Can Puppies Eat Oatmeal?

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Can Puppies Eat Oatmeal?“.

Most people consider dogs to be puppies until they are approximately two years old. Our love for them stems from their cuteness. They are also a lot harder to train than average dogs.

Feeding puppies requires a little more attention when it comes to their health.

When should I feed them and how much?

Can you tell me what kind of food is safe?

Between the ages of four to eight weeks puppies begin to wean themselves off their mothers milk when their teeth start to appear. Mama dog would not want those little puppy doggies biting her while she nurses. 

At this point they are transitioned to a “gruel” of sorts which typically consists of puppy food milk replacer and water. By the time they are seven or eight weeks old puppies are eating solid food. 

Recent trends have seen more people feeding their dogs “natural” food – food generally intended for human consumption – for a variety of reasons. One of those foods is oatmeal.

Is oatmeal safe for puppies?

What are the nutritional needs of a puppy?

In order to determine if a puppy can eat oatmeal its best to understand the puppys nutritional needs.

Puppy food should generally contain:

• Proteins (22-32% of the diet)
• Fats (10-25%)
• Dietary carbohydrates (20%)

It is important to remember that puppies need more nutrients as they grow. Moreover they consume quite a bit of food. For this reason puppies are often fed three to four times daily.

From the age of 6-12 weeks puppies should be fed puppy food formulated specifically for them. You could even say that feeding your puppy adult food will rob him of important nutrients.

With this knowledge how can I justify feeding my puppy oatmeal?

First things first.

Let’s talk about oatmeal

It is often because we simply care for our puppies that we consider whether to feed them something other than puppy food. Our goal might be to provide them with a varied diet so that they have a balanced diet. Possibly they are picky eaters and we’re looking at different options. Oatmeal might bring be oatmeal.

Its important to clarify then that we’re not talking about any oatmeal.

Whole grain oats are better:

Avoid instant oatmeal at all costs. Puppies and dogs may have upset stomachs or diarrhea from eating this processed oatmeal. 

The best oats are whole grain steel-cut then rolled.

Can puppies eat oatmeal and milk?

Its best not to cook or mix oatmeal with milk when you introduce it to your puppy. It can be difficult for puppies and dogs to digest cow or goat milk. Use plain old boring water instead. Using milk is fine if you use a special formula such as this buy a special formula for puppies or consult your veterinarian.

Oatmeal with flavors should be avoided. They may contain sugars and other chemicals that are toxic to your puppy.

Can puppies eat oatmeal cookies?

You should also avoid giving your puppy oatmeal cookies that contain raisins or chocolate as both are toxic to dogs. Oatmeal cookies with sugar are also problematic since sugar causes the same problems in dogs as it does in humans (diabetes obesity tooth decay etc.).

How much oatmeal to give a puppy?

Rice is another carbohydrate we’ll discuss later. To make sure your puppys daily diet does not exceed 10% calories provided by oatmeal follow Purinas 10% rule for rice.

According to various guidelines a quarter teaspoon or a tablespoon per 5 lbs is the maximum daily intake.

Can puppies eat raw oatmeal?

For puppies and all dogs for that matter raw oatmeal can be difficult to chew swallow and digest. You should cook it until its nice and soft just like you would eat it yourself.

Thus oatmeal can be a part of your puppys diet but it should not be the mainstay.

What’s so good about oatmeal?

In fact oats are commonly found in prepared dog foods as a carbohydrate alternative particularly since dogs are becoming increasingly intolerant of grains wheat corn soy and gluten. Plus: Oats have the highest protein per calorie of all grains.

In addition to being filling oatmeal also has these other benefits:

• Vitamin B is known for making your dogs coat shiny and healthy
• Skin benefits from linoleic acid an omega-6 fatty acid.
• High in silicon to keep your puppys bones strong.
• In addition to selenium zinc manganese phosphorous and magnesium it also contains other essential nutrients.

What’s not so good about oatmeal? 

In addition to being high in fiber oatmeal is also high in protein. Now this can be beneficial if your puppy is constipated. In addition it is good for dogs that have a hard time staying regular as they age. If your puppy consumes too much fiber it may experience diarrhea bloating and pain.

The calorie content of oatmeal is higher than that of rice. Good lots of energy right?

Well sort of.

The consumption of too many calories can also lead to obesity. As long as our puppies can still fit into their puppy pants they’ll be happy.  

Balance is important here. Oatmeal does not provide all the nutrients a puppy requires. But it does provide some. What if you can get that something from somewhere else such as rice?

Rice vs Oatmeal

Maybe you’re thinking “gee it sounds like oatmeal has some problems.”. Canot I just use rice instead?

Rice is awesome! In commercial dog foods it is often added as well as oatmeal. It contains high levels of carbohydrates and is gluten-free.

Rice is also like oatmeal in that it can be purchased in bulk quantities. Rice and oatmeal are both easily prepared and relatively inexpensive.

Dogs and puppies tend to digest white rice the easiest because it is the most affordable variety. Due to its plain nature it is often used to soothe upset stomachs. In addition it is high in calories and is often seen as the rice with the most “empty carbs.”

Besides being more nutrient-rich and higher in vitamins than white rice brown rice has a high fiber content that is sometimes used to help adult dogs lose weight. If your dog – or puppy – has gastrointestinal issues this could pose a problem.

The most expensive type of rice is wild rice. Rice that is high in protein antioxidants fiber and nutrients like potassium vitamin B magnesium and zinc is the best rice to feed your dog.

The amount of rice that your dog consumes should not exceed 10% of their daily caloric intake. This is especially important for puppies who need as many nutrients as possible.

In other words its not really an oatmeal vs. rice argument. Try both to maximize your puppys nutrition intake. Pay attention to your puppys digestion and diarrhea and make adjustments as necessary. Use the 10% rule for both and nothing will go wrong.

Also when it comes to rice theres no seasoning or additives! Its plain and simple.

Conclusion

In other words puppies can totally eat oatmeal.

As many dog and puppy owners transition to using natural foods its important to remember that puppies have very specific nutritional requirements. If oatmeal is prepared properly it can be a good source of nutrition for puppies. 

Rice is not to be forgotten! Oats and rice are both inexpensive are available in large quantities and can be prepared quickly and easily. The use of both interchangeably is not harmful – in fact it may have some benefits.

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

Can Puppies Eat Oatmeal? (Watch Video)