Each of us is experiencing the circles of our lives — pain, happiness, suffering, and grief. Yet, every circle comes with a story — of hope, success, survival, and prosperity.
But beyond the circles that our lives have, there’s only one circle that you can trust, and that is donuts.
Despite the world’s bitter offerings, donuts create a memorable experience on every bite to it. It’s good to share with our loved ones, but are dogs part of the exception?
Please don’t attempt to think it hard; we will help you answer that question as we understand the nature of donuts and the best ways to serve and feed them to our dogs.
What are Donuts?
Donuts are sweet baked goods that are fried in oil. They usually have a hole in the middle that resembles doughnuts that you would see at your local donut shop or grocery store.
Accordingly, donuts originated in the United States, where they are considered a popular breakfast food.
Bakers’ ingenuity has given donuts different forms and varieties, such as ake donuts and yeast-raised donuts. You can also find many flavors of fillings or toppings to go on these fried dough treats.
As of 2017, Americans alone spent over $14 billion on Donuts annually, and about 50% of people eat them regularly throughout their lives. Their popularity seems only to continue growing every year.
Most often, donuts are made from a combination of wheat flour, granulated sugar, and other ingredients like an egg or milk.
They can also be topped with various sauces such as chocolate, glaze, or powdered sugar. Also, donuts can be deep-fried in oil until they turn golden brown.
Food family of Donuts
Donuts belong to the family food of the “fats & oils food group.” It may sound oily, but this particular group is actually good for the human body.
The fats and oils family contains foods that are rich in “healthy fats.” These healthy unsaturated fatty acids reduce your risk of heart disease by lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL) that can cause blockages but are still high enough to maintain a protective effect against many diseases.
Foods from this food group also bring many other health benefits. These include improved brain function, a lower risk for obesity and diabetes, and better eyesight.
To highly mention, some foods under this group are actually considered “superfoods” as they contain high amounts of specific nutrients that can benefit human health.
One such is macadamia nuts, which are full of monounsaturated fats, and may help lower bad cholesterol levels in those who consume them regularly.
As round as a donut’s shape, do we affirm that donuts deliver 360-degree safety for your dog’s diet?
Can dogs eat Donuts?
Donuts are not a dog’s enemy. While many disagree with not feeding donuts to their dogs, donuts are rarely toxic for a dog’s diet. So, yes, dogs can still eat donuts.
However, you have to consider primarily two matters: your dog’s health status and the type of donut to feed. Let’s break them down:
Dog’s health status
Before feeding donuts, you must first consider your dog’s health condition. For example, some dogs are more sensitive than others to certain foods, so you need to note whether or not your dog has any allergies to food ingredients that often develop into various skin problems such as itching and rashes.
Also, if your dogs have diabetes or obesity issues, then donuts can be a big no-no.
Type of donut to feed
Secondly, you should also take into account the type of donuts that we are feeding your dogs. For example, some donuts contain high sugar content that is no good for your dogs, like the powdered sugar donuts filled with lots of sugar.
So, to increase your faith and confidence in feeding donuts to your dogs, here are the best ways to follow:
Best Ways to Feed your Dogs with Donuts
Serve them as a treat rather than a meal.
Avoid giving them donuts with sugar-coated toppings or fillings. Instead, you can give your dogs some types of yeast-raised doughnuts that are filled with fruit jam filling instead of powdered sugar glaze or frosting.
In this way, you can reduce your dog’s risk of developing diabetes and obesity.
Avoid chocolate-based donuts
Chocolates trigger a dog’s senses of smell and taste, which can cause them to have a solid addiction to chocolates.
Unfortunately, this will be pretty dangerous for your dogs as they are packed with high amounts of caffeine that triggers the release of epinephrine in their body.
This organic compound stimulates the human’s nervous system response against stress or excitement.
Pair with some fruits
Some types of fruit can go well with donuts. For example, you may serve some apples, bananas, or even oranges to your dogs along with their favorite doughnuts.
This will help them digest the high-fat content in the food while at the same time providing them fiber that is necessary for their digestive system’s health and normal function.
Hence, it can be a great idea to give them some fruits for pairing.
No more than one donut per day!
As we mentioned before, you must feed your dogs the right and the best type of food to keep their health condition healthy and stable.
Hence, serving one or two doughnuts once a day without pairing them with any other food is the best option for your dogs.
Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Donuts
We affirm that dogs can eat donuts. And, of course, donuts have valuable points on why it’s safe for dogs to eat them. Here are reasons why:
High dietary fiber
Flour in donuts contains high dietary fiber — which is essential in maintaining bowel movement and regularity.
It also helps decrease colon cancer, hemorrhoids, appendicitis, diverticulitis, and even cardiovascular diseases.
Source of amino acids
Did you know that donuts contain amino acids that help your dog from acquiring various chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol?
Here, amino acids serve as a building block of protein for the healthy growth and development of cells, tissues, and muscles.
Source of antioxidants
Antioxidants are powerful substances that can fight against free radicals in our bodies — which cause many health problems such as arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.
Donuts contain antioxidants found in the cocoa bean, keeping your dog healthy and disease-free.
Source of high energy fats
Doughnuts also contain a prosperous source of essential fatty acids, a type of fat found in foods such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
They play an essential role in maintaining good health by providing the basic structure to our cells; they help maintain healthy skin and coat.
In addition, they are involved in many different body functions, such as blood clotting, etc. Therefore, they also help increase the risk of various chronic diseases.
Source of Vitamin B12
Donuts contain high Thiamine or Vitamin B-12, essential for providing energy to our cells by converting carbohydrates into glucose, the simplest form of sugar our bodies can use for energy.
Possible Concerns When Eating a Donuts
Not all good comes from feeding donuts. Your dog may potentially experience difficult and perilous events after eating this food.
So, here are some health concerns to take note about:
Slow digestion process
Based on its high sugar content, it is no wonder that donuts can leave your dog with a slow digestion process.
This may lead to discomfort and bloating after eating this food. So, you need to provide digestive enzymes along with probiotics for them to feel better after having some doughnuts.
Weight gain
Another concern is weight gain. With all the high sugar content in donuts, your dog may potentially become obese after eating this food.
Therefore, you need to monitor their body condition for them not to have a higher risk of acquiring obesity-related diseases such as arthritis and diabetes type II.
Allergic reaction
Donuts are made from wheat flour — which contains gluten protein that may lead to inflammation or swelling of the gastrointestinal tract.
This may cause your dog to experience vomiting, diarrhea, and other stomach problems. So, it is necessary that you gradually switch their food by mixing doughnuts into small portions with their regular diet or risk them having an allergic reaction after eating this food.
Signs your dog is sick from eating Donuts
Let’s admit that not all dogs are suitable for eating donuts. Perhaps, your dog may experience unwanted physical conditions after eating this food.
Here are some signs that you need to take note of:
Vomiting
Vomiting is the most common sign in dogs who have eaten donuts. Vomiting may be due to gluten intolerance or other reasons that cause inflammation and swelling of their gastrointestinal tract.
Take them immediately to a veterinarian to avoid further complications.
Diarrhea
Other signs that show your dog is sick after eating donuts are diarrhea and lose bowel movements.
This may be due to the high sugar content of this food, which affects their digestive process. But, again, you need to take them for a vet check-up as soon as possible before they experience further complications.
Excessive urination
If your dog is experiencing excessive urination, it may be caused by insulin resistance that dogs overeat sugar.
This results in increased urine production for their kidneys to excrete the excess glucose from their bodies.
Take them immediately for a veterinarian check-up to prevent further complications after eating this food.
What to do if your dog is sick from eating Donuts?
When responding to your dog’s sickness, you have to ensure calmness and collected emotion. So, here are things you need to do:
But, first, take them for an immediate check-up.
After realizing your dog is sick from eating donuts, the first thing you should do is take them immediately for a veterinarian check-up.
This will enable the vet to come up with an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. In addition, the vet may recommend some tests such as x-ray or other blood work to determine the severity of their sickness.
Visit a homeopathic vet.
Homeopathy is another type of medicine that has been used for years in alleviating symptoms and curing diseases.
Visit your dog’s regular veterinarian first before you look upon alternative resources such as holistic veterinarians.
This will enable them to be treated for possible allergies and other underlying conditions.
Avoid these similar foods from this family.
Your knowledge and awareness of feeding donuts to your dogs bring you to this section. As your strategy, it’s good to avoid this similar food from this family:
Candies
While donuts contain high sugar content, candies have an even higher level of it. Therefore, this sweet food is certainly not a good choice for your dog since they may experience excessive urination, which will lead to dehydration and further complications such as kidney damage if left untreated.
So, avoid feeding them these foods to prevent any future diseases from occurring.
Bread
Like donuts, bread contains gluten protein that may lead to inflammation or swelling of the gastrointestinal tract.
This will also cause your dog to experience vomiting, diarrhea, and other stomach problems if they eat it too much.
So, avoid feeding them these foods to avoid risking future diseases from developing, such as gluten intolerance.
Pizza
Another food that you should avoid feeding your dog is pizza since it contains high levels of tomato acid, resulting in diarrhea.
This will also cause them to experience stomach problems if they overeat. So, just like bread and donuts, this is another type of food you need to stop giving to your dog.
How to Make Donuts Safe To Eat?
At last, we’re in the last part of this article. And as our kit of appreciation being a concerned dog owner, here are ways to make donuts safe to eat for your dogs:
Preheat the oven
Another thing that you can do to make sure your donuts are safe for dogs is preheating them when baking.
This will kill any mold spores present inside it, resulting in diarrhea or other types of stomach problems if eaten by your dog.
So, make sure to always preheat ovens when cooking or baking this treat for your dog.
Cook them thoroughly
Another important thing that you need to do is making sure the donuts are cooked thoroughly. Do not undercook, overcook and cook it just right since these may lead to mold development if done wrong.
So, follow instructions carefully and avoid making any mistakes when cooking this treat for your dog to prevent future diseases from developing.
Cook them in a healthy way
Another important thing that you need to do is using healthier ingredients. For example, avoid adding artificial sweeteners since they may cause diarrhea, which will lead to dehydration if left untreated.
So, make sure to use natural sugars and sweeteners, which are safe for your dogs to eat.
Key Takeaways
If there’s a circle of life you can trust, aside from your reliable social circles, that must be donuts — a sweetened delight carrying a distinctive taste in every bite.
Donuts are made from a combination of wheat flour, granulated sugar, and other ingredients like an egg or milk.
They can also be topped with various sauces such as chocolate, glaze, or powdered sugar.
Are they suitable for your dogs? Yes! And more important to take note that when you feed donuts, you must consider first your dog’s health status and the type of donuts to feed.
When worse comes to worst, possible health concerns might arise after your dog eats donuts, such as allergic reaction, slow digestive process, and weight gain.
So, it’s best to serve donuts moderately, paired with some fruits, and avoid chocolate-based ingredients.
The rest of us may experience circles in our stories — make the best story with your dogs through donuts.