Gingerbread cookies are awesome. 

In fact, I like gingerbread so much that I don’t consume it exclusively during the holiday season—I have it all year round.

And, as usual, my dog begs for a bite and loves to blackmail me into giving him one emotionally.

However, it is really important to look up whether or not a food item is fit for canine consumption.

In this Article, I want to answer the question, “Can dogs eat gingerbread?” and share with you some facts that you might not be aware of.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look!

Can Dogs Eat Gingerbread?: Yes or No

No, dogs can’t eat gingerbread.

While gingerbread and ginger itself aren’t harmful to dogs, it’s an ingredient that is.

Ginger is beneficial for your dog’s health if you feed it to him in moderate quantities.

Gingerbread contains Nutmeg—a spice that contains the toxin named myristicin which isn’t good for your dog’s stomach and can cause hallucinations and delusions—which are traumatic for your dog.

Not just that, gingerbread is also high in fats and sugar.

Foods with a high quantity of fats are known to cause pancreatitis in dogs in addition to other health problems.

However, if your dog has had only a bite of your gingerbread cookie, you don’t need to panic.

Your dog won’t most likely suffer any adverse health effects with a very small quantity.

If your dog has had some gingerbread, contact your vet just to be on the safer side.

I recommend that you keep gingerbread cookies and your gingerbread house as far away from your dog’s reach as possible.

Prevention is always better than cure, right?

Symptoms to Watch Out For if Your Dog Has Consumed Gingerbread

If your dog has had only a small quantity of gingerbread, there’s no need to panic.

However, if your dog starts to show any of the following symptoms of nutmeg toxicity, you must take him to the vet immediately.

These symptoms only occur when your dog has had a significant enough dose of the spice:

• Disorientation
• Dry mouth
• High blood pressure
• Elevated heart rate
• Abdominal pain

You must call the doctor even if your dog hasn’t had a large amount of gingerbread just to be sure as it’s always a wise thing to do.

Doggy-proof Gingerbread Treats

Some dogs are spoiled and like to eat whatever their owner eats.

As I mentioned before, gingerbread is not necessarily toxic to dogs and, there is some doggy-friendly gingerbread treats available on the market that is 100% safe for your furry friend to consume.

You can buy ginger flavor treats but, always read the label to make sure that they don’t contain either of the following toxins:

• Nutmeg
• Xylitol

Don’t let your furry friend feel left out!



Final Words

While ginger is safe and even beneficial for dogs in moderate quantities, gingerbread is not.

The reason is that Gingerbread contains Nutmeg, which is a known hallucinogen and in large quantities is toxic to dogs.

So, Nutmeg is primarily the reason why you shouldn’t feed gingerbread to your dog.

However, ginger-flavored cookies are a good alternative.

I hope this article is helpful in answering the question, can dogs eat gingerbread.