Cinnamon is Safe for Humans AND Dogs?

Introduction

You decide to use it in one of your favorite baking recipes. As you pop your delicious treat into the oven, you notice that your hairy little friend is staring at you with his tail wagging.

At that moment, you realize that your little buddy deserves a treat, but you have nothing to give.

Thought of giving him a piece of your delicious cinnamon roll you got in the oven runs through your mind. Although, you’re not sure if your pet can have such a treat. You think to yourself, “are dogs allowed to have cinnamon? Is it safe?” Hmm, let’s find out.

First, we’re going to start with the basics.

What is cinnamon? 

Cinnamon is one of the most common spices found in almost every home. It is a powerful spice that has been around the world for thousands of years. It is used daily for medical reasons due to its widespread health benefits.

It is used by some people as a dietary supplement for loss of appetite, gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, and others according to NCCIH. Cinnamon is often used in teas, extracts, and capsules.

How is it used? 

Cinnamon is often used in three forms according to cinnamon vogue: powder, oil, and sticks. The powder form is the most ordinary form that cinnamon is used. It is used in baking goods, sprinkled in drinks or eaten directly.

The oil form of cinnamon is heavily used in perfumes, food processing, medications, disinfectants and more. The stick form of this spice is often bought by many people due to powder cinnamon going stale very quickly. Some people use cinnamon sticks whole when cooking.

Is cinnamon safe for dogs? 

Many of you may wonder if cinnamon is safe for your dog and the simple answer to this is yes.

Unlike nutmeg, which can cause symptoms such as hallucinations and high heart rates if consumed in large amounts, cinnamon is indeed non-toxic according to ASPCA.

However, you may want to limit the daily amount that is given to your pooch to prevent side effects that can occur.

Making sure that cinnamon is safe for your dog also depends on the kind you’re using. Many of you may not know this but there are two main types of cinnamon.

There’s the Ceylon cinnamon tree and the Cassia (Chinese) cinnamon tree. Both types of cinnamon are made using the bark of their tree.

Ceylon vs Cassia 

Ceylon cinnamon is safer for your dog’s consumption. It has low levels of what is called coumarin. Coumarin is a natural organic chemical compound that can be found in many plants.

Cassia cinnamon isn’t so safe for your dog’s consumption. It contains high levels of coumarin which can pose a potential health risk to your dog.

Although Ceylon Cinnamon is safer for your dog, it should still be given in moderation. You wouldn’t want to cause your pet any discomfort due to large amounts being ingested.

Cinnamon is beneficial 

One of the obvious benefits of cinnamon is the sweet and new flavor that is added to your dog’s meal. However, there are plenty of medical benefits that both you and your pooch will enjoy.

Cinnamon can provide your dog with the ability to slow or even stop the growth of bacteria. This spice contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can help reduce aflatoxins that are found in store-bought foods. Aflatoxins are fungi that grow on the crown as well as other crops.

If you have an obese or even an older dog who is at risk of contracting diabetes, a half of a teaspoon of cinnamon a day can help regulate their blood sugar. This much of cinnamon a day can also help raise insulin resistance.

This incredible spice has been found, in some studies, to fight the fungus that leads to yeast infections.

Cinnamon may simply replace the medication of a dog who has become prone to yeast infections. Dogs who are prone to this infection are often resistant to any medication used to treat it.

Cinnamon can also improve your dog’s bad-smelling breath. To do this, you can sprinkle a small amount of the spice onto your dog’s food occasionally.

Can cinnamon cause harmful effects? 

Allowing your dog to enjoy this sweet can have plenty of benefits but giving them too much can cause a few problems.

As the saying goes “Too much of anything isn’t good.” If cinnamon is consumed in large quantities at a time, your pooch can experience an upset stomach leading to diarrhea and vomiting.

This isn’t something to panic too much about but if inhaled through the nose, which can cause breathing difficulties, choking and irritation, you may want to keep this spice out of reach.

How much cinnamon should be given? 

The weight of your dog determines the amount of cinnamon that is safe to give according to WagWalking Website research. For example: if your dog weighs about one to ten pounds (a small puppy) no more than 1/8 teaspoon should be given daily that is.

If you happen to have a dog that is over a hundred pounds, then only about two teaspoons should be given. Be sure not to feed your pet anything without first consulting your local vet.

What to do if my dog eats too much cinnamon? 

If your dog consumes a large amount of cinnamon, there’s no need to panic. Calling your local veterinarian, however, would be a great idea in hopes of getting suggestions to help your pet recover.

Although cinnamon is fatal to dogs, the side effects of consuming too much at a time can become a bit uncomfortable for your pooch.

Baked cinnamon goodies 

In most baked goods, a small amount of cinnamon is used which isn’t going to hurt your dog. However, most baked goods do contain high levels of fat and sugar that will lead to obesity and diabetes. Feeding such things to your dog isn’t such a great idea.

According to AKC, some baked goods can also contain a substance called xylitol which is known to be very toxic to dogs.

Xylitol is a substitute for sugar that is commonly used in products such as sugar-free gum. This is harmful to your hairy friend because their pancreas confuses it with real sugar and releases insulin to store it.

Can dogs eat cinnamon sticks? 

Although your pooch can consume some cinnamon at a time, giving him/her a cinnamon stick may not be a great idea. Sticks of cinnamon are considered a larger amount of cinnamon rather than powder. So, if consumed be sure to monitor, and call a vet.

What about cinnamon oil? 

Cinnamon can become very concentrated when harvested in a certain manner. This is what is called cinnamon oil or oil of cinnamon. Cinnamon oil is mostly used in flavoring drinks or cooking.

This oil is usually used in very small amounts at a time, a drop or two. If too much of this is ingested, it can become toxic to your dog.

According to the pet poison helpline, cinnamon oil can be irritating to the skin if not ingested. If you were to spill any of it on your dog, be sure to wash them immediately to prevent causing rashes or sores.

Can a dog have cinnamon mixed with honey? 

This sweet combination isn’t just for us humans. Cinnamon and honey are a great combination when treating your dog medically. All that is needed to create this miracle medicine is hot boiled water, a small bit of honey, and some cinnamon.

Honey is safe for your dog when given in small quantities. It contains lesser amounts of minerals and vitamins as well as natural sugars. The high sugar content of honey can lead to obesity in dogs if they are fed too much of it.

This combination fights/helps the following according to ultimate home life:

• flu and coughs that come with it
• cure heart disease
• heal arthritis
• soothe toothaches
• Improves digestion and solves indigestion problems
• Aids with respiratory problems
• obesity by boosting metabolic rate
• Improves immunity system

Is cinnamon in applesauce good for dogs? 

Applesauce can be a nice snack for your dog if they like the taste of apples of course. However, it is only to be given in moderation. Applesauce alone has high levels of sugars.

When adding cinnamon to it, although it provides a variety to your dog’s food, just makes the applesauce a lot sweeter. Be sure not to feed this to your dog very often. Some dogs are vulnerable to diabetes which makes this snack not to be healthy for them.

Cinnamon isn’t necessary for dogs

Dogs aren’t concerned with spicing up their food. They certainly wouldn’t worry about being out in the wild. Cinnamon is not essential to your pet’s diet.

We’ve read a bit earlier than this spice does, in fact, have some benefits to it. However, your pooch will do just fine with the regular food you provide them with.

When should your dog not consume cinnamon? 

When your dog is pregnant, it would be best if you could avoid giving her any cinnamon. If not, then please be sure NOT to give her too much of it! Cinnamon, especially too much of it, can have some weird effects on her uterus.

Any cinnamon that contains higher than usual amounts of nutmeg should NOT be fed to your pregnant dog at all. As high amounts of nutmeg can cause many serious problems for your dog’s health.

Please be sure to consult your local vet if there are any concerns as to how much cinnamon your pregnant dog has consumed.

Training your dog to eat cinnamon 

Some dogs may not be used to the taste of cinnamon or even the smell of. It may be necessary for you to start your dog off small and slow. You should start by giving your dog just a tiny amount of it on its food.

This will help them to get used to both the smell and taste of it. As you pooch gets a feel for this spice, you can gradually add more helpings of it to their diet but not too much to upset their tummy.

Cinnamon recipes for dogs

There are plenty of ways to reward your dog with a sweet treat without overdoing the sweet part. Please be sure to check all labels before purchasing anything to help you safely incorporate this amazing spice into your dog’s diet. The following are recipes of dog treats that include cinnamon.

This recipe and how to make it can be found at nutrience.com.

Apple and Cinnamon do biscuits:

Ingredients:

• 1 large apple
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/8 cup of water
• 1.5 cups of white rice flour (you can also opt for brown rice flour or buckwheat flour)
• 1 cup of oats
• Peanut butter (optional, but worth adding since peanut butter is a treat in itself!)

This 2nd recipe can be found at for the love of cooking:

Apple cinnamon oatmeal dog treats

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups quick cook oatmeal, divided
• 1 cup cinnamon applesauce
• 2 eggs, beaten

The 3rd recipe can be found if you give a blonde a kitchen:

Snickerdoodle cinnamon dog treats

Ingredients:

• 3 cups brown rice flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup water

This YouTube video for the last recipe. This is a DIY YouTube video that shows you how to make a sweet cinnamon roll treat for your hairy friend.

Many of don’t want to just read recipes dog treats but we want to see how to make them too.

This video can be a tremendous help in doing just that. If you’re aren’t sure how to do something, you can always rewind.

Conclusion

We now know that cinnamon is safe for our hairy friends to consume. Remember that although the effects aren’t fatal, this spice should be only given in moderation.

There is indeed a lot of benefits of the consumption of cinnamon so you no longer have to panic about your dog getting into your pantry and licking cinnamon off the floor.