Can Dogs Eat Honey Buns?

Soft buns are not only delightful but also irresistible, especially when served warm right out of the oven. And when they are filled with something sweet on the inside, they become crazy delicious. The sweet honey butter icing, for instance, takes the delight to a whole new level—it imparts smooth sweetness to every component of the bun: the tangy filling, the buttery dough, and the alluringly sticky topping.

However, like any other delicious snack, the moment you sit down to enjoy your honey bun, your dog is going to be there begging for a share. But is it safe to give him a bite? Well, let’s find out…

The Short Answer:

Yes, honey buns are not toxic to dogs. So, sharing moderate amounts of these delicious buns with your canine friend won’t harm him. However, honey buns have high amounts of sugar, carbohydrates, calories, and other ingredients that may have negative impacts on your dog’s health when he eats a lot of them or if you feed him these buns regularly. Remember that dogs do well with diets that are high in proteins but low in carbs because they are carnivores by nature.

The Long Answer:

While honey buns are technically safe for dogs, there are several reasons why you may not want to give your canine friend these human snacks, or at least not feed him very often, including:

Sugar

Honey buns are loaded with a lot of processed sugars, which are often associated with a wide range of health issues in dogs. For instance, processed sugars get delivered fast to dogs’ bloodstream, causing unhealthy blood sugar spikes. If your dog is diabetic, sugar spikes can worsen his condition. Besides, whenever your dog’s blood sugar spikes, his body converts a bigger percentage of the sugars into fats for storage. So, if you are trying to help your dog lose some weight, honey buns might derail your efforts.

High amounts of processed sugar are also bad for your pooch’s teeth. The sugar feeds bacteria that live in his mouth. In turn, the bacteria excrete acids that can break down the protective lining of his teeth, increasing his risk of cavities and other dental diseases.

Saturated Fats

Honey buns are also loaded with saturated fats. Although saturated fats are sometimes considered safe when consumed by dogs in moderate amounts, too much may lower the levels of ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL), increase bad cholesterol (LDL), trigger inflammation, and increase your dog’s risks to obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

Empty Calories

Honey buns provide all that sugar and saturated fats with only trivial amounts of vitamins and nutrients. This is what canine nutritionists call “empty calories”—they give your dog nothing much beyond temporary energy. Besides, to remain healthy, your dog needs vitamins and minerals to accompany the calories that he gets from his food. However, honey buns have none of these vital nutrients and are therefore considered poor sources of calories for dogs.

Artificial Preservatives

Commercially-prepared honey buns are also loaded with artificial preservatives, which have their own laundry list of side effects on dogs. Although many companies only add these preservatives in small quantities and according to local government regulations, consumers have raised alarm about the prevalence of these substances in foods that we eat.

Raisins

Another potential danger of commercial honey buns is raisins. Raisins are very toxic to dogs but are common in baked foods. Raisin toxicity in dogs can cause sudden development of kidney and urine production failure (or anuria).

Raw Dough

If you enjoy making honey buns at home, beware of raw dough when your pup is around. If your fur baby accidentally scarfs down some raw dough, his stomach might provide a conducive environment for the dough to rise and expand. This can cause stomach bloat issues. Even worse is the ethanol released from the yeast. Ethanol can get absorbed into your dog’s system, causing alcohol poisoning and other detrimental health effects.

The following signs usually appear 30 minutes to two hours after a dog ingests raw dough:

• Increased heart rate

• Seizures

• Distended stomach

• Vomiting and unproductive retching

• Low blood pressure

• Weakness

• Respiratory failure

• Unsteady gait  

Generally, the ingestion of raw dough should be considered as an emergency, so endeavor to seek veterinary care as fast as possible.

The Bottom line

While honey buns may technically be safe for your dog to eat, it is not healthy in the long term. So, there no reason why it should form a significant part of your pup’s diet. Sharing small amounts of this delicious snack with your dog once in a while won’t hurt, but if you are looking for a healthy treat for your pup, opt for something more healthy and nutritious like doggy biscuits or chews.