Can Dogs Eat Rice Krispies?

correct answerThe Short Answer is:

Neither cereal nor sweet snack bars made with Rice Krispies should be given to dogs. This is because both Rice Krispies cereal and Rice Krispies treats are high in sugar calories sodium and carbohydrates.

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

Today as I was eating my Rice Krispies treat my Labrador came over and placed his paw on my arm. The way he said it was a way of asking me to share what I eat with him. Just before sharing Rice Krispies with him I wondered “Can my dog eat them?” 

I’ll give you a short answer first if you have the same question. 

Can dogs eat Rice Krispies? Rice Krispies treats are loaded with sugar fat carbohydrates sodium and calories so dogs should not eat them. The regular consumption of this processed treat can lead to health issues such as upset stomachs diabetes weight gain and even pancreatitis in dogs. In addition to being sticky chewing this sugary human snack can be difficult for dogs and it can even be a choking hazard. Avoid giving your dog these sweet treats. 

In the following research we’ll discuss why dog owners should keep Rice Krispies away from their furry family members. As we noted above we have only touched on a few reasons why our dogs should not eat Rice Krispies. Here we will discuss in detail how this chewy and sugary treat can harm your dogs health.

Can dogs have Rice Krispies?

Neither cereal nor sweet snack bars made with Rice Krispies should be given to dogs. This is because both Rice Krispies cereal and Rice Krispies treats are high in sugar calories sodium and carbohydrates. 

Here we will discuss Rice Krispies treats specifically. Scroll to the bottom of the research for more information about why dogs should avoid Rice Krispies cereal. 

Can dogs eat Rice Krispie treats?

Rice Krispies treats are not suitable for dogs and pet owners should not share this tasty treat with their canine companions. 

Can dogs have Rice Krispies treats?

For a better understanding of why dogs should not have Rice Krispies treats lets take a look at what Rice Krispies are what they contain and what their nutritional profile is. 

What is Rice Krispies?

Crispy rice is infused together with sweet marshmallows to create Rice Krispies a square or rectangular bar of sweet crunchy rice. Rice Krispies Treats become soft and sticky when eaten with marshmallows which helps the crisped rice stick together. Please keep in mind that we are talking specifically about Rice Krispies Treats. 

We now turn our attention to the ingredients in Rice Krispies treats.

Rice Krispies Ingredients

  • The cereal is made of rice sugar salt malt flavor niacinamide reduced iron riboflavin and folic acid. 
  • Corn syrup. 
  • Fructose. 
  • Plant oil (soybean and palm oil with TBHQ for freshness).
  • Sugar.
  • Corn syrup solids.

Rice Krispies contain 2% or less of the following ingredients: 

  • Vegetable glycerin.
  • Dextrose.
  • Gelatin.
  • Naturally and artificially flavored (contains milk). 
  • Salt.
  • DATEM.
  • Acrylated monoglycerides.
  • Soy lecithin.
  • BHT for freshness.

Rice Krispies treats are bad for dogs for the following reasons:

Tons of sugar in Rice Krispies Treat are harmful to dogs

Although we havenot yet delved into the nutritional profile of this human snack we can already see from the ingredients that Rice Krispies treats have a lot of sugar. It comes in various forms including: 

  • Sugar.
  • Corn syrup. 
  • Fructose. 
  • Corn syrup solids.

No matter what the manufacturer uses corn syrup fructose or corn syrup solids are all considered sugar at the end of the day and sugar is horrible for our pets’ health.

Sugar in Rice Krispies treats can cause upset stomach in dogs

Our dogs are likely to steal a bite or two of our unfinished Rice Krispies treats if we leave them on the table. This treat might even be consumed by them. You might have an upset stomach if your pooch ate more than a few Rice Krispies Treats. 

If your dog eats a lot of sugar it may develop a microorganism imbalance in its guts and experience bloody explosive diarrhea. In some cases the dog may vomit. 

Sugar in Rice Krispies treats can cause dental issues in dogs

Since Rice Krispies treats are sticky and full of sugar they can stick to your dogs teeth and mouth. Sugar in your pets mouth is converted to acids by the bacteria in its mouth. As a result the acids dissolve the enamel on your dogs teeth which causes dental disease. 

Make sure to brush your dogs teeth after he or she has eaten Rice Krispies treats or other sugary food. Between annual dental appointments dog handlers should brush their canines teeth daily or weekly.

Regularly eating sugary food like Rice Krispies treats can cause canine obesity

Our K9 friends health is not improved by Rice Krispies treats which are considered empty-calorie foods. Instead they cause our dogs to gain weight. Weight gain can put stress on your dogs joints over time causing the following health problems: 

  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Less energy.
  • Not interested in playing.
  • Joint problems.
  • Heart disease.
  • Lethargy.  

Sugar in Rice Krispies treats can affect your dog’s metabolism

Too much sugar affects the metabolism of dogs or the hormones in their bodies. Its because sugar increases insulin secretion which can lead to fat storage in your dogs body. 

Thus your dogs muscles become less toned and both their energy levels and immune system weaken. 

In addition to being overweight weak and less active dogs with lower metabolisms are also more likely to develop hormone-related diseases.  

Eating Rice Krispies treats regularly can lead to diabetes in dogs

If your dog consumes Rice Krispies treats regularly he or she is likely to gain weight and develop Type II diabetes. The pancreas of your precious pooch makes very little to no insulin at this point which may make it difficult for them to process sugar. 

We’ll now examine the nutritional profile of Rice Krispies.

Nutritional Profile of Rice Krispies (1 Bar or 22g or .78oz) 

Name Unit Amount
Calories cal 90
Total Fat g 2
Saturated Fat g 0.5
Sodium mg 105
Total Carbohydrate g 17
Total Sugar g 8
Protein g <1
Iron mg 0.7
Folate mcg 70

This means that one Rice Krispies bar has 90 calories 2 grams of fat (0.5 grams saturated) and 17 grams of carbohydrate (8 grams sugar). 

Rice Krispies a high-calorie treat with no nutritional value can be harmful to the health of our canine friends. In addition to being high in calories Rice Krispies Treats contain a great deal of fat and sugar. Regularly eating them can have immediate and long-term health consequences. 

So are Rice Krispies bad for dogs?

Rice Krispies are bad for dogs because they contain high levels of sugar and are high in calories carbs fat and salt. Regularly eating Rice Krispies treats negatively impacts the health of dogs so that they gain weight develop diabetes develop cavities and tooth decay and even develop pancreatitis. 

Here are some other reasons why dogs should not eat Rice Krispies treats:

Rice Krispies treats can be a choking hazard for dogs

Sugary marshmallows are infused and coated on top of Rice Krispies treats so they can get quite sticky and require chewing. The chunky Rice Krispies treats can pose a choking hazard for dogs who do not chew their food thoroughly before swallowing. 

The dog handler can be killed if he or she is not present. You should use the Heimlich maneuver on your dog if it is choking on Rice Krispies treats or other food. 

The plastic wrapper on the Rice Krispies treat is harmful to dogs

When our dog sees an open and unfinished Rice Krispies treat sitting on the kitchen table he may try to eat it and accidentally eat the blue plastic wrapper. Blue wrappers can pose a choking hazard when they do this. 

For this reason we recommend that owners put their unfinished Rice Krispies in a closed or locked cabinet or on high surfaces where dogs would not be able to see or reach them.

Can dogs eat Rice Krispies cereal?

Rice Krispies cereal is not recommended for dogs because like Rice Krispies treats it is loaded with tons of sugar carbohydrates sodium and fat. Learn why Rice Krispies cereal is bad for dogs by looking at its ingredients.

Ingredients in Rice Krispies cereal

  • Rice.
  • Sugar.

2% or less of the following ingredients are found in Rice Krispies cereal: 

  • Salt.
  • Malt flavor.
  • A list of vitamin and mineral supplements includes iron (ferric phosphate) niacinamide vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) vitamin B2 (riboflavin) vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride) folic acid vitamin D3 vitamin B12.

Because this sweet human snack contains both carbohydrates and sugar it can be harmful to our canine friends. 

Nutritional Profile of Rice Krispies Cereal (1.5 Cup or 40 grams)

Name Unit Amount
Calories cal 150
Total Fat g 4
Sodium mg 200
Total Carbohydrate g 36
Protein g 3
Vitamin D mcg 3
Iron mg 11.2
Potassium mg 30
Folate mcg 200

So can dogs eat Rice Krispies?

Sharing Rice Krispies treats or Rice Krispies cereal with our furry friends is not caring in this case even though the saying says sharing is caring. What our dogs eat and how much they exercise or stay active determine their health.

Rice Krispies treats and cereal regularly shared with our pets can cause them to become overweight diabetic and suffer from a host of other health problems. Health and activity levels are affected when dogs do not eat a healthy well-balanced diet and instead eat human snacks instead. 

Due to joint pain from their heavy weight they no longer enjoy running or walking as much as before. They may also change in behavior and mood as a result. Therefore it is important that we do not feed our K9 friends Rice Krispies treats or cereal.

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

Can Dogs Eat Rice Krispies? (Watch Video)

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