Is Breakfast Cereal a Good Dog Treat?

Last Updated on

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!

Can I Give My Dog Cereal?

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.

What Do You Think? Have Your Say Below…

Was This Article Helpful?

14 thoughts on “Is Breakfast Cereal a Good Dog Treat?”

  1. Can I give my dog Wheaties?

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Supertrix Guy says:

    I love giving my pup Trix because they are for everyone, not just kids.

  6. 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?

  7. I have two little cross-breeds, rescued dogs, and they love their Weet-Bix with milk every morning. No problems!

    1. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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!

  10. A month ago our Border Terrier was off his food. So by chance we gave him cereal, just a small amount with milk. He licked the bowl clean. He now has cereal every morning.

    1. My dog is getting to her last year or so. I’ve been noticing she doesn’t care for her normal food that we try to feed her. I saved her when she was a stray so there is an attachment to me. I think she would rather eat whatever I’m eating than the food on the floor.

      I notice it the most in the morning when I’m eating breakfast (after just letting her out to go pee). She’ll be sitting at my window staring at me while I eat, ignoring her food just 2 feet from her nose. I guess my question is can I please let her eat some of my cereal?

      1. My Staffordshire Bull Terrier (cross) has a Vita-Brit each morning with warm water and a splash of lactose-free milk. Evert dog I’ve had was brought up this way with no medical problems. The last one survived over 14 years!

    2. Claudette says:

      Dave, I read that you give your Border Terrier cereal but what type of cereal do you give her/him? I have been giving my Chihuahua Gerber chicken baby food and K-Cereal because I think this stuff is mild, but I’m waiting for him to have normal stools. He can’t eat Iams anymore. He ate Iams for years but can’t keep it down anymore.

Leave a Reply to David Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *