Can Dogs Eat Weetabix?

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

Possibly it is because you forgot to buy more dog food or perhaps it is because as the price of food for us and for our dog skyrockets you find yourself staring at a box of Weetabix. 

Do you think my dog can eat this?

I guess we’ll find out then shall we?

Weetabix is my first introduction to you. 

An introduction to Weetabix

In Australia Weetabix was developed and introduced in the 1920s.

Despite these challenges it did not find its true home in Australia until it was introduced to the UK in 1932. 

It was introduced to Canada in 1967 and to America a year later. 

Weetabix has a rectangular shape but rounded edges and they are about the size of an adults hand. 

How healthy or suitable is this cereal designed for humans for our dogs?

In order to answer this question I want to take a closer look at all the different flavors and varieties there are.

The four flavors of Weetabix

There are four varieties of Weetabix: original banana chocolate and organic. 

In spite of this the basic ingredients in all of these different flavors are exactly the same with the odd ingredient or flavoring being different.

Let us now examine each of these ingredients one by one and see how they might affect your dog. 

What are the ingredients in Original Weetabix?

Weetabix is made from four main ingredients: whole grain wheat barley malt extract sugar and salt. 

Lets look at these ingredients one by one. 

Whole grain wheat

We know exactly how much wheat is in Weetabix which is uncommon for a food product.

Weetabix biscuits contain 95% wheat.

Wheat is an ingredient in wheat but is it healthy for your dog?

Unless your dog is wheat- or gluten-intolerant wheat can be seen as a healthy product.

If thats the case you should not give your dog this cereal at all. 

To make these biscuits even better the wheat used is whole grain.

Whole grains are considered to be healthier than refined grains since they contain more nutrients.

In the process of refining grain more than half of the B vitamins in wheat are lost as is 90 percent of the vitamin E and virtually all of the fiber.

What are the nutritional benefits of whole-grain wheat?

It is very similar to refined wheat as far as I can tell. It has fewer calories and although it has a little more fat it also contains a lot more protein and fiber and fewer carbohydrates. 

It is important for your dog to consume protein as it helps build and repair muscles.

Dogs need fiber for a healthy digestive system which is a fundamental part of their health. 

Furthermore whole grain wheat is a great source of minerals and vitamins. 

Compared to refined wheat it contains more calcium iron magnesium and phosphorus.

Calcium is important for a dogs bones and teeth because it helps them stay strong and healthy.

I refer to the bones in their body not the bones they are given to chew!

In order for them to stay in the best shape possible they need to consume enough iron in their diet.

Maintain a healthy nervous system with magnesium. 

Do you think we have explored wheat in sufficient depth?

I will examine sugar in the next section.

Barley malt extract and sugar

Since both of these ingredients are forms of sugar I have grouped them together.

A barley malt extract is made by extracting maltose from barley which is a form of sugar.

It is 100% sugar so it is 100% sugar.

I do not need to harp on for too long about the dangers of sugar and how its linked to a variety of frightening health problems for humans and dogs.

To mention just two obesity and tooth decay. 

Despite the fact that every Weetabix biscuit contains 95% wheat sugar makes up less than 5% of every biscuit when all the other ingredients are taken into account. 

Salt

If we are not concerned about sugar we will be concerned about salt- these two ingredients are among the most demonized foods in the world.

The amount of salt used in Weetabix will not harm your dog because too much salt is a bad thing in a dogs diet. 

This is hopefully a useful round-up of the main ingredients that can be found in all varieties of Weetabix.

In the next section I want to take a look at some of the different ingredients that are used in some of the different Weetabix varieties. 

What ingredients are in the different flavors of Weetabix?

The two flavor varieties I want to discuss in this section are chocolate and banana. 

Chocolate since the mere mention of chocolate and dogs in the same sentence should send any dog owners pulse racing- and not in a good way. 

Dogs are highly toxic to theobromine a substance found in cocoa that makes chocolate. 

Can dogs eat chocolate-flavored Weetabix?

Plain chocolate makes up 7% of the chocolate-flavored Weetabix.

Dark chocolate is one of the most dangerous types of chocolate for dogs because it contains a lot of cocoa.

In plain chocolate in Weetabix there are two main ingredients: sugar and cocoa.

In my mind this suggests that there is enough chocolate in this flavor of Weetabix to make you want to keep it away from your dog.

You should not share them at the breakfast table or break them up and use them as training treats. 

In addition to plain chocolate chocolate Weetabix also contains cocoa powder as the second most prominent ingredient. 

Dogs can become poisoned if they eat too much of it.

My next section will take a break from the doom and gloom and talk about a very healthy variety of Weetabix- bananas. 

Can dogs have banana-flavored Weetabix?

Sliced bananas topped with Weetabix biscuits have become such a popular combination that the company decided to put this into a box!

Can dogs eat this variety and what are the ingredients used?

Although I have never had banana-flavored Weetabix a glance at the ingredients shows that the ingredients are almost identical to those in an original biscuit with one tiny exception- an ingredient named “flavorings.” 

The ingredient is one of the last on the list so since it would only be used in small amounts it wouldnot be harmful to your dog.

I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed. 

Wouldnot it be nice if there was at least some chocolate in the chocolate Weetabix?!

Toward the end of this research I want to briefly discuss how Weetabix has been enriched with extra vitamins and minerals. 

Can dogs eat enriched cereals?

It is very common in food production to add extra minerals and vitamins.

Cereals are among the most commonly enriched foods in the world.

In addition most commercial dog foods are enriched with vitamins and minerals to ensure that your dog receives the right blend of nutrients to live a long and healthy life.

Weetabix is also enriched for the same reason however the benefit of humans is greater than that of dogs.

Niacin Iron Riboflavin (B2) Thiamin (B1) and Folic Acid are added to Weetabix along with one mineral and four vitamins. 

We have already touched on the health benefits to your dog of iron but we have yet to discuss the ways in which all of these B vitamins can enhance your dogs health.

They also aid the body in keeping its cells in excellent working order by converting their food efficiently into energy. B vitamins play a vital role in the metabolism of dogs. 

However even though your dog probably gets enough B vitamins from their main food they would not suffer any harm from taking these additional vitamins and minerals.  

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

Can Dogs Eat Weetabix? (Watch Video)