs all the extra weight puts stress on their joints causing them to experience joint pain. Physical activities such as walking running and playing can be difficult for them when they are injured. In addition to being lethargic your furry friend may prefer to stay in the bed for hours on end.    

Additionally weight gain can place additional strain on your dogs chest wall which can make him have trouble breathing.  

Additionally your pup may suffer from heart disease arthritis and respiratory problems as a result of weight gain. 

It is good news that most of these health issues can be avoided if we take care with the type of food we feed our pets and keep all types of sugar including brown sugar out of their diet.

Brown Sugar can cause affect your dog’s metabolism

The consumption of excessive Brown Sugar by dogs can increase their insulin secretion. When this occurs your dogs hormones are affected and over time they will lose muscle tone and become fatter. 

In addition they will likely experience a decline in energy levels and a weakening of their immune system. 

Your dogs will feel more tired weak and less active as a result of all of this. Besides being prone to obesity and infections your pooch may also suffer from diseases related to hormones.  

We see that feeding your pooch Brown Sugar can cause changes in his metabolism and body. Its best to keep Brown Sugar away from your furry friends to prevent this from happening.

Brown Sugar can cause diabetes in dogs

There is a high chance that your dog will develop diabetes specifically Type II diabetes when his metabolism changes and he keeps gaining weight. The pancreas of dogs with Type II diabetes are affected so they can not properly process sugar.

Among the functions of the dogs pancreas is to produce insulin a hormone that helps to regulate the amount of sugar (or glucose) in the dogs blood. In adverse situations the pancreas starts producing very little insulin or simply does not produce any insulin at all. 

As a result a high level of sugar or glucose is present in the dogs blood which indicates diabetes. 

Regularly consuming Brown Sugar may lead to pancreatitis

Pancreatitis can occur when dogs consume large amounts of sugar such as brown sugar. Inflammation of the pancreas causes quite a bit of pain. Your dog may appear to be crouching or bent over almost as if he is praying. 

The front legs and head of this creature are lowered to the ground while its rear end sticks up in the air.  

Pancreatitis can cause the following symptoms: 

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Depression (in severe cases)
• Acute shock (in severe cases)
• Death (in severe cases)

My dog ate a bunch of Brown Sugar! What should I do?

Should your dog experience any of the above symptoms after eating Brown Sugar you should contact your veterinarian immediately. During your visit you may be asked to bring your dog in so that they can perform a thorough check-up on him as well as other types of tests necessary such as laboratory tests pancreatic tests and ultrasounds. 

The sooner your dog is treated the better his prognosis so make sure to contact your vet as soon as possible if you notice any of the above symptoms.

Is Brown Sugar safe for dogs?

In conclusion Brown Sugar is dangerous for dogs and pet owners should not feed it to their animals. The best thing to do is keep Brown Sugar and other types of sugar away from your canine friends since they do not provide any health benefits and can negatively affect their health and well-being.

Other names sugar goes by that are unsafe and unhealthy for dogs

Several foods and snacks for humans contain either white refined sugar or brown sugar. It is best to keep them out of your dogs diet because they are both unhealthy. 

Sugar can be very difficult to pinpoint when you’re looking at the ingredients list since its called by a lot of different names. Keep these ingredients away from your pooch: 

• Corn syrup
• Molasses
• Honey
• Fructose
• Sucrose
• Sorbitol
• Caramel
• Beet pulp

Brown Sugar and dogs

Can dogs eat oatmeal with Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar should not be added to oatmeal for dogs. Its fine for dogs to eat oatmeal by itself but not brown sugar. Having oatmeal for your pooch is fine so long as you avoid adding Brown Sugar or choose plain oatmeal without sugar. 

As a whole oatmeal is rich in antioxidants minerals and nutrients. Be sure to feed your pooch oatmeal in moderation without the brown sugar if you plan on feeding them oatmeal.

Can dogs eat Brown Sugar cinnamon pop tarts?

Brown Sugar cinnamon pop tarts are not suitable for dogs. Pop-tarts are human snacks that are extremely sweet and are considered empty calories. Pop-tarts are not healthy or safe for dogs in any shape form or manner. 

Pop-tarts made with brown sugar and cinnamon taste just as good. These foods are unhealthy for dogs and regular consumption of them can cause health issues such as diabetes weight gain dental disease arthritis metabolic changes and even pancreatitis.

Can dogs eat Brown Sugar oatmeal?

Brown Sugar oatmeal should not be fed to dogs. Dogs should also avoid brown sugar oatmeal just as they should not eat oatmeal with brown sugar. 

Sugar is naturally produced by our dogs’ bodies when they eat complex carbohydrates from their regular healthy and balanced diet. Sugar or foods laced with sugar are not necessary to feed them.

Can dogs eat maple Brown Sugar oatmeal?

Maple Brown Sugar oatmeal should not be fed to dogs. Although oatmeal itself is relatively healthy for dogs in moderation flavored oatmeal such as maple brown sugar oatmeal is not good for them and is loaded with sugar. 

Sugar consumption can lead to a host of health problems in dogs as we discussed above.   

Although oatmeal contains tons of vitamins minerals and other nutrients that are beneficial to our dogs health we must take care not to overfeed them. This is because oatmeal contains tons of natural fats which are harmful to dogs.

Can dogs eat sweet potatoes with Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar is not suitable for dogs. Sweet potatoes on their own are nutritious for dogs. There are many vitamins and minerals in them including calcium iron potassium and vitamins A B6 and C. Additionally they are an excellent source of fiber for dogs. 

When sweet potatoes are mixed with brown sugar they are not safe for dogs to consume. 

Sweet potatoes with Brown Sugar are usually when you make brown sugar roasted sweet potatoes or classic candied sweet potatoes and both are unhealthy for dogs.

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Can Dogs Eat Brown Sugar? (Watch Video)