Can French bulldogs eat peanut butter?
Someone famous once said: There’s nothing peanut butter and a spoon cannot fix. I agree.
I love peanut butter and can eat it all day – as is, or peanut butter crackers, with jelly in a sandwich, and so on. That made me wonder one day whether my Frenchie could enjoy peanut butter as well.
The good news is that peanut butter is mostly safe for dogs provided you read the ingredient list before buying. Better yet, homemade peanut butter is ideal for Frenchies.
In this guide, I will explain how to choose peanut butter for your Frenchie, whether this creamy treat is okay to feed your pet, and how much of it is too much.
Can French Bulldogs Eat Peanut Butter?
Yes, your Frenchie can eat peanut butter in moderation provided there is no xylitol in it.
Xylitol is a toxic artificial sweetener that can lead to many adverse symptoms in pets. I will discuss more about this in detail later in this guide.
Coming back to the question – Can French bulldogs eat peanut butter?
Yes, peanut butter is mostly safe for Frenchies to eat as long as you practice moderation while feeding it. Of course, you should also make sure that your pet is not allergic to peanuts.
I will also discuss some precautionary measures you can take before feeding peanut butter to French bulldogs.
Please check out my related guides on:
Here is a list of health benefits of feeding peanut butter to French bulldogs:
Good source of protein
Dogs are carnivores and they need plenty of protein on a day-to-day basis. You can add peanut butter as a protein-rich topping over your pet’s kibble. This is a great way to make picky dogs eat their food.
Good for skin and coat
Peanut butter is rich in Vitamin E, healthy fat, biotin, omega 3 fatty acids, and niacin all of which can benefit your dog’s skin and coat. Regular intake of natural peanut butter can make your Frenchie’s coat luxurious and healthy.
Should French Bulldogs Eat Peanut Butter?
As far as pet parents go, they always fall in one of the two categories: ones that allow pets to eat certain human foods and others that completely refrain from feeding human foods to a pet.
I agree that many human foods can be dangerous to our French bulldogs. For example, some foods like grapes, candy, and alcohol are a strict no-no for our beloved pets as they could end up being fatal for them
I have done a post on this a while back where I have listed 30 of the most toxic foods for dogs. Please check it out.
Coming back to human foods and the safe ones for our canine companions: peanut butter happens to be one of the safe foods for doggies.
It makes a sweet, creamy, and healthy treat and as long as your pet is not allergic to it. Even crunchy peanut butter makes an excellent addition on kibble.
Which Peanut Butter is Safe for French Bulldogs to Eat?
There are literally thousands of brands of peanut butters available in the market.
Certain types of peanut butters are rich in protein, unsaturated fats, fiber, and have minimal additives.
Others are packed with sugar and a harmful ingredient called xylitol. Xylitol is dangerous artificial sweetener for dogs which can cause toxic reaction or liver failure in pets.
Here are some rules you can use when selecting a healthy peanut butter for your Frenchie:
A. Should contain minimal ingredients
Just like there are limited ingredient diets for dogs, you can look for peanut butter with minimal ingredients.
A high-quality Peanut butter is ideally made with one ingredient only – peanuts and nothing else.
Low-quality products will contain very few peanuts and mostly have hydrogenated oils and sugars.
These fillers help enhance the taste of the butter but it can increase your pet’s risk for heart disease when eaten in excess.
B. Should be free from xylitol
Avoid brands that add xylitol artificial sweetener to their peanut butter. I will discuss more about this in the next section.
It is important that all dog owners know that xylitol is toxic to dogs.
What is Xylitol? How Can It Harm our French Bulldogs?
Xylitol is a sugar found in certain fruits and vegetables. To be precise, it is defined as sugar alcohol.
Humans even produce this natural sugar in their bodies through normal metabolism.
Food companies have started adding xylitol artificial sweetener in many food items to replace sugar since it is as sweet as sugar but has 40% fewer calories.
While xylitol is safe for human consumption, the same cannot be said about our French bulldogs.
In fact, xylitol is downright toxic to all dogs.
How does xylitol harm dogs?
Dogs’ bodies cannot process xylitol. When your Frenchie consumes xylitol, its body mistakes it for glucose. Resultantly, it starts producing insulin.
Insulin then triggers your pet’s body to start absorbing glucose from the bloodstream. This can cause a drop in blood sugar levels or hypoglycemia. This could even cause death in some cases.
Moreover, xylitol negatively affects your pet’s liver and, in high doses, can cause the liver to fail.
Also, sugar alcohols like xylitol can pull water into the intestine and get further fermented by the gut bacteria. This can cause gas, bloating, and/or diarrhea in small dogs like French bulldogs.
Furthermore, if your pet is diagnosed with IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, then it is best to avoid this sugar alcohol completely since it can trigger IBS symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, etc. in your dog.
How much of xylitol is harmful for our dogs?
It takes only 0.1g/kg of body weight of a dog for xylitol poisoning to occur.
Thus, a small dog like Frenchie which weighs about 25 lb. or 9 to 10 kg can get sick from just 1 gram of xylitol. That is as much as contained in two small chewing gum pieces.
If your Frenchie eats 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter with xylitol sugar, then it could severely impact its liver function.
That is why, the next time you shop for peanut butter brand, you must avoid ones containing xylitol.
What are signs of xylitol toxicity in dogs?
By now, you know that xylitol is even more harmful to dogs than chocolate. It can immediately cause a drop in blood sugar and could even trigger seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloating in dogs.
If your pooch has accidentally eaten a lot of peanut butter crackers with xylitol, then side effects could be seen within a few minutes to one hour: (If the liver is affected, then it could take 1-2 days to show signs of liver failure)
- Vomiting
- Restlessness
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Lethargy
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Spontaneous bleeding
Please rush your dog to the vet right away. They will induce vomiting and that can save your pet. Your vet might order several tests to see how much damage is done by the xylitol. Your pet will probably need to be hospitalized for 2-3 days too.
What Other Food Items Contain Xylitol?
In addition to peanut butter, the following foods contain xylitol:
- Candy
- Chewing gum
- Artificial sweeteners
- Cookies
- Pudding
- Sugar-free cake mixes
- Non-fat yogurts
- Chocolates
- Jams and preserves
- Almost all low-calorie, low-fat baked foods
- Protein supplements
- Flavored beverages
- Sauces and ketchups
- Meal replacements
- Cough medicines
It is best to avoid these foods/condiments and keep them out of reach of your pets.
How Can French Bulldogs Eat Peanut Butter?
As seen above, natural peanut butter is safe for Frenchies as long as you feed it in moderation and also as long as it is minimally processed and free from xylitol. Here are some ways to feed it to your Frenchie:
1. As a Kong stuffing
Peanut butter makes a great snack/treat while training. It is especially great to fill inside Kong toys .
You can moisten your Frenchie’s kibble and fill it in the Kong. Then slather on some xylitol-free and unsalted peanut butter on the kong toy’s hole. Freeze it.
Then give it to your Frenchie when you have to leave it alone for prolonged periods of time. Your pet will have a fabulous time playing and licking the kong.
2. In dog-friendly cake recipes
Here is a delicious carrot cake recipe with peanut butter:
- Beat one large egg, half a cup of all-natural xylitol-free peanut butter, 1/4th cup of vegetable or olive oil, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/3rd cup honey, 1 cup of shredded carrots, 1 cup of almond flour or oat flour, and a pinch of baking powder.
- Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
- Cool and frost with peanut butter (optional).
Also Read: Can French Bulldogs Eat Carrots
How Much Peanut Butter Can French Bulldogs Eat Daily?
Your pet could rapidly gain weight if it consumes too much peanut butter on a daily basis. Obesity is not at all good for small dogs like Frenchies. Even a couple of pounds of excess weight can put tremendous strain on their joints causing aches, pains, and arthritis in the long run.
So please be mindful of this while feeding peanut butter to pets.
First of all, please speak to your vet regarding the optimum amount of peanut butter to feed a Frenchie.
Secondly, remember that treats and snacks should not constitute more than 10% of your pet’s daily calorie intake.
Your Frenchie should ideally weigh about 20-25 lb. Also, it should consume 25 to 30 lb. of calories per pound of body weight. This means that your pet needs to eat about 600 calories of food per day.
A single tablespoon of peanut butter contains about 90 calories. So you must only feed about ½ to 3/4th tablespoon of peanut butter to your pet in order to make up 10% of its total calorie intake on a daily basis.
Are There any Side Effects of Feeding Peanut Butter to French Bulldogs?
As long as you choose xylitol-free and minimally processed peanut butter and feed it in moderation, there should be no side effects in your pet.
Always be mindful of its high-fat content and feed no more than ½ to 3/4th tablespoon of peanut butter to your pet on a daily basis.
If your buddy has a peanut allergy, then it could even have peanut butter allergy. Avoid feeding if that is the case.
FAQs on Can French Bulldogs Eat Peanut Butter?
1. Can my Frenchie eat peanuts?
Yes, your pet could easily scoop a couple of peanuts off the floor and should be fine. As long as your pet is not allergic to peanuts, then too it can safely consume raw or unsalted and even roasted peanuts.
Just remember that peanuts are quite calorific and could cause weight gain in your buddy if eaten in excess.
2. Can my French bulldog eat butter?
Some Frenchies are lactose intolerant and since butter is made from milk it is best to avoid feeding butter in excess to your Frenchie.
3. Which other nut butters can French bulldogs eat?
The nut butters safe for French bulldogs to consume include cashew butter and almond butter.
Just be mindful of the fact that like peanut butter, these nut butters are high in fat content and calories and could cause unhealthy weight gain in pets. So practice moderation.
4. Which nuts are toxic to dogs? Why can dogs eat peanut butter but not nuts?
Not all nuts are made the same. Peanuts are protein-rich and quite healthy for dogs, but nuts like walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, macadamia nuts and others with shells can be harmful to French bulldogs. They can cause gastric obstruction, bloating, and other problems in dogs.
5. What to do if my Frenchie swallows almonds?
If your pet has swallowed one or two almonds, it should be fine. However, please observe your dog. If it shows signs of upset stomach, restlessness, bloating, or starts vomiting, see a vet right away.
Conclusion
Can French bulldogs eat peanut butter?
Yes, peanut butter is safe for Frenchies as long as it is free from xylitol – harmful artificial sweetener.
Always feed peanut butter in moderation since, in excess, it can cause weight gain in small dogs like Frenchies.
