There is a lot of things you can make out of bananas that can be eaten by dogs but can dogs eat banana bread? This is not a simple yes or no answer. Please bear with us as we will give you all the details you will need below.
Can Dogs Eat Banana Bread?
Dogs can eat banana bread, but it depends on so many factors. Banana bread in moderation, cannot be a problem for a lot of dogs. Although dogs that have wheat allergies or are just sensitive to grains, these types of dogs may have trouble with it.
As you may know bananas are high in sugar already before you add anything to it. When banana bread is baked, there is a good chance that even more sugar was added in the process, which increases the sugar count even more.
What to Avoid in Banana Bread?
Other things that may be added to banana bread that can cause serious health issues to your dog are chocolate, raisins, any type of dried fruit, nuts, or onions. Not forgetting that some types of banana bread will have an ingredient called Xylitol, which is deadly to dogs. Any dog that eats any of the above should seek medical care straight away.
Xylitol
This is an artificial sweeter, usually found in diet and sugar-free products. Xylitol can cause liver failure or low glucose levels, which is a very serious situation.
Chocolate
As a dog owner, you will know to never give your dog chocolate. This includes even the smallest amounts that can be found in banana bread sometimes.
Dried fruit and Raisins
Any type of dried fruit should not be fed to your dog. Dried fruit like raisins can cause serious health risks to your dog. Raisins are dried up grapes, which are also not allowed to be eaten by dogs.
Nuts
Some nuts can be very toxic to dogs, just like the stuff above. For example, macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs. Which can cause severe digestion upset, along with more serious illnesses like Pancreatitis. You are best avoiding all nuts altogether. Especially ones that have been baked into something like banana bread, as you can never be sure which nuts, they are.
In general, dogs should not be eating any type of nuts as a treat or inside a food product. Their fat content is pretty high and crushed up inside a banana bread, you cannot really tell the difference between a walnut and a macadamia nut.
Onions
Believe it or not, there are onions in some types of banana breads, these need to be avoided as well. Onions are toxic to dogs and should never be left in reach of them.
What Is in Banana Bread
Please check out the below table from the USDA FoodData Central Database, this is what you can find in an average branded Banana bread. Out of 57g of Banana bread 39g of that are carbohydrates… That is a massive amount, that a dog does not need. That is only one slice.
1 Slice of Banana Bread - 57g
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 240kcal |
| Protein | 3g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 9g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 39g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.03g |
| Sugars, total including NLEA | 24g |
| Iron, Fe | 1.08mg |
| Sodium, Na | 170mg |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.997g |
| Cholesterol | 25.1mg |
Side Effects of Feeding Your Dog Too Much Banana Bread
As mentioned above, anything with a high sugar content should not be given to dogs. If it must be given, it should only be given in small portions. Banana bread should not be given as a regular food supplement but rather more as a rare treat. This is not something you give on a regular basis.
If a dog eats something with high sugar content on a regular basis you are putting your dog in a serious health situation in the medium too long term of their lifespan.
They will become obese and then severely overweight. Trying to help a dog get out of the bad habits they have known all their life is a tough task. Especially as they will be more lethargic and not want to do as much as they used too.
If the high sugary diet is not cut out soon then your dog will be at risk of much more serious health issues. Such as high blood pressure, diabetes, joint issues, and pancreatitis to name a few.
Giving your dog to much banana bread, they can have stomach distress and cause diarrhea. If this happens you should visit your local vet or an emergency clinic if out of hours. They could be suffering from bloat, which is very serious. Dogs have been known to die without the proper treatment.
Can Dogs Eat Banana Bread with Walnuts
There is a wide range of banana bread that do offer walnuts in them and yes, technically dogs can eat walnuts as well. You need to be very careful about the walnuts though. Are you sure which type of walnut you are feeding your dog?
English walnuts have been reported as generally safe but black walnuts are toxic to dogs. You also need to be aware of what is actually inside the banana bread, like chocolate? If so, then no, they cannot have them. You are best just saying NO to any type of nuts.
“Walnuts are fine,” assures Dr. Ashley Hughes, DVM, if your dog picks one up off of your kitchen floor or eats a bit of a crushed one that’s fallen from the counter. Of course, if your dog is consuming walnuts in the form of a treat, think about what else is in there, such as chocolate, says Hughes.
Read the original article – Pet Central – Chewy
Summary
Firstly yes, dogs can eat banana bread, as long as the above details are taken into consideration. But as you can see from above banana bread comes with more problems, then it is worth. You are best just sticking to bananas as a treat, as banana bread can cause a few issues.
We do not want to seem like we are trying to scaremonger you. It is just that there is so much healthier and better food that dogs will enjoy then banana bread. Along with the peace of mind you are giving them something good for them and not something like banana bread.
If you would like to try and make your own banana bread then PetGuide has a good recipe for you to try out. At least this way you will know what is in the banana bread you are giving your little best friend.
Other topics people usually search for are can dogs eat banana chips, check out that article for more information about banana products.
