Ever noticed how your dog magically appear from nowhere whenever you open a can of peanuts? Well, they have good reasons to do that as peanuts are delicious treats, and just the smell of fresh peanuts is enough to drive them nuts. But this raises a very important question which is “Can dogs eat Peanuts?”. We all are aware of the severe allergic reactions that peanuts can cause in some people, and therefore it’s just natural for dog owners to be worried about feeding peanuts to their four-legged best friends. 

No need to be worried about all this as you have come to the right place. Provided that you are also one of those dog owners that are worried about questions like down below and are actively trying to search for their answers. 

• Can dogs eat peanuts?
• Can dogs eat peanut butter?
• Can dogs eat Flavored Peanuts?
• Can dogs eat peanut shells?

This article will tell you about all the pros and cons of feeding peanuts and peanut-based food products to your dogs. 

Pros of feeding Peanuts.

To better understand the benefits of feeding peanuts to dogs, we recommend dog owners read about the nutritional structure of peanuts. Peanuts are essential sources of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Proteins, Vitamin B3, and omega 3 fatty acids. All this shows that peanuts have huge nutritional value for dogs, and to perfectly answer the question “Can dogs eat Peanuts?” we first need to talk about the importance of all the nutrients present in peanuts in ensuring excellent health for our canine friends. 

Nutritional mass of peanuts per 100-gram portion

Before we tell you all about all the benefits of major nutrients present in peanuts, you first should look at the nutritional content of our favorite nuts per 100-gram portion. 

• Sugars: 4.72g
• Calcium: 92mg
• Iron: 4.58mg
• Niacin: 12.066mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.348mg
• Vitamin E: 8.33mg
• Water: 6.5g
• Energy: 567kcal
• Protein: 25.8g
• Total fat: 49.24g
• Carbohydrate: 16.13g
• Dietary fiber: 8.5g
• Magnesium: 168mg
• Phosphorus: 376mg
• Potassium: 705mg
• Sodium: 18mg

Benefits of Vitamin E for dogs

Vitamin is an essential vitamin for dogs which means that they cannot synthesize this vitamin independently. Therefore, owners should provide their dogs with Vitamin E-rich products like mangoes. Vitamin E plays several essential roles in the well-being of dogs. Vitamin E acts as an essential anti-oxidant and is quite efficient in protecting our dogs from all the harmful effects of oxidants produced during respiration. Vitamin E also serves to boost the activity of the Immune system. It fulfills this role by increasing the number of T cells in the blood. T cells are a type of white blood cells and are also known as T-lymphocytes. These T cells are assigned the duty to fight against infection and cancer cells, which makes T cells highly crucial to the well-being of any dog. 

Vitamin E is also known to boost fertility in dogs as there is a direct link between high Vitamin E intake and improved sperm quality. Vitamin E supplements are also prescribed after eye surgery as it protects from cataracts from happening. And lastly, Vitamin E also acts to increase the production of Keratin Protein which drastically improves the overall quality of a dog’s fur and gives a shiny look to his coat.

We hope that now you are equipped with all the information about the benefits of Vitamin E for dogs, and now you will be able to answer the question of “Can dogs eat Peanuts?” on your own.

Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty acids for dogs

Fats are incredibly vital for the well-being of our four-legged best friends as they act as an instant source of energy and can also act as a source of various nutrients essential for the optimal growth of our canine puppies. Therefore, we highly recommend our readers provide their dogs with a good source of fatty acids. There are two different types of fatty acids, namely omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega Fatty acids are considered essential as animal bodies cannot synthesize them on their own. Following are some functions performed by omega-3 fatty acids in our canines.

Boosting the Brain development of puppies

Through various research, a solid link has been established between puppies fed food that is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and optimal brain development in those puppies. Omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in the growth and nourishment of the nervous system in dogs. Therefore, responsible dog owners should provide their dogs with food loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids early for ideal brain development. And the best way to offer Omega-3 fatty acids to puppies is to add some peanuts in their foods as they come loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids.

Improving the health of the heart 

A meal full of Omega-3 fatty acids can do wonders when it comes to the heart health of our canine friends. Omega-3 fatty acids are observed to regulate blood pressure and fight high cholesterol levels; They are also characterized by improving the heart’s functionality and reducing any inflammation in cardiac muscles. As a result of all these, dogs given a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are reported to have healthier and better functioning hearts. Therefore, dog owners should offer good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids to their dogs as food supplements. And there is no better source of Omega-3 fatty acids to feed dogs than Peanuts. This also answers the query of “Can dogs eat Peanuts?”

Benefits of Vitamin B6

Belonging to the Vitamin B complex, Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that dogs cannot produce independently. Therefore, they rely on their meals to obtain the required amounts of Vitamin B6. This makes Vitamin B6 an essential vitamin, and that, along with all the essential functions associated with Vitamin B6, makes the importance of Vitamin B6 clear. Therefore, this vitamin should not be taken slowly, and dog parents should try their best to supplement their dog’s meal with Vitamin B6 supplements. Fortunately, Vitamin B6 is also quite common in dairy nuts like peanuts, and therefore you can also give cheese to your pooch to boost his health. Following are some critical roles that Vitamin B6 is known to play in dogs.

Protection from Depression

Vitamin B6 is needed in producing neurotransmitters responsible for regulating moods, and therefore Vitamin B6 can help improve the mood of your furry friend. These neurotransmitters include Dopamine, Serotonin, and Gamma-aminobutyric acid. Another way by which Vitamin B6 serves to protect our dogs from depression is by reducing the levels of depression-causing amino acids such as homocysteine. All this is most likely why many researchers concluded that there was a direct link between low intake of Vitamin B6 and increased cases of depression in dogs.  

Prevention from Anemia

Vitamin B6 is critically involved in the production of hemoglobin, and therefore optimum levels of Vitamin B6 can help prevent our dogs from lack of red blood cells or Anemia. Hemoglobin is a protein that holds central importance in the production of functioning red blood cells. It is also needed when it comes to the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen molecules throughout the body. This makes the role of Vitamin B6 for our dogs extremely important, and therefore dog owners should feed cheese to their furry friends as cheese is full of Vitamin B6. This also solves the question of “Can dogs eat Peanuts?” 

Reduce the chances of Cancer

There is a direct link between the high intake of Vitamin B6 and low cancer cases in dogs. The exact reason for this fantastic co-relation is still unknown, but maybe we should thank the natural capability of Vitamin B6 to fight inflammation. This ability of Vitamin B6 might also be effective on cancer cells, thus contributing to lower cancer risks in dogs. 

Boost Eye health

Vitamin B6 can also serve to boost the health of your dog’s eyes, as Vitamin B6 is known to lessen the levels of homocysteine flowing in the blood. Increased levels of homocysteine in the blood are linked with causing various eye-related problems. High levels of homocysteine are especially responsible for causing age-related macular degeneration or AMD. Therefore, dog owners need to provide their furry friends with a meal rich in Vitamin B6 to prevent the risks of eye problems in their dogs. Fortunately, nature gives us an easy and healthy Vitamin B6 supplement in the shape of Peanuts. Peanuts come loaded with Vitamin B6, and therefore dog owners should not hesitate from feeding peanuts to their dogs. This also solves the question of “Can dogs eat cheese?” 

Benefits of Vitamin B3

As clear from its name, Vitamin B3 is a part of the Vitamin B complex and is considered among the most essential vitamins present in the Vitamin B complex. Just like all the other members of the Vitamin B complex, Vitamin B3 is also a water-soluble vitamin which translates to the fact that it can’t be stored in the body for long periods and is used up immediately. This, added with the fact that Vitamin B3 is an essential vitamin, shows how important it is for dog owners to make sure that their canine’s diet is rich in Vitamin B3 as dogs can’t produce this vitamin on their own. Vitamin B3 can lead to several severe medical complications as Vitamin B3 is involved in many vital functions essential for the well-being of our lovely furry friends.

Vitamin B3 is directly required for the normal functioning of around 50 different enzymes. These enzymes are required in almost all the biochemical reactions taking place in your dog’s body, and therefore it’s crucial to have these enzymes working at their optimal level. Niacin is an essential part of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. These two enzymes are utilized to transfer hydrogen ions to cytochromes to provide energy throughout the body. 

In addition to the failure of the enzymes mentioned above, Vitamin B3 deficiency can also stop the conversion of carbohydrates into fats, which can drastically affect dogs’ energy production. Furthermore, Vitamin B3 is also required in producing sex and growth hormones, and in this way, Vitamin B3 also performs a vital role in the normal development of puppies. 

Given the magnitude of the importance of Vitamin B3, dog owners must provide their four-legged best friends with a diet rich in Vitamin B3. Fortunately, to ensure that your dog’s diet is full of Vitamin B3, all you need to do is add peanuts to your dog’s meal as they are loaded with Vitamin B3. This also answers the query of “Can dogs eat Peanuts” as a big Yes.

Cons of feeding Peanuts to dogs

To perfectly answer questions like “Can dogs eat Peanuts” it’s crucial for us to look at the complete picture and be aware of all the disadvantages of feeding peanuts to our dogs. There are several risks associated with feeding peanuts to canines, and therefore dog owners should educate themselves about those risks. No need to be anxious about it as we have included all such disadvantages below.

Increases risk of obesity

Like all other nuts, Peanuts are full of fat content, including omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and therefore, they should only be consumed in balance. Dogs love chewing on peanuts, and therefore dog owners have to make sure that they don’t overconsume peanuts. Too many peanuts can easily expose your dog to a ton of fatty acids, and this can make them susceptible to obesity. Obesity is something that should be avoided at any cost as obesity can make dogs vulnerable to a number of severe diseases such as 

• High Blood pressure
• High LDL Cholesterol Levels
• Low HDL cholesterol levels
• High levels of triglycerides
• Osteoarthritis
• Gallbladder issues
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart diseases
• Stroke
• Pancreatitis

All of the diseases mentioned above can have fatal outcomes, and therefore dog owners should do everything in their power to protect their canine friends from obesity. 

Too much flavoring

Unsalted peanuts are entirely safe for dog consumption, provided that dogs consume in them small volumes. But the same can’t be said for salted or seasoned peanuts. This also raises the questions like “Can dogs eat Flavored Peanuts?” and “can dogs eat peanuts?”. You can find the answer to this question down below.

Yes, dogs can eat peanuts, provided that the peanuts we are talking about are not flavored nor salted. Peanuts without any seasoning? You must be scratching your heads over it, but hey, that the truth. This also answers the query of “Can dogs eat Flavored Peanuts?”. Dogs don’t process several seasonings as we humans do, and therefore it’s better to keep your dog far away from any seasonings. These seasonings, such as garlic powders, paprika, Honey, salt, etc., can be dangerous for our four-legged best friends. They can cause serials stomach-related problems at best and can be highly toxic at worst. That’s why we recommend our valued readers to keep their dog’s food away from any seasonings. 

Another thing to make sure of while feeding peanuts to your dogs is never to add any salt to those peanuts. Salt can cause several medical complications in dogs, such as dehydration, high blood pressure, and kidney-related problems. Thus the answer to the query “Can dogs eat Flavored Peanuts?” is a huge No. Flavors can be allergic to dogs, and therefore, dog owners should avoid flavored peanuts. 

In short, the answer to the query “Can dogs eat peanuts?” is generally yes, provided that you keep those peanuts safe from any seasoning. 

Peanut shells can be dangerous as well.

Another frequently asked question about feeding peanuts to dogs is, “Can dogs eat peanut shells?” Unfortunately, the internet isn’t very helpful, but no need to worry anymore as we are here to answer this question.

Peanut shells only have one purpose, and that is to protect the inner seed. These peanut shells take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore, they tend to be very hard, making it extra difficult to digest them. On top of that, peanut shells are made up of cellulose, the same substance that wood is composed of, and therefore carnivores like dogs don’t have the required enzymes such as cellulase to digest these peanuts shells, and due to all these reasons, it’s better if dog owners kept their dogs far away from peanut shells. Failing to do so can cause several digestion-related problems in dogs, and therefore the answer to the query “Can dogs eat peanut shells”? is certainly not. 

Allergies

Most folks think that only humans can be allergic to peanuts, but they can’t be more wrong. Nut allergy is prevalent in all mammals, and therefore our dogs can also be allergic to peanuts and other nuts. In fact, according to some research, dogs are more vulnerable to nut allergies than humans, so dog owners should keep that in mind. Dog owners should consult their pets to understand more about this and to figure out whether their pooches are vulnerable to peanuts or not. Vets are the most informed individuals about this matter, and therefore they would be able to advise dog owners on whether peanuts are safe for their dogs and how much peanuts they should give their dogs based on the breed, age, sex, and medical history of the dog. 

Peanuts can cause severe allergic reactions in dogs, and therefore before offering lots of peanuts to their dogs, we recommend our readers offer a couple of peanuts and keep an eye for any allergy-related symptoms. This will let you know whether your dog is allergic to peanuts or not. Following are some of the allergy-related symptoms that dog owners should look for while feeding peanuts to their canine friends.

• Too much Saliva
• Itchiness
• Redness
• Bald Spots
• Anaphylaxis
• Irritation

Can dogs eat Peanut Butter?

A very general question that keeps coming up in the minds of dog owners is “Can dogs eat Peanut Butter?”. The answer to this question is not a very straightforward one but worry no more as we are here to save the day by answering the question of “Can dogs eat Peanut Butter?”.

Yes, most types of peanut butter are safe for dog consumption, but this doesn’t mean that every peanut butter is a safe option for dogs. Dogs should never be fed salted peanut butter or high-fat peanut butter no matter what happens, as too much salt can cause your dog to suffer from dehydration, and too many fats can contribute to making your dog obese. The safest peanut butter for dogs is homemade peanut butter, as you can make peanut butter based on your dog’s needs as well as you will also be able to add lots and lots of love to that peanut butter. Homemade peanut butter is also safe from additives like artificial colors, sugars, preservatives, and artificial flavors, making homemade peanut butter a far safer option for dogs. 

All this also answers the question of “Can dogs eat Peanut Butter?” as we have established that peanut butter is a safe food option for dogs as long as it’s safe from any additives and salts. 

How many peanuts should you feed your pooch?

Now that we have responded to the question “Can dogs eat Peanut Butter?” you must be wondering about how much peanuts you can feed your dog safely. As you know, peanuts are highly rich in nutritional value, and that might entice you to feed as many peanuts to your pooch as possible. But you should be aware that too much of anything can be harmful, which goes for peanuts. Peanuts are loaded with fats, and therefore too many peanuts can cause your dog to fall victim to obesity. 

To avoid that, we advise our readers to consult their vets on how many peanuts they should give their dogs. Your veterinarian will advise you on this matter and surely tell you how many peanuts are safe for your canine friend based on your dog’s age, breed, sex, and medical history. 

Another way to safely give peanuts to your dogs is by following the 10% rule. According to that rule, treats that include peanuts should never exceed 10% of your dog’s total diet.