Nutter Butter Cookies are a classic and delicious treat, with soft, creamy peanut butter sandwiched between two sweet little wafers that resemble cute peanuts — what’s not to love?
Because many people like Nutter Butters, you may be wondering if it’s something you can give to your dog as a treat. They even sort of resemble dog biscuits, after all!
Many people give their dogs peanut butter as a special treat, so Nutter Butters can’t be that much different, right?
Well, that’s wrong.
Although Nutter Butters are non-toxic for dogs, it’s still preferable if they don’t eat them. This post will explain why and provide alternatives to your dog.
First Off, Can Dogs Have Peanut Butter?
Yes! Non-allergic dogs can eat natural peanut butter, which is devoid of additives, sugars, and preservatives in moderation. Unfortunately, Nutter Butters’ peanut butter filling does not fall into this category of dog-safe peanut butters.
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that may be found in numerous types of human food, particularly those low-sugar or diet products marketed as healthy. While this may be true for people, it can’t be said for dogs, since xylitol is highly poisonous to them.
Although Nutter Butters do not contain xylitol as an ingredient, it does include a number of unnatural additives that render it less nutritious than ideal.
So Why Can’t Dogs Eat Nutter Butters?
Simply put, because they’re high in sugars, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and other harmful compounds, they should be consumed in moderation like humans.
Because dogs are unable to process these components in small doses, humans can, they have not evolved their digestive systems to do so. Their digestion systems haven’t developed to handle this sort of preprocessed food.
So even though Nutter Butters may not technically be toxic (unless they’re covered in chocolate), they’ll likely cause your dog some stomach upset and can lead to vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and more.
This is one snack it’s best not to share with your canine friend.
What Should I Do If My Dog Consumed Nutter Butters?
The most crucial thing, if someone gave your dog Nutter Butters without being informed of the dangers, is to remain cool.
Peanut butter Nutter Butters are not poisonous to dogs and will not make them sick. However, keep in mind that they aren’t nutritious.
Make sure he has access to his regular dog food and enough water to wash all of the sugar and poisons out of his system. Also, watch your dog for the next 24 hours to see if he throws up or experiences diarrhea. It’s still safe if he does. This is just his body’s way of eliminating the foreign substances that he can’t break down.
Take your dog to the veterinarian if he keeps vomiting after a few hours or shows symptoms of tiredness and refusal to eat after a day.
Then, to be sure the situation is handled entirely, switch the rest (if any) of Nutter Butters out of his reach and have your family and friends do the same.
Then, What Can I Offer My Dog Instead?
Fortunately, there are several delectable peanut-flavored dog biscuits on the market, as well as recipes for homemade ones.
Peanut Butter Dog Cookies
If you want to take things a step further and make your own peanut butter dog treats, here’s a simple recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup very ripe mashed banana or unsweetened natural applesauce
- 1/4 cup chicken, vegetable, or beef stock
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, peanut butter, banana/applesauce, and stock. Stir until all of the components are mixed in and the mixture is stiff and thick. Make a ball out of the dough.
- A little bit of flour should be sprinkled on a flat surface such as a cutting board or countertop. Set the ball of dough on top of the flour and use a rolling pin to flatten it. The sheet of dough should be about ¼ inch thick.
- To cut the dough into shapes, use a cookie cutter (or whatever you have on hand if you don’t have cookie cutters – jar lids, bottle caps, etc.). Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- When the oven has heated properly, bake the biscuits for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. You may want to reduce the cooking time if you cut the biscuits into tiny shapes.
- Remove the baked cookies from the oven and let them cool. Keep these dog biscuits in an airtight container for long-term storage.
- Extra points if you spread a little creamy natural peanut butter on top of the biscuit before serving it to your dog, making it even more like a genuine Nutter Butter!
In summary
Nutter Butters are not toxic to dogs, however they don’t make the list of foods that are safe to share with them. If eaten by dogs, the high sugar and fat content of these manufactured treats might cause stomach discomfort or worse. Instead, keep those peanut butter cookies for yourself and try making your own dog treats instead.