Can Dogs Eat Honey? When it is or isn’t an Emergency

Yes, it’s safe for dogs to eat honey as long as it’s in tiny amounts. Honey is packed with important nutrients like vitamins and antioxidants but it’s important to not let your dog eat too much as honey is also packed with a lot of natural sugar.

What type of honey is safe for dogs?

Most types of honey are safe for dogs to eat in small quantities. This includes popular types including manuka honey and clover honey. Dog owners, however, should exercise caution as some dogs can be sensitive or allergic to certain types of honey.

One type of honey you should never feed to any dog is raw honey, especially if the dog is less than a year of age. Raw honey could be unsafe for dogs because it could be contaminated with clostridium botulinum spores. It’s rare but the ingestion of toxin produced by these spores can lead to diseases like botulism.

How much honey can you give a dog?

For small to medium-sized dogs, we would give no more than half a teaspoon of honey per day. Larger dogs may be able to enjoy a bit more. Make sure you start with the tiniest of amounts if this will be the first time your dog is having honey (just in case your dog has a bad reaction to eating honey).

Can dogs have local honey for allergies?

Some dogs can suffer from hay fever, just like us humans. Giving your dog a tiny amount of local honey may help reduce their sensitivity to the pollen that is triggering the allergic reaction. It’s not considered a reliable method though because there isn’t any way to confirm whether the pollen your dog is allergic to is the same type as the pollen the local honey contains. You are better off taking your dog to the vet to remedy issues with pollen allergy.

Can dogs have honey for cough?

Yes, honey may serve as a good home remedy for dogs suffering from kennel cough or other coughing conditions. The honey can help soothe the dog’s throat and minimize the frequency of coughing. You can find out about other human foods that could be safe for dogs to eat by visiting our human food for pets database.