Can Dogs Eat Honey? A Little, With Caveats

Honey is mostly sugar, with trace nutrients. It can add calories quickly, and sticky sugar is not good for teeth. It is a treat.

Dogs with diabetes, obesity or pancreatitis, and puppies or immune-compromised dogs, should avoid honey unless a vet advises. Raw honey can carry bacterial spores that are a concern for the very young or weak.

Check labels on honey mixes, sauces, glazed foods and cough sweets, which may contain xylitol, caffeine or other unsuitable ingredients.

A small lick or a quarter teaspoon is plenty. Extras like this should stay a small part of the day's food. A common vet guideline is that treats and extras make up no more than about 10 percent of daily calories. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. Dogs differ by size, age and health, so ask your veterinarian if your dog has a medical condition, is a puppy, or is on a special diet.

Honey is sticky sugar, and it can contribute to dental problems if given often. If you give honey, do it rarely, and keep up with tooth care.

Online advice suggests honey for coughs and allergies in dogs. These claims are not well established. A cough needs a diagnosis, and a vet can tell you whether honey has any place.

Check honey products for additives, and avoid sweets or syrups with xylitol or caffeine. Do not give honey flavoured with spices or alcohol.

A quarter teaspoon is plenty for a small dog and half a teaspoon for a large one, and only rarely. It is a concentrated sugar.

Do not use it as a daily extra.

Common mistakes include giving honey to puppies, using it as a cough remedy without advice, and giving honey-flavoured products with additives. Another is leaving a honey jar open.

If your dog ate a lot, watch for vomiting and diarrhea.

Puppies should avoid it unless a vet agrees. Seniors with diabetes or weight problems should avoid it. Dogs with weak immune systems should avoid raw honey.

If you are unsure, ask your vet.

It helps to know that honey is a natural sugar, not a harmless one, and that it is very different from xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that the ASPCA says can cause low blood sugar and liver damage in dogs, and it turns up in sugar-free gum, some peanut butters, baked goods and desserts. Honey does not contain xylitol, but products sweetened with honey sometimes contain other additives.

Maple syrup, agave and table sugar are also sugars and also not recommended for regular use. If your dog is on a weight plan, any sweetener adds calories without nutrition. Sugary foods can also contribute to tooth problems, so tooth care matters. When you read a label, look at the full list rather than the front of the pack, and keep anything with xylitol locked away.