Are you thinking of feeding your dog some cereal?
You’ll be happy to hear that most brands, given occasionally and in moderation, will not harm a precious pet pooch.
With that being said, you should be careful to avoid bad feeding habits. Begging at breakfast is a bummer!
And, truth be told, cereal is not exactly a great choice for a dog treat.
Let’s take a closer look at this topic…
Strictly Limit How Much Cereal Your Dog Gets To Eat
This type of filler food should never be substituted for a full meal.
From a general standpoint, dogs should not be eating lots of grains. Cereal is basically grained-based and is, therefore, not optimal for dogs.
And remember that feeding anything containing chocolate can be deadly. So some cereals are strictly off limits!
Dogs Will Eat Most Anything
Whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores is irrelevant. Most people don’t care but know that omnivores eats meat, vegetables and fruits. They basically consume a bit of everything, although cereal grains are questionable.
We personally think of dogs as mostly carnivorous since they require meat more than anything else. It’s what they would eat in the wild and it’s what they should get in your home as well.
Cereal just isn’t going to provide what your dog needs to thrive.
Treat Status Only or Avoid
A small serving size is important when feeding your dog cereal.
If you struggle to restrict their consumption then just stick with quality store-bought dog foods. This way your canine will get the appropriate amount of each food group including key meat-based proteins.
Quality dog food is formulated for them while cereal is basically filler. That’s the key difference!
Be strict or skip this breakfast food completely.
Oatmeal Compared To Cereal
There are other healthy morning foods that your dog may actually enjoy more.
An example is oatmeal which may also offer some benefits. It can help reduce cholesterol and could lower the chances of your dog developing heart disease.
We will always favor oatmeal over cereal when comparing the suitability of these human breakfast foods for dogs. Oatmeal, however, is still not something that can replace regular dog food.
Consider Your Dog’s Health
It’s critical for your dog’s health that you provide them with only the best. Ask yourself if cereal, even well-regarded brands like Cheerios, is helping your best friend.
Dogs can often have serious health issues like diabetes and obesity. This is especially true if such medical conditions run in their genetic history.
Health risks are decreased when the family dog is in good shape and is fed appropriately which is all in your hands. So, you really must limit cereal consumption.
The Bottom Line
Frequent canine cereal consumption is a bad feeding habit.
Brands like Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs are examples of morning junk foods that dogs should not be eating. Cheerios is a somewhat better choice.
Any cereal that contains lots of sugar is best avoided. Oatmeal is a healthier breakfast food for your dog.
Can I give my dog Wheaties?
My Rottweilers love having cereal in the mornings. They like Cornflakes, Rice Krispies and Weetabix but we give them with lactose-free milk. We have had no problems so far.
Is it okay to give my Yorkshire Terrier pup of 10 months a few dried gluten-free rice pops with no milk or sugar? Also, can I give him small amounts of cheddar cheese? His poops seem normal. Thank you for any information on this.
I crumble half a Weetabix in with a small amount of her dog food in the morning. So far so good! I hope I am doing the right thing. I’ve also heard that dogs are lactose intolerant so I do not give her milk at all.
I love giving my pup Trix because they are for everyone, not just kids.
My dog is constipated so what can I give her? I read that bran cereal and pumpkin mix work but how do I get her to eat it?
I have two little cross-breeds, rescued dogs, and they love their Weet-Bix with milk every morning. No problems!
Likewise. My little dog has been a bit off color, the last few days, and would not eat his normal food. I gave him Weet-Bix with milk and he loved it.
Once in awhile I give my Heidi a little bit of regular Cheerios. This is only when she’s picky with her dog food and doesn’t want to eat.
The Bichon Frise in our household likes Cracklin’ Oat Bran. I give him this dry only. I know this is a sweet cereal so he gets only two little pieces of the cereal a day. He loves them!