Can dogs eat vanilla pudding? It’s a question that many dog owners have, and the answer is not as simple as it might seem.
Vanilla pudding is a delicious dessert for humans, and it’s also something your dog is sure to enjoy. Since dogs are omnivorous, they should be able to eat and enjoy this dessert.
However, feeding vanilla pudding to full-grown dogs can cause severe health issues, while young pups can enjoy a tiny bit of this dessert without facing any trouble!
So, in this post, we’ll take a detailed look to figure out whether or not your pup should eat vanilla pudding.
What Is Vanilla Pudding?
Vanilla pudding is a popular dessert worldwide, especially in the united kingdom and the commonwealth countries.
Nowadays, it’s available in most supermarkets and grocery stores. Moreover, it’s one of the most accessible delicacies you can prepare at home.
To prepare this sweet and savory dish, you’ll need,
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla essence
- Eggs
Aside from these, there are many variants of this dessert. Thus, you can use butter, oil, salt, spices, and several other ingredients to suit your taste buds.
But, this delicious dessert is rich in calories. A 100g serving of vanilla pudding has 377 calories, while the same flavor ice cream offers 207 calories.
As such, overeating of this pudding can quickly lead to obesity.
Can Your Dog Eat Vanilla Pudding?
Most dog breeds don’t have much tolerance for milk or dairy products. Therefore, your dog should not eat vanilla pudding.
In addition, this dessert often contains a lot of sugar that’ll cause your already energetic dog to become overactive.
On the other hand, the salt in the pudding can lead to sodium poisoning. That’ll make your dog vomit and suffer from diarrhea.
Furthermore, the vanilla pudding you find in convenience stores often has artificial sweeteners. These additives can be toxic for the pup.
So, feeding this dessert to your furry friend can,
- Lead to obesity
- Cause teeth cavities
- Cause sodium poisoning
- Irritate the pups digestive system
Also, vanilla extract often contains a high amount of alcohol. Unfortunately, most dogs can’t efficiently digest this alcohol.
Since the digestive system can’t break it down, your dog may end up vomiting a lot to get rid of the excess contents.
Last but not least, while unlikely, some dogs can be allergic to milk, so you’ll have to be extra careful even when giving them a tiny amount of vanilla pudding.
To learn more about your dog’s diet, check out “Can Dogs Eat Nopales?“
What To Do If Your Dog Overeats Vanilla Pudding?
If your furry buddy has accidentally taken a bite of pudding or licked it for a bit, it should be fine for the most part. But, if they have eaten an entire cup full of pudding, you may want to contact the vet as soon as possible.
Still, your pup might have a solid resistance to sugar overdose and sodium poisoning, depending on the breed. But, it’s better not to leave anything to chance when it comes to the health of your pet pal.
If you notice your four-legged friend limping, vomiting, unfocused, or if you see them suffering from loose stools, they may have eaten more vanilla pudding than they should have.
So, make sure to give enough clean drinking water to your pup so that they can combat the effects of dehydration that’ll occur due to diarrhea.
Also, if you can’t get to the vet, you can try contacting the local animal shelter. They often have experts on duty who’ll be able to help you out in an emergency.
Can Puppies Eat Vanilla Pudding?
Surprisingly, unlike the elder, full-grown dogs, puppies can eat a decent bit of sugar-free pudding and a tiny bit of vanilla pudding.
It’s possible because the bodies of young pups produce lactase in their system. This enzyme breaks down the lactose sugar in the milk. Therefore, puppies have a higher tolerance to dairy products than older dogs.
Bottom Line
Learning about what to feed and what not to feed your furry buddy is one of the best ways to ensure that your pet gets to live comfortably and stays healthy.
Since vanilla pudding offers some health benefits and it’s tasty, you may feel like sharing it with your pup. But, its harmful effects far outweigh the advantages, so it’s better not to feed any vanilla pudding to your dog. Also, introduce it to them gradually if you want to give some pudding to your puppies. This way, they’ll be able to digest this food more efficiently, and you’ll be able to notice if they are sensitive to vanilla pudding.