Why can t dogs have cinnamon

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Can Dogs Have Cinnamon?

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 yours, 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.

Have you ever accidentally spilled some cinnamon on the floor, and your dog licked it up? Some dogs love the taste of cinnamon. Thankfully, this spice isnt toxic to them. In fact, some dog treats contain cinnamon.

However, it can be harmful if your dog eats too much cinnamon or has certain foods with cinnamon as an ingredient. So, when is cinnamon considered safe, and when is it dangerous for your pup?

Is Cinnamon Bad for Dogs?

A small amount of cinnamon isnt toxic for dogsunlikenutmeg, which is toxic to dogs. But if your dog inhales the spice, it can causecoughing,choking, lung irritation, and difficulty breathing.

Pet Poison Helpline warns that for most pets, eating more than a teaspoon of cinnamon powder or just a small drop of cinnamon essential oil can lead to serious toxicity.

Eating cinnamon powder or chewing on cinnamon sticks can cause dogs to have skin irritations and/or redness inside their mouths.

Larger amounts of the powder or exposure to the oil can lead to low blood sugar,liver disease,vomiting,diarrhea, and changes in heart rate.

Here are a few tips for keeping your dog safe from excessive amounts of cinnamon:

Keep your dog away from cinnamon essential oils. Do not use cinnamon oil in a diffuser in the same home as your dog (or cat).
Be careful when using cinnamon sticks for decoration or in ciderdo not let your pup near them.
Store cinnamon and other spices in high places in your house, where your dog cant get into them.

If your dog has inhaled or eaten an abnormal amount of cinnamon, ingested or inhaled any cinnamon essential oil, or chewed up some cinnamon sticks,contact your veterinarian immediately.

Are Cinnamon Treats Safe for Dogs?

Because of its nutrients, cinnamon can be safeand often beneficialwhen baked into your pups treats in small amounts. Cinnamon is known for these health benefits:

Before giving cinnamon to your dog, speak with your vet about whether its best for them.

Typically, the main health claim that dog treat manufacturers emphasize when using cinnamon in their products is its antioxidant benefit.

Here are a few dog treats that contain cinnamon:

Can Dogs Eat Cinnamon Rolls or Cinnamon Bread?

Although dog treats containing small amounts of cinnamon may provide health benefits for your pup, you shouldnt feed them any human food that contains cinnamon.

Eating raw cinnamon roll dough or bread dough is very dangerous if consumed in large amounts and if the product has yeast, which is highly toxic for pups.

Baked goods like cinnamon rolls and cinnamon bread contain ingredients that are toxic to dogssuch as nutmeg, raisins, and xylitol.

Additionally, these sweets have high amounts of fat, sugar, and butter, which isnt healthy for your pet, especially when fed regularly over time.

These human foods can cause health issues in your four-legged companion, including:

How Much Cinnamon Can Dogs Eat?

Commercial dog treats contain safe amounts of cinnamon.

However, contact your veterinarian to determine how much cinnamon is safe for your individual pup to ingest, as this may depend on the size of your dog.

What To Do if Your Dog Eats Cinnamon

The amount of cinnamon that is unsafe for your dog will depend on their size.

If your dog has eaten or inhaled too much cinnamon, chewed up a cinnamon stick, or ingested any amount of cinnamon essential oils, contact your vet and Pet Poison Helpline right away.

Take your dog to the nearest veterinary clinic or emergency animal hospital.

Ingestion of cinnamon may cause the following symptoms:

Coughing
Choking
Difficulty breathing
Bronchospasms

Also check for the following symptoms in their mouth:

Irritation
Redness
Blisters

If your dog has ingested cinnamon essential oil, your vet needs to treat them quickly to prevent any toxic effects.

Once youre at the clinic, your vet will likely recommend bloodwork and urine testing to check your dog's liver and kidney function.

Depending on your dogs situation, they may use IV fluids for hydration and soft foods. They may also use a feeding tube if your dog has any chemical burns in their mouth or esophagus.

They may also give your dog anti-vomiting medication, or if your dog ate the cinnamon recently, they may induce vomiting.

Do not induce vomiting at home.

Other possible treatments that your vet may suggest are stomach protectants, pain medication, and medication to protect your pups liver.

The best way to prevent cinnamon toxicity in your dog is ensuring they never ingest, inhale, or are exposed to unsafe amounts of cinnamon.

Although certain human treats are tempting to give to your dog, it can often cause more harm than good.

Essential oils, including cinnamon, are not safe to be ingested or inhaled in any way.

If you have pets in the home, do not use a diffuser or give your dog any oils, even on the skin.

If your dog does get into cinnamon, more importantly a cinnamon stick or cinnamon oil, they should be taken to the nearest veterinarian as soon as possible for the best chance at avoiding the harsh effects of toxicity.

Can Dogs Have Cinnamon FAQs

Are dogs allergic to cinnamon?

Food allergies come from repeated exposure over time, so its rare for a dog to be allergic to cinnamon, but not impossible.

Can dogs eat cinnamon cereal?

No, you should not give your dog cereal that contains cinnamon.

There is a high amount of sugar in most breakfast cereals. Additionally, cinnamon cereals contain other additives and preservatives that are unhealthy or dangerous for your dog to eat.

Can dogs eat cinnamon oatmeal?

No. Cinnamon oatmeal typically contains a lot of sugar, preservatives, and other additives that are toxic to your dog.

Some brands list part of their ingredients as cinnamon and other spices. This means there could be nutmeg in the oatmeal, which is toxic for your pup.

Can dogs eat snickerdoodle cookies?

No. Snickerdoodle cookies are very high in sugar, butter, and fats that make them unhealthy for dogs to eat. Some snickerdoodle cookies may even contain nutmeg or xylitol, both toxins.

Can dogs eat cinnamon sugar?

No, dogs should not be eating cinnamon sugar, especially in large amounts.

This is unhealthy for them, may upset their stomachs, and could cause numerous health problems if fed regularly over time.

Can dogs eat cinnamon applesauce?

Avoid giving cinnamon applesauce for your pup.

It can contain high amounts of sugar and may have unhealthy or toxic ingredients for your dog, such as xylitol or nutmeg.

Featured Image: iStock/Anastasiia Shavshyna

References

Flint, Charlotte. Nutmeg And Cinnamon Toxicity. Pet Poison Helpline. 2013.
Is Cinnamon Safe for Dogs? Saint Francis Veterinary Center of South Jersey. 2020.

Flint, Charlotte. Nutmeg And Cinnamon Toxicity. Pet Poison Helpline. 2013.
Is Cinnamon Safe for Dogs? Saint Francis Veterinary Center of South Jersey. 2020.

WRITTEN BY

Victoria Lynn Arnold

Freelance Writer

Is Cinnamon Bad for Dogs? Uses, Benefits and Side Effects

We know cinnamon has health benefits for people, but have you ever wondered if its safe for your dog to chew on a cinnamon stick or sample your cinnamon bun?

Here's what you should know about cinnamon for dogs, including benefits and adverse effects.

Is Cinnamon Bad for Dogs?

Cinnamon can be perfectly safe for your dog if it is the right kind! If you didnt already know, there are two kinds of cinnamon.

Two types of cinnamon:

Ceylon Cinnamon Tree The bark of the Ceylon cinnamon tree is what is used to make Ceylon cinnamon. It is safe because it has low levels of courmarin, a natural organic chemical compound.
The Chinese Cinnamon Tree The bark of the Chinese cinnamon tree is used to make cassia cinnamon. The higher levels of courmarin pose can potentially be harmful to the health of your dog, so you should avoid this type of cinnamon for your dog.

Cinnamon has many health benefits, but you can also have too much of a good thing, so it is important to get your dosage right when supplementing.

The following recommendations should be taken into consideration as a guide.

When trying something new, it's a good idea to start slowly and gradually build up to the recommended amounts so that your dog has the time to adjust without becoming sick.

Safe daily dosage of powdered cinnamon for dogs:

1-10 lbs: a small pinch up to 1/8 teaspoon10-20 lbs: to teaspoon20-50 lbs: to 1 teaspoon50-100 lbs: 1 to 2 teaspoonsOver 100 lbs: 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon

What are the Health Benefits of Cinnamon for a Dog?

Cinnamon has a great flavor.

It is added to all human foods to jazz up main dishes, breakfasts, desserts, and drinks.

It can have the same effect on your dogs meals and treats.

One of the main benefits of cinnamon is its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to either slow down or stop the growth of bacteria.

It takes just half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder a day to reduce the risk of developing diabetes in older dogs and obese or overweight dogs.

It does this by raising insulin resistance and helping to regulate blood sugar.

Cinnamon is also great for skin issues due to allergies.

Studies have shown that cinnamon helps with yeast infections as it works to fight the fungus that causes them.

Dogs that suffer from yeast infections sometimes do not respond well to standard medications.

Cinnamon, however, has proven to be highly effective for skin conditions in dogs.

How to Use Cinnamon in Your Dogs Diet

Having read about some of the health benefits of cinnamon for dogs, you are keen to discover creative ways to incorporate cinnamon as a supplement in your dogs diet.

Cinnamon-flavored dog biscuits You can use online recipes to make homemade cinnamon-flavored dog biscuits.

This way you can know exactly what your dog is eating, and even tweak recipes specially for your dogs health requirements and tastes.

You should avoid giving your dog baked cinnamon foods that are made for humans though, as these are often loaded with sugar and are high in fat, posing many health risks to dogs.

Mix a little cinnamon in with their dog food If your dog has several meals a day then a pinch of cinnamon here and there is the perfect supplement to spice up your dogs dinner and give them a health boost at the same time.

What are the Side Effects of Cinnamon for Dogs?

Now that you have discovered ways of incorporating cinnamon into a dogs diet, here is some information on its side effects to watch out for when feeding it to your dog.

Can Dogs Chew On Cinnamon Sticks?

No.

You might think, given that cinnamon has many health benefits, that cinnamon sticks themselves would make great chews for a dog to enjoy.

Unfortunately, while cinnamon is not toxic for dogs and has many health benefits, care needs to be taken in the quantities allowed and the method of consumption.

Chewing a cinnamon stick can irritate your dogs mouth.

There is also a risk of your dog choking if he swallows part of the stick or the whole stick, and it gets lodged in the dogs throat.

Sharp splinters may also cause internal tears or bleeding.

As a safety rule, dogs should not play with or chew on sticks. You can get much safer alternative chews and toys for them online or in your local pet store.

Is It Okay To Let A Dog Lick Up Cinnamon Powder?

No. Feeding cinnamon powder directly to your dog can cause problems too.

Firstly, they may consume too much at once if you have not properly measured a dosage appropriate for your dog.

And secondly, your dog is likely to inhale the cinnamon when sniffing it; this will make them choke and find it difficult to breathe.

What Are The Risks Of An Overdose Of Cinnamon?

According to The Pet Poison Helpline, no matter how big or small your dog is, or how old or young, anything more than one teaspoon of cinnamon powder can cause problems for a dog.

Smaller dogs breeds may be even more sensitive to smaller doses than this.

Cinnamon essential oils should also be avoided for your dog as it is a far too concentrated form of the spice.

Overdosing of cinnamon can lead to the following: