Everything You Need to Know About Dogs and Almond Butter

We love our furry friends and only want the best for them. While your dog may want to eat everything he sees, the important thing is knowing what is good for him and what needs avoiding. One thing that dogs seem to absolutely love are nut butters.

From peanut butter to almond butter and more – they’re a tasty, craveable tidbit that dogs are drawn to. To help you better understand about this yummy treat, here is everything you need to know about dogs and almond butter.

What Are Nut Butters?

Nut Butters
Source: treehugger.com

Nut butter encompasses things like peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc. It is made by crushing up the nuts into a paste and adding other ingredients like sweeteners, oils, flavorings and salt that create an appealing sensory experience. Nut butters can all be made at home or bought in stores or online.

If you do it yourself then you know what’s in it but if you like a more convenient approach and buy it, just be sure to read the label. Look for things like preservatives, additives and hidden sugars that may fall under names such as fructose and sucrose.

These impact the nutritional value of the nut butters. Healthier options may indicate they are organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and well, you get the idea. This brings us to the original question – are nut butters, or almond butter specifically, good for your dog?

Is Almond Butter Acceptable for Your Dog to Eat?

Dog Eating Almond Butter
Source: dailypaws.com

First of all, what is okay for your canine companion to eat when it comes to “people food?” The important thing is to know what is in your food – no matter what it is.

According to The Dog People:

Avoid flavored or sweetened almond butter, and never give your dog products with the ingredient xylitol. Xylitol is an additive that is toxic to dogs can lead to hypoglycemia, liver failure, and even death.

This is why it is important to either make your own almond butter at home or buy it where the ingredients are transparent so you know you get an organic product with nothing in it that is harmful.

The same thing goes for peanut butter. This is more commonly known as a treat often given to dogs. Some people use it to hide medicine or to get their dog’s attention. As long as it’s not in excess, peanut butter is another safe treat to give your dogs on occasion. And believe us, your dog will love those occasions!

What Are the Benefits of Almond Butter for Your Dog?

Puppy Eats Butter

As mentioned, if it is not in excess, both almond butter and peanut butter are a nutritional snack for your canine friend.

As mentioned at Cuteness:

Almond and peanut butter both contain vitamins essential to your dog’s health. A two tablespoon serving size of almond butter contains 1 mg of niacin, aka vitamin B3, but peanut butter contains 4.2 mg. Proper niacin levels keep your dog’s skin, hair, eyes and liver healthy. If you’re looking for vitamin E content, almond butter is the right choice — it has significantly higher vitamin E than peanut butter, 7.75 mg vs 1.9 mg. Vitamin E fights free radicals in your dog’s cells and boosts his immune system, helping to keep him young and healthy.

And as far as other vitamins and minerals, both have plenty of the following:

  • Vitamin B6 for red blood cells
  • Selenium is an antioxidant
  • Trace amounts of riboflavin that convert carbs into energy
  • Trace amounts of folate for genetic material
  • Calcium for strong teeth and bones
  • Magnesium for a healthy immune system and more
  • Iron prevents anemia and helps with red blood cells
  • Zinc helps the immune system

Now, do these vitamins and minerals do the same things for dogs? Most of the vitamins above are fine for dogs like B vitamins, Vitamin E, etc. Yet, your dog gets his vitamins from his food. If the vet feels that your dog needs a supplement then that is fine too. The point is, that none of these things are harmful to your dog in moderation. As well all know, too much of anything is well, too much.

Another reason not to overdo it is that it’s not the easiest thing for your pup to digest and can cause tummy upset. But a little on a spoon or treat once in a while is perfectly fine.

What Can You Do With Almond Butter (or Peanut Butter) for Your Dog?

One of the great things about all-natural almond butter or all-natural peanut butter is that you can make treats for your dog. While they’ll love it right out of the jar, it’s a little more convenient to have ready-made treats that you can give your dog.

For instance, along with baked goods, you can make things like these Pumpkin Almond Butter Dog Treats. They contain two simple ingredients – pumpkin and almond butter. The recipe specifically notes choosing almond butter with just nuts. No sugars or additives need to be added to this recipe. It’s natural and healthy. And since it’s frozen, it makes an excellent summertime treat for upset tummies because pumpkin is good for digestion.

Another awesome recipe for your dog is this slobber-inducing frozen dog treat with peanut butter, which you can easily switch out with almond butter.

A Taste Everyone Will Love (Pretty Much)

Just like people, dogs usually love the taste of almond butter and peanut butter. As long as it’s natural (which can’t be stressed enough), given in moderation, and taste-tested first (okay, we just threw that in there because it’s so yummy), your pet will love it too. On the spoon or in a treat – this is a mouth-watering goody for your furry friend.

It’s always good to have almond butter or peanut butter on-hand. You never know when you might want to take the perfect picture of your dog and nut butter is an excellent attention-grabber. And best of all? It’s safe for your doggo.

As mentioned on Wag:

Some dogs may really enjoy the flavor of almond butter, but some dogs will not like it as much as they like good, old-fashioned peanut butter. Some dogs can be picky about what they like to eat, so it will depend on whether your pup likes the flavor and texture or not.

Let your pup be the decision-maker. It’s a win/win no matter what.