Danger of sugar to your pet
Danger of sugar to your pet
Have we ever heard about the danger of eating sweets for pets, especially cats and dogs. In this post we tell you why you shouldn’t give sugar to your little friends.
The most important thing we must know is that our pet’s body is not the same as ours, so there are foods that it does not tolerate and we must prevent them from consuming. If we wonder if sugar can be given in small doses, the answer is no, since we will still be poisoning his body. Despite this, if your puppy or kitten has eaten a food with sugar at some point, it does not mean that something will happen to him, since the consequences only occur when the maximum amount that his body can support is exceeded.
What can sugar cause them?
Sugar is considered a toxic food for animals since it can cause the following:
Obesity: glucose is high in fat and calories, so the continued consumption of sugar in an animal can raise its weight, leading to obesity and possible heart problems.
Diabetes: it can appear more quickly in animals even taking a reduced dose of sugar, since they do not require large amounts to develop glucose intolerance. Diabetes can cause cataracts in animals, which causes them to lose vision, hence the well-known phrase «sugar can blind your pet.»
Pancreatitis: when the body consumes a large amount of fat, the pancreas creates an enzyme called Lipase to digest it, which can become swollen, producing pancreatitis.
Intoxication and alterations: we have to be clear that our pet’s stomach is different from ours, so it is more difficult for him to digest a sugary food causing disorders in the body. Even if the doses of sugar are small, we will be poisoning our puppy or kitten.
Beware with the Chocolate and Pets
Chocolate contains a compound called Theobromine, generated by the cocoa tree, that is, it is not an artificial addition added later to food. It is very easy for our body to digest it, however, animals do it very slowly, sometimes reaching high levels of Theobromine that are really toxic for our pet and can even kill it.
It is obvious that not all animals are the same size, which determines the maximum amount of sugar that their body can support, so if your little friend is small, the risk of ingesting these sugary foods must be greater. In these cases the purity of the cocoa also influences; white chocolate, for example, has less theobromine than dark chocolate. Even so, it is best not to offer any to our pet to avoid any risk.
On the other hand, it is fatal for their teeth, just like ours, but the difference is that they do not brush them every day. As a result, cavities are likely to develop, thereby weakening their teeth, to the point of requiring veterinary intervention.
Giving sugar to dogs is not recommended under any circumstances, because even if it is not toxic like chocolate, it will only have negative effects on their health, and money in veterinarians that you could have saved, simply by not giving them that piece of cake that your dog gives you. he asked with the most tender face in the world.
Dogs that suffer from diabetes and take sugar are at higher risks. his eyes will turn whitish due to cataracts, they will lose vision considerably, to the point, in the worst case, of going blind. Therefore, the combination of diabetes and sugar in dogs is more than dire. Better to do everything possible so that our furry animals are as healthy as possible throughout their lives
