If you have a dog and you eat biscoff cookies, you may be wondering, “Can dogs eat biscoff cookies?” Most websites agree that the answer is yes, in moderation. However, biscoff cookies contain spices such as ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Some of these spices are bad for dogs in large amounts, but a small amount such as that found is one or two biscoff cookies is harmless. Others, such as nutmeg and allspice, should not be eaten by dogs at all.
So if you want to be on the safe side, try not to let your dog get hold of your biscoff cookies. As with any ingredients that are toxic in nature, it generally takes a smaller dose to cause ill effects to a small dog, so be especially cautious if your dog is a small breed.
Biscoff Cookie Ingredients
To get a better idea of how biscoff cookies may affect your dog, consider the ingredients. Based on the recipe for biscoff cookies on Bigger Bolder Baking, biscoff cookies contain flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Let’s consider each of these ingredients separately.
Flour: Flour is safe for consumption by dogs.
Cinnamon: According to the American Kennel Club, cinnamon is not toxic to dogs. However, doses in excess of one teaspoon full of powder can cause problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, liver disease, and low blood sugar. Dogs can also experience ill effects from inhaling cinnamon powder.
Nutmeg: Although there is typically no ill effect from eating a single cookie containing nutmeg, the American Kennel Club advises dog owners to avoid feeding dogs any nutmeg at all. Nutmeg can cause hallucinations in dogs.
Ginger: Ginger is safe for dogs in small amounts and may even be beneficial.
Allspice: Allspice contains eugenol, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and liver disease. It should never be given to dogs.
Cloves: Cloves also contain eugenol. Symptoms typically appear between 3-8 hours after poisoning occurs. They include diarrhea, vomiting, excessive drooling, lethargy, loss of appetite, and seizures.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is safe for dogs in the quantities used to bake cookies. Uncooked baking soda is harmful in large amounts.
Baking Powder: Baking powder is safe for dogs when used in baking. It is not safe for them to eat uncooked in large amounts.
Salt: Salt is essential for dogs’ health but they should not consume large amounts of salt.
Butter: According to PetMD, butter is not poisonous for dogs, but it is not good for them. Eating too many buttery treats can cause pancreatitis, weight gain, and upset stomach.
Sugar: Sugar is not toxic to dogs, but they shouldn’t eat a lot of it. Eating too much sugar (or sweeteners like Sucralose and Aspartame) can upset the stomach.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar should be avoided.
Vanilla Extract: Dogs can eat cooked vanilla extract in small amounts. The alcohol evaporates during baking.
Biscoff Cookie Nutrients
Do biscoff cookies contain any beneficial nutrients for dogs? A serving of Lotus biscoff original cookies (4 cookies) contains 6 grams of fat, 115 mg of sodium, and 2 grams of protein. These cookies are mostly flour and sugar and do not contain much nutrition for either dogs or humans.
Biscoff Cookie Dough for Dogs?
Baking powder and baking soda are fine for dogs to ingest when cooked in baked goods, but can cause problems when consumed raw. If you must give your dog biscoff cookies, please make sure they are cooked first. However, it is best to avoid feeding biscoff cookies to your dog at all, due to the eugenol in the cloves and allspice.
What Should Dogs Eat?
According to the American Kennel Club, most dry kibble dog foods and wet canned dog foods contain the essential nutrients that dogs need to remain healthy. Commercial dog foods may contain meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Dogs are not strict vegetarians, so they can access nutrients from different types of foods, not just meat. Dog owners should look for a commercial dog food that contains high-quality meats and other high-quality food ingredients.
Although grain-free pet foods are available, it is not necessary to switch to grain-free unless your pet has an allergy to grain. Most dogs benefit from having grains in their diets.
The best way to determine which dog foods are good is to read the label. Every bag or can of dog food must have a list of ingredients. You can get a good idea of the quality of the dog food by seeing how high meat ranks on the ingredients list. Ingredients must be listed in order, from highest amount to smallest. So, if meat appears in the first ingredient or two, it’s an indication that the dog food is not mostly grain.
Beyond the ingredients, a good, balanced dog food should have a statement on the label stating that it conforms to the requirements set forth by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles. This ensures that the food will meet your dog’s nutritional needs.
