Can I give my dog cinnamon?

Because cinnamon is found in many foods we eat, many dog owners wonder if it’s something their dog can have. From cinnamon rolls to apple sauce, cinnamon finds its way on the menu on a pretty consistent basis. If you are one that likes to share what you can’t finish with your dog, it will pop up sooner or later.

For those of you who have opportunistic dogs, that seize what they can when it’s left unattended, you might be wondering if cinnamon is a cause for concern if they ate more than humanly possible in one sitting.

The good news on both counts is that cinnamon is not a big concern, unless they’ve consumed a large amount like clearing out bottles of cinnamon. Even then, they’ll likely handle it on their own, by either puking some up or having diarrhea to get it out, but nothing life-threatening.

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Can I Give My Dog Cinnamon? Answer: Not Necessary

However, a small amount of cinnamon isn’t harmful for most dogs.

You don’t usually need to worry if you’ve already given your dog some cinnamon or some as an ingredient that was part of your own food. If they’ve gotten into a cinnamon-laced dish that you left out don’t worry. They’ll likely be fine, and will only suffer from the indigestion that usually comes with feeding your dog human food that they’re not used to.

What about for future snacks? If you’re thinking of giving your dog a sweet treat that has cinnamon on it, why not give them a treat that is designed for them? Dogs do best with doggy treats that have extra vitamins their body’s can use, and some will even help with their dental health and breath.

Dogs Don’t Need Cinnamon

Even though you don’t have to freak out about your dog getting some cinnamon, you also don’t need to go out of your way to give it to them. It’s not an essential part of their natural diet, and you don’t have to get carried away and add it as a daily supplement. In fact, you don’t ever need to do so.

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Dogs wouldn’t have anything to do with cinnamon out in the wild, and aren’t too concerned about spicing up their food. Dogs eat to live, they aren’t stopping to savor what’s going in the food hole. We’ve seen it said that there are health benefits to giving cinnamon to dogs, but we think they’ll do just fine with a high quality dog food.

Differences in Dogs and Humans

Most of the recommendations out there for giving dogs cinnamon cite studies on the effects of cinnamon for humans. They then try to make a correlation between dogs and humans. While we’re both mammals and share many of the same organs and systems, the way we process foods is still different, right down to a dog being mostly carnivorous, and humans being omnivores.

The stomach acids we produce are different and our daily dietary needs are also different. Yes, cinnamon is a very healthy spice for humans to consume, but even we don’t need it daily, and dogs definitely don’t. The closest you’ll get to any study being done on the benefits of cinnamon for dogs is anecdotal findings based on one dog owner and their personal observations of their own dog.

It’s All In Their Dog Food

Your dog’s dog food should contain all your canine needs on a daily basis. If it doesn’t you should make sure it does. It’s far easier to upgrade your dog’s food than it is to buy them inadequate food and then try to make up for it with additional supplements. Keep it simple unless otherwise needed.

Why is dog food better than cinnamon supplementation? Because premium dog food is formulated so your dog can digest it properly. Good dog food should contain ingredients that are easily broken down. It should be tailored to dogs and their digestive systems. Giving your dog cinnamon and thinking that their body will process it the same way a human’s body processes is simply wishful thinking. Different species, different needs.

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