Can a dog eat honey?

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 26 January 2021
Update Date: 29 June 2024
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Can Dogs Eat Honey? [ANSWERED]
Video: Can Dogs Eat Honey? [ANSWERED]

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Honey is one of the most used natural products to treat various diseases. Its excellent properties make honey a perfect home remedy to fight throat problems, give you energy, whet your appetite and heal wounds. However, are all benefits applicable to dogs as well? Can you give honey to a dog?

In this article by PeritoAnimal we will answer all these questions, besides talking about the benefits and explaining when it can be harmful. Keep reading: can dog eat honey?

Is giving honey to dogs good?

Generally, it's good to give honey to dogs, both for adult puppies and for puppies and seniors. It is important to clarify that not all types of honey found on the market are suitable for dogs, as they do not have the same properties. Therefore, we do not recommend honey produced for sale in supermarkets and excessively processed. This type of honey is very unnatural, you can see it by looking at the color and texture, which is normally transparent. Natural honey is not completely translucent.


Thus, the best honey for dogs (and for humans as well) is artisanal and ecological evil, regardless of the type of honey you want to use. This honey keeps almost all its properties intact, it has no added sugar, preservatives or artificial sweeteners.

Types of honey for dogs

The truth is that almost all types of bee honey are good for dogs, as each one of them has common and particular properties that can be beneficial to the health of these animals. So if you have a pot of pure honey at home, you can give it to your dog. The only types of honey that should be discarded are those made from the nectar of plants that are toxic to dogs, which, as indicated, are a minority.

manuka honey for dog

This type of honey has become popular in recent years for its excellent properties. Manuka honey is considered one of the best types of honey for heal wounds and relieve stomach pain. These results can also be seen in animals, so manuka honey is a good type of honey for dogs.


Maple syrup or maple honey for dogs

Maple honey is not a type of bee honey. However, due to the texture and color, many people are confused and wonder if they can give this type of honey to dogs. As the name implies, this substance is extracted from the sap of the maple tree. If you buy pure maple honey, ecological and without added sugar, you can also give it to your dog, as it has vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Properties and Benefits of Dog Honey

As we mentioned earlier, although there are different types of honey, they all have some benefits in common, for example:

  • Are power supply due to the natural sugars they contain (mostly fructose and glucose). 100gr of honey contains 300 calories;
  • Are rich in minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium;
  • contain Vitamin C and some group B vitamins.

Offering honey to dogs makes it act as a heart tonic, it has relaxing, calming, diuretic, laxative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic, antimicrobial and healing properties.


Uses of honey for dogs

Now that you know which dog can eat honey and what the benefits are, keep in mind that in some situations the use of honey can be very effective, for example:

honey for dog with cough

Thanks to its soothing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, honey is an excellent remedy for alleviating the symptoms of respiratory tract infections or inflammation. So, you can prepare honey with lemon for a dog with a cough and/or a sore throat. You can also offer a spoonful of honey before the dog sleeps.

If your dog has a cough, you have not visited a veterinarian and you notice that the dog does not get better after using this remedy, we recommend that you visit a professional to find the cause. After all, honey alone cannot fight serious infections like kennel cough.

Honey to heal dog wounds

Along with sugar, honey is one of the best home remedies for healing dog wounds that aren't too deep, such as mild ulcers or burns. To use honey as a healing, you must put a layer of honey over the wound and let it act, without covering and preventing the dog from licking.

honey for puppies

Honey is also good for puppies because it brings energy, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. All the nutrients needed for proper development. Use is even more beneficial in malnourished dogs or that they have lost their appetite, as honey provides an extra dose of glucose and fructose. Because of these types of sugar, it is a food that whets your appetite.

Honey for sick or recovering puppies

Thanks to the energy it contains, honey is highly recommended for sick or recovering puppies. Also, during some recovery processes, it is very common to see that dogs reject food and a good way to get them back to eat is to mix honey with natural yogurt without sugar and offer this preparation. Yogurt is rich in probiotics, essential for the balance of intestinal flora and aid in recovery.

In recovering dogs who are hospitalized or receiving intravenous fluids, you can offer honey diluted in water with a needleless syringe directly into the mouth. However, don't forget that all these medications must be administered under the supervision of your veterinarian.

Honey for dogs with anemia

Honey has iron, however, there are other foods with more amount of this mineral that can replace this deficiency in cases of dogs with anemia. Anemic dogs are generally more tired and weaker. In these cases, honey contributes as a source of energy, combating weakness and promoting a correct recovery.

Honey for constipated dogs

Due to its laxative properties, honey favors the elimination of fecal matter and helps to combat constipation in dogs. Prebiotic foods, such as honey, help stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut because they act as food for them. In this way, it balances the intestinal flora and allows for better intestinal transit.

Contraindications for dog honey

As we've already seen, a dog can eat honey and even get several benefits that prevent various health problems. However, there are some cases that it is contraindicated, as in diabetic dogs due to the high glycemic index of honey.

So far, no other contraindication is known. However, in cases of kidney disease or hypertension, it is ideal to consult a veterinarian.

How to give honey to a dog?

Depending on the purpose, the dog can eat pure or diluted honey. To dilute, you can choose between water, lemon juice or chamomile tea. In cases where you offer pure honey to the dog, it is not recommended to offer more than two scoops daily.

Anyway, it is worth remembering the importance of looking for a professional to check if your dog is among the dogs that can eat honey and what is the most suitable amount according to his characteristics.

If you want to read more articles similar to Can a dog eat honey?, we recommend that you enter our Home Diets section.