Can Dogs Eat Rice Cakes?

The answer is yes provided they consume them in moderation. Dogs should not be fed Rice Cakes that contain salt flavoring or seasonings that may be harmful. Make sure you break the Rice Cakes into small pieces before giving them to your dogs. Rice Cakes should not be eaten by dogs with allergies to rice or grain.

Can dogs have Rice Cakes?

In moderation dogs can consume Rice Cakes. You must make sure that the Rice Cakes are not seasoned or salted and that they’re plain. The organic option is highly recommended if you plan to give your canine friends Rice Cakes as they contain no preservatives or additives.

Lets take a closer look at what Rice Cakes are and what they are not so you can determine whether your furry friends should eat them.

What are Rice Cakes?

As well as being a crunchy light and low-calorie snack Rice Cakes are also known as Puffed Rice. The answer to the question “can dog eat puffed rice” is yes dogs can eat puffed rice.

Rice grains are used to make Rice Cakes. As the rice grains are gathered into a circular shape they grow and expand under high pressure and temperature. Due to their sticky nature the rice grains adhere tightly to each other. Rice Cakes become light and fluffy as a result.

One main ingredient makes up this low-calorie snack: rice. Rice is a grain that is suitable for dogs. Rice and other grains are common ingredients in many commercial dog foods.

In a similar way to how many commercial dog food manufacturers use corn to bulk up the food and add nutritional value to it many manufacturers also use rice to do the same.

It is important to note that Rice Cakes are made to be consumed as snacks. The rice cake does not contain protein but it does contain some vitamins.

You should only give your furry friends Rice Cakes as occasional treats since they are made as snacking options.

Are Rice Cakes good for dogs?

Yes dogs can benefit from eating Rice Cakes. Let me explain.

Be sure to check the ingredients on the Rice Cakes before giving them to your pups. Store-bought Rice Cakes typically contain the following:

Rice (some use white rice others use brown rice).
Salt.

Consider Trader Joes Rice Cakes as an example:

Rice Cakes made by Trader Joes contain the following ingredients:

Organic brown rice.
Sea salt.

Organic brown rice is packed full of fiber and nutrients that are good for dogs

The nutrients and natural fiber in organic brown rice can be beneficial to your dogs overall health since it is whole and wholesome. During the process of hulling some of the bran remains intact which is why brown rice contains fiber and is brown in color.

As organic brown rice contains natural fiber it can help your dogs digestive system and maintain regular bowel movements.

Aside from being rich in minerals vitamins and carbohydrates brown rice also contains a lot of fiber.

Your dogs heart health can be improved by vitamins found in brown rice such as B vitamins and vitamin D. A variety of minerals can also be found in brown rice including riboflavin iron and calcium.

Trader Joes Rice Cakes for 1 Rice Cakes have the following nutritional profile. You can see how Rice Cakes are bad for dogs by looking at the nutritional profile. Lets look at this in more detail.

Nutritional Profile of Trader Joe’s Rice Cakes (Per Serving of 1 Cake or 18.5 grams)

Name Unit	Amount
Calories cal	70
Total Fat g	0.5
Sodium mg	25
Total Carbohydrate g	16
Fiber g	1
Protein g	1
Iron mg	0.2
Potassium mg	50

Are Rice Cakes bad for dogs?

Dogs can also be harmed by Rice Cakes. In our earlier discussion of Brown Rice Cakes we discussed organic brown rice as well as whole-grain brown rice. However some Rice Cakes are actually made from refined white rice. Dogs should not consume this.

Refined white rice is low in nutrients and isn’t as healthy for dogs

Rice that has been refined is highly processed. Essentially this means the outer layers of the rice are removed such as the bran husk and even the germ and this is not good since these outer layers contain the essential nutrients proteins and fiber that are good for dogs.

Once the outer layers of rice are removed there is not much fiber nutrients or protein left for our dogs. Rice Cakes are pretty much-refined carbs that have been seasoned with salt to provide flavor.

Refined white rice has a high glycemic index which is harmful to dogs

The glycemic index of rice cakes made from refined white rice is high. This type of Rice Cake is very harmful to our furry friends since it causes their blood sugar levels to spike very quickly after consumption. It is best to avoid giving your pups Rice Cakes made with refined white rice if they have blood glucose imbalances.

A dog on a weight management program or one who is insulin resistant should also stay away from refined white rice cakes.

The high salt level is harmful to dogs

Based on the nutritional profile of the Trader Joes Rice Crackers one Rice Cracker contains 25 mg of sodium or 18.5 grams of sodium. For dogs this is too much sodium.

For a 33-pound dog 100 mg of salt a day is the maximum amount that should be consumed. In addition the regular meal of your four-legged friends will already contain some salt in it so depending on how much salt they have already consumed the 25 mg of salt in a Rice Cracker could put them over their daily salt allowance for the day.

Rice Crackers are easy to finish for dogs putting them at risk for salt poisoning. Salt poisoning causes the following symptoms:

A headache or nausea that leads to vomiting.
Loose or watery diarrhea.
Loss of appetite.
High fever.
Dehydration can cause frequent urination as a result of being very thirsty.
Feeling lethargic or weak.
Stumbling around as if you are drunk.
Confusion.
Convulsions.
An abnormal amount of fluid is building up inside the dogs body.
Potential kidney failure.
Muscle tremors.
Coma (in severe cases).
Seizure (in severe cases).
Death (in severe cases if water is not provided and untreated).

You should consult your veterinarian right away if you suspect your canine family member has sodium poisoning. It is important that you seek medical attention right away. You will most likely have to take your dog to the vet for a physical examination and checkup. Your dogs vet will most likely give him IV fluids so he can stay hydrated.

High carbohydrates can cause weight gain in dogs

There are 16 grams of carbohydrates in one Trader Joes Rice Cake so you can see how high the carbohydrate content is. This can be harmful to our furry friends as food containing a lot of carbs can put a lot of stress on the dogs digestive system and cause health problems such as:

Weight gain.
Canine obesity.
Diabetes.
Cancer.

It is important to note that our canine friends do not need that many carbohydrates or starches to thrive. As a result they require more protein and fat helping them to receive everything they require.

Are Rice Cakes ok for dogs?

For this reason rice cakes are safe for dogs if they are made of plain organic brown rice without any salt seasoning or flavoring and are consumed in moderation. Avoid feeding your pets Rice Cakes if they are allergic to grains.

Rice Cakes should be fed slowly and in small amounts to dogs who have never eaten rice or rice cakes before. In order to watch for any reactions or symptoms dog owners should closely observe their dogs.

Do not give your pups any more Rice Cakes if they have negative reactions to them. Consult your vet immediately to ensure that your pups do not have grain or rice allergies.

Make sure you break up your dogs’ Rice Cakes into tiny pieces so they would not choke if you feed them crunchy Rice Cakes.

Because some dogs are not able to chew through their food properly if you allow them to eat the Rice Cakes as is they may not chew it into tiny pieces causing it to get lodged in their throat or esophagus. It can get stuck in the intestine and cause intestinal obstruction or even bowel obstruction if it makes its way down.

Rice Cakes contain high levels of carbohydrates that are harmful to dogs so moderation is key when feeding them.

Can dogs eat plain Rice Cakes?

In moderation dogs can consume plain Rice Cakes as that is the best option for our furry friends. Rice Cakes that do not have any seasoning such as salt or flavor are fine for dogs.

Rice Cakes are high in calories as well so if eaten regularly they can cause weight gain and several other health issues. Choose organic brown rice or whole-grain brown rice instead of plain Rice Cakes made from refined white rice.

In light of this make sure your pup is not allergic to rice. You should not feed them Rice Cakes no matter how plain they are.

Can dogs eat apple cinnamon Rice Cakes?

Rice cakes flavored with apple cinnamon should not be given to dogs. These cakes are high in sugar carbohydrates and calories and the combination of these three is particularly harmful to dogs.

Our apple cinnamon Rice Cakes safe for dogs? No they should not be fed apple cinnamon Rice Cakes. Lets examine the Quaker apple cinnamon Rice Cakes as an example to see why this is so.

Quaker Apple Cinnamon Rice Cakes Ingredients

Whole grain brown rice.
Sugar.
Fructose.
Maltodextrin.
Natural flavor.
Cinnamon.
Soy lecithin.

Sugar is harmful to dogs

Sugar does not belong in the diet of our furry friends. Their regular dog food usually contains carbohydrates that provide them with sugar. Dogs who consume too much sugar may experience:

Weight gain.
Dental issues such as cavities decay and enamel loss.
Diabetes.

Look again at the ingredient list and you’ll see fructose. A single apple cinnamon Rice Cake contains 3 grams of sugar and fructose is also sugar. Three grams of sugar is too much for a dog and can be detrimental to its health.

In addition if your pups are allergic to soy products you should avoid feeding them apple cinnamon Rice Cake. Its best to avoid feeding your precious pooch apple cinnamon Rice Cakes due to these reasons.

Can dogs eat caramel Rice Cakes?

It is not recommended for dogs to eat caramel Rice Cakes due to their high salt sugar carbs and calorie content. Can dogs consume caramel Rice Cakes? No dogs should not consume caramel Rice Cakes.

We should also note that caramel is essentially sugar and too much sugar consumption can harm our pets. Caramel Rice Cakes contain too much sugar for dogs so giving them these treats will result in excessive sugar consumption.

We can see these ingredients in Quaker Caramel Rice Cakes:

Whole Grain Brown Rice.
Degerminated Milled Corn.
Sugar.
Fructose.
Maltodextrin.
Caramel Color.
Natural Flavor.
Salt.
Soy Lecithin.

One caramel Rice Cake contains 3 grams of sugar. Its too much sugar for dogs and I think its unnecessary. Dogs should not consume fructose which is also sugar.

Looking at the ingredients again you see the caramel color. In caramel Rice Cakes there is no caramel. It is just sugar and caramel coloring.

So can dogs eat Rice Cakes?

Rice Cakes should only be offered to your dog in moderation if they are plain and do not contain any ingredients that can be harmful to her such as sugar salt or other flavorings. Over refined white rice rice cakes made with organic brown rice are preferred.

Its important to give your pups plain Rice Cakes in moderation. Its best to give your pets plain Rice Cakes occasionally as a special treat and not to feed them regularly.

Relevant Resources:

Amanda (Author)

With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.

Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)

Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.