is baby oatmeal safe for dogs

Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal?

NOTE: Always check with your veterinarian first before giving your dog any new foods, especially people foods. What might be OK for one dog might not be good for your dog, depending on multiple factors, such as their age, health history, health conditions, and diet. Dogs on prescription diets should not be fed any food or treats outside the diet.

When its cooked and fed in moderation, oatmeal can be a great snack to share with your dog. Just make sure its prepared safelysteer clear of any dangerous ingredients that can make your dog sick and follow portion guidelines so she doesnt have too much.

But can dogs have raw oats? And what about oatmeal cookies? Heres what to know about preparing oatmeal so its safe for dogs to eat.

Is Oatmeal Good for Dogs?

Plain, cooked oatmeal can be a great addition to your dog's diet. This heart-healthy breakfast is rich in soluble fiber, vitamins, and minerals such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins that help support your dogs coat and skin.

The high fiber content helps promote digestion and weight management. So incorporating cooked, plain oatmeal into your dogs food bowl may help regulate her digestive system and keep her feeling full longer, which is helpful for dogs who may need to shed a few pounds.

But when sharing your oatmeal, always steer clear from any extra ingredients that may make your dog sick, such as raisins or too much sugar.

Can Dogs Eat Uncooked Oatmeal?

Sprinkling raw oatmeal into your dogs food bowl might seem like an easy way to add fiber to her diet, but the uncooked grains are difficult to digest and can give her an upset stomach. Instead, prepare plain oatmeal with water and let it cool before sharing with your pooch.

How to Safely Prep Oatmeal for Dogs

Cooked, plain oatmeal can be a good addition to your dogs diet and contains many nutrients. But always avoid feeding your dog oatmeal that contains harmful toxic ingredients. Check the package for any of the following:

When cooking oatmeal, use water instead of milk because its better for your dogs digestive system. Cook the oatmeal as normal, without adding any sugar or salt. Let the oatmeal cool to room temperature before sharing with your dog, and start with small amounts as a complement to their usual food.

Always check with your vet before making any major changes to your dog's diet, especially if your pup has any health conditions or sensitivities.

How Much Oatmeal Can Dogs Eat Safely?

As with any new food, start slow. Just because oatmeal is OK to share with dogs does not mean she should have more than a few spoonfuls at a time! Youll want to avoid giving your dog too much oatmeal at once because the high fiber content can cause diarrhea or other digestive upset.

Note that these are just general guidelines. Its always best to check with your vet before making major changes to your furry friends food bowl.

• Extra-small dog (220 pounds) = 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon, up to twice per week

• Small dog (2130 pounds) = 12 tablespoons, up to twice per week

• Medium dog (3150 pounds) = 1/4 cup (or less), up to twice per week

• Large dog (5190 pounds) = 1/2 cup (or less), up to twice times per week

• Extra-large dog (91+ pounds) = 2/3 cup (or less), up to twice per week

Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal Cookies?

Not all oatmeal is created equally, and therefore not all oatmeal snacks are safe for dogs. Oatmeal cookies that contain ingredients such as raisins, chocolate, nutmeg, or xylitol are harmful and should be avoided.

But even if your oatmeal cookie doesnt contain raisins, chocolate, or nutmeg, the high levels of sugar, butter, and oil found in baked goods can make your pet sick. Stick with plain, cooked oatmeal and avoid the cookies altogetherunless you can find a pet-safe option that satisfies your dogs sweet tooth, like:

There are plenty of naturally sweet human foods that dogs can also safely snack on. Just keep in mind that any treats should only make up 10% of your dogs overall diet. The other 90% should come from a well-balanced dog food.

Featured Image: Adobe/evgeniarusinova

WRITTEN BY

April Saylor

Freelance Writer

Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal, and Should They?

Cooked oatmeal can be a healthy addition to your dogs diet. You should opt for plain varieties prepared with water instead of milk, and increase the amount slowly over time to assess your dogs tolerance.

Oatmeal is a common breakfast staple thats favored for both its versatility and potential health benefits.

It has also become an increasingly common ingredient in many types of commercial dog food.

While it seems clear that oatmeal is generally safe for your canine companion, you may wonder whether you should use caution with some preparation methods and if its truly healthy for them.

This article reviews whether dogs can and should eat oatmeal.

Oatmeal is highly nutritious and has been associated with several potential health benefits.

Promotes skin health

Oats are rich in B vitamins and linoleic acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acid (1).

B vitamins play a key role in skin health and may be involved in the production of healthy skin cells (2).

Meanwhile, linoleic acid is also essential for skin health and can help maintain the integrity of the skin barrier, promote wound healing, and alleviate inflammation (3).

Although these benefits have not been studied in dogs specifically, dog skin is similar to human skin.

Supports digestion

Oatmeal is high in fiber, with over 4 grams of fiber in each cooked cup (240 grams) (1).

Fiber has been linked to a number of potential health benefits, especially in terms of digestive health.

Fiber moves slowly through your body undigested, adding bulk to stool to support regularity (4).

Although studies in dogs specifically are limited, research suggests that increased fiber intake may be beneficial for treating constipation (5, 6).

May lower cholesterol levels

If your dog has high cholesterol levels due to metabolic or genetic health conditions, oatmeal may be beneficial.

This is because oats are a good source of beta glucan, a type of fiber that has been associated with improved heart health (7).

Humans studies have shown that oats could help reduce cholesterol levels, especially in people with high cholesterol (8, 9).

One study in 14 dogs observed similar findings, showing that supplementing with oat beta glucan for 71 days reduced levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol (10).

However, more large, high quality studies are needed to confirm whether oats may help lower cholesterol levels in dogs.

summary

Although more research is needed, oatmeal may help support skin health, promote regularity, and lower cholesterol levels. However, studies on these benefits in dogs specifically are limited.

Although oats are a great source of nutrients, keep in mind that not all types are suitable for your furry friend.

In particular, raw oats can be difficult for your dog to digest and may cause stomach upset.

You should also steer clear of flavored varieties, which are often high in sugar and may contain ingredients that can be toxic to dogs, such as chocolate, raisins, or the sugar alcohol xylitol (11, 12).

Additionally, be sure to prepare oats with water instead of milk, as many dogs cannot digest lactose very well (13).

Finally, keep in mind that increasing their fiber intake too quickly can also cause unpleasant digestive side effects, including gas or bloating (14, 15).

To keep negative side effects at bay, its recommended for fiber intakes to increase slowly over time by 13 grams per day, as well as with plenty of water.

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While oatmeal can be nutritious, certain types may contain ingredients that are unsuitable for dogs and can cause adverse digestive side effects.

According to the American Kennel Club, you can typically feed dogs around one tablespoon (15 grams) of cooked oatmeal for every 20 pounds (9 kg) of body weight (16).

Given its rich content of soluble fiber, oatmeal has also become an increasingly common ingredient in many types of commercial dog food (17).

Its especially popular among pet owners with dogs who have difficulty tolerating other grains, such as wheat.

Some specific examples of dog food that contain oatmeal include:

• Wellness Complete Health Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe
• Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oatmeal Formula
• Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Fish and Oatmeal Recipe
• Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Organic Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe
• Nutro Wholesome Essentials Venison Meal, Brown Rice & Oatmeal Recipe

summary

Several popular types of commercial dog food contain oatmeal.

When prepared properly, oatmeal can be a healthy addition to your dogs diet.

Be sure to only feed dogs cooked oatmeal and opt for plain varieties prepared with water instead of milk.

You should also increase their intake gradually to assess your dogs tolerance.

However, keep in mind that oatmeal should be included as part of a balanced diet and not be used to replace commercial dog food.

Additionally, its a good idea to consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your dogs diet, especially if they have any underlying health conditions.

Can You Use Aveeno on Dogs? (Read This First!)

Aveeno is a perfect skin care solution for human beings. People mostly use these Aveeno products for their itchy, dry, and rash skin. When your skin is damaged because of radiation, you may undoubtedly use Aveeno skin care products. It has some other benefits.

You will find different Aveeno products, including Aveeno body wash, oil, soap, shampoo, and more. You can use them all for your dry skin. But concerning pets, you must be careful about the chemicals and toxic-free components.

Using Aveeno on dogs

You can use Aveeno on dogs since it contains natural & non-toxic chemicals. You should use the chemical-free Aveeno shampoo & other products accordingly. But all the Aveeno products are not safe for dogs and other pets; you should avoid using human lotion and other products for dogs.

To use the Aveeno skin care products on dogs, you must decide what purpose they will serve on your skin.

If you use it on dogs, you must use the optimum amount of Aveeno body skin care lotion or other products on the dog skin. You cannot make any mistake by using too much Aveeno lotion or other products on dogs.

Here I will explain six different Aveeno skincare products and show you if they are perfect for your dogs skin or how you can use them on your dog. But the first thing should be the components consideration because you cannot use toxic chemicals on your dogs skin.

So, lets get through these products and be sure whether you can use them all or not.

Aveeno body wash:

You can only use a little amount of Aveeno body wash on your dogs irritated or dry skin to give him a good bath and relief.

If you dont have dog-friendly body wash or bath ingredients, you should always use a little amount of Aveeno body wash on your dried dog skin. It will give a short time relief to your dogs irritation.

Aveeno oatmeal bath:

You can surely & safely use the Aveeno oatmeal bath on your dogs skin.

If your dogs skin is damaged and dried entirely, you should check those areas, apply the Aveeno oatmeal bath on those areas and give a proper bath to your dog. Your dog will not love the smell, but the oatmeal bath relieves dry and harsh skin.

Aveeno moisturizer:

You can safely use a minimal amount of Aveeno moisturizer on your dogs skin. When you shampoo your dogs hair & skin, you must use some moisturizer on its skin and get the best smooth skin from the dog.

If you have any dog-friendly moisturizer, you should avoid using Aveeno moisturizer. If you dont have that, you may use some Aveeno moisturizer.

Aveeno baby wash:

The Aveeno baby wash is a safe option for dog body wash, although its not recommended to use this baby wash on dogs.

If your dogs body wash is finished but wants somebody to wash it immediately, you can use some Aveeno baby wash on your dogs skin. It will be a safe option if you only use a small amount.

Aveeno shampoo:

You can use some Aveeno shampoo on your dogs, but its not the best dog or pet shampoo for regular use.

When you plan to use the Aveeno shampoo on tour dogs, you must be sure not to overuse this shampoo. It has some human skin-friendly components unsuitable for the dogs hair and skin.

Aveeno soap:

The same theory and conditions are applied here: you cannot use the Aveeno soap on your dog regularly.

If you dont have the dog soap and your dog needs an immediate bath, you may use the Aveeno soap on the dogs skin. It will not irritate the skin, but the smell and other ingredients might be uncomfortable for your pet dog.

Is it safe?

Using Aveeno skin care products on dogs and other pets is safe because of the natural components and other ingredients.

The manufacturer of Aveeno doesnt mix any toxic or chemical ingredients in the Aveeno oatmeal bath to make it a perfect and natural solution for dry skin. You will find similar ingredients in other Aveeno products.

Thats the only reason this Aveeno is safe for dogs; you should use a small amount of these products. But its not 100% safe for dogs since manufacturers mainly use all the components for human skin and hair. Therefore, its not a pet-friendly product that you can regularly use.

When you dont have or run out of dog skincare products, you can use some Aveeno skin care products, which will not damage the dog skin. If there is any problem applying Aveeno products to your dog, you should immediately stop using that product.

Will Aveeno work for dogs?

Although Aveeno is designed for human skin & human body, the Aveeno will also work for dog skin. You can use the Aveeno oatmeal bath and baby wash on your dog skins since they contain no toxic elements.

Going through the production process & main elements, you will find non-toxic components.

It becomes the first noticeable thing that ensures that the Aveeno will work on dogs. If your dogs have dry skin itchy, you may use some Aveeno soap & moisturizer to moisturize the dog skin and remove the itchiness.

If any part of the dog becomes weak and dry, you can use some or little Aveeno products.

How to use Aveeno for dogs?

You can use the Aveeno for dogs by the following process. You can mainly use the Aveeno for dogs in two ways; after & before taking a bath.

Apply After Bath:

If you use the Aveeno lotion on your dogs, you must apply it after your dog takes a bath.

Hair and other body parts will get dried and need some lotion or moisturizer. If you find your dog has some itchy and dry skin, you can apply some Aveeno lotion there.

You may find some other Aveeno products, including Aveeno moisturizer, to apply after your dog takes a bath.

The moisturizer will smoothen your dogs skin and will remove the harsh feelings from the skin. These two are the best products your dog can use after a bath.

Use While Bath:

If you run out of dog shampoo, you can use some oatmeal bath or Aveeno shampoo on your dogs hair and entire skin.

When your dog is taking a bath, you may mix some Aveeno shampoo on its hair and allow it to enjoy the bath. Sometimes, the Aveeno shampoo might create problems in the eyes and other skin.

Aveeno baby wash and Aveeno shampoo are there to give you the best solution for dry & problematic skin. You can apply and scrub your dogs entire hair and body to get a better result than regular shampoo.

Unfortunately, you cannot use these products regularly on your dogs since they are not pet-friendly. You must replace them with perfect dog shampoo or moisturizer.

What human lotion is safe for dogs?

Here is a list of human lotions safe for dogs skin. You can use them occasionally, but they are not the 100% recommended pet products you can use on your dogs.

Aveeno Lotion:

The first human lotion is Aveeno lotion, which is 100% safe for dogs. You can use it as a regular moisturizer for your dogs skin if you dont have any better options or solutions for your dogs.

Aveeno lotion doesnt have any toxic chemicals or elements to work against the dogs skin; instead, it contains some natural elements.

Using the Aveeno lotion on your dog will smoothen the entire area, make it smooth, and remove the itchiness from your dogs skin. So, you can use the Aveeno lotion to moisturize your dogs body & remove the dry skin and irritation from the dog skin.

Coconut Lotion:

The best human lotion is coconut lotion, which is 100% safe for dogs. If you are looking for the best lotion for both your pets & yourself, you must consider buying some coconut lotion.

Its a 100% natural lotion solution that will moisturize your dogs skin and give you a satisfactory result. You can use coconut lotion to get the best result whenever you run out of dog lotion.

Oatmeal Lotion:

My third recommended human lotion is an oatmeal lotion that is also safe for dogs.

Maybe you know it as the best oatmeal bath for your dog, but Im talking about the human oatmeal lotion that contains some quality materials to have a perfect solution or lotion for your dogs.

Final Thoughts

Although Aveeno is made for human skin, you can also use these Aveeno products on your dog. It will smoothen the dogs skin and will remove the itchiness from skin. You can safely use Aveeno soap, baby wash, and oatmeal bath on your dogs skin; it will help to cure skin problems.