Americans love their waffles! It’s not unusual for people to eat waffles topped with syrup, strawberries, butter, and whipped cream on the weekends. Your Pug is likely to start begging when they get a whiff of the sweet aroma. But can Pugs eat waffles safely?
Can Pugs Eat Waffles?
While waffles are not toxic to dogs, contain high amounts of sodium, and sugar that can upset your dog’s stomach. This breakfast food contains empty calories that don’t provide any nutritional value to your four-legged friend.
What do Pugs like to eat? These dogs will eat pretty much anything, but it doesn’t mean that all human food is good for them. As a pet owner, it’s your job to know what foods are safe and which ones should be avoided.
So what exactly are empty calories and what are waffles made of that makes them bad for dogs and not so good for humans? Well, let’s take a closer look at this popular breakfast food for both kids and adults.
Where Did Waffles Come From?
Waffles were started in ancient Greece. The first waffles were called Obelios and consisted of two flat cakes that were cooked between two metal plates that were held together with a long wooden handle.
Obelios were made using water, and grain flour. They were usually served after a religious ceremony because they were considered religious icons.
In the early 18th century, Robert Smith published an influential cookbook, Court Cookery” that called for using more butter with waffles.
It wasn’t until the Dutch introduced waffles to America that they started pairing it with syrup, which was more widely available than granulated sugar.
How Waffles Are Made?
Waffles are made from milk, eggs, flour, sugar, vegetable oil, and baking powder. Most of these ingredients are safe for dogs. The milk can cause your pooch to become ill, especially, if they are lactose intolerant.
Giving your Pug too much sugar can cause your dog to become overweight, lead to diabetes, and cause tooth decay.
Are There Any Benefits To Feeding Waffles To Pugs?
No, waffles are considered an “empty calorie” food, meaning that it contains little or no essential vitamins and minerals. It’s very likely your dog will enjoy eating them, but waffles will only cause your dog to gain weight.
Nutritional Facts
One Kellogg’s® Eggo® Homesyle Waffle consists of:
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 4 grams
- Saturated Fat: 1.5mg
- Sodium: 350mg
- Calcium: 260mg
- Potassium: 50mg
- Carbohydrates: 30 grams
Are Waffles Safe For Pugs?
While waffles are not necessarily toxic to dogs, the toppings such as whipped cream, syrup, butter, and chocolate can cause your pooch to become sick.
If you do decide to give your pooch a taste, give them a very small taste of a plain waffle without any toppings. You should also avoid giving them waffles everyday or every weekend.
Toppings That Are Toxic To Your Pug
As mentioned, it’s the toppings that can be poisonous to your dog and the following toppings should be avoided at all costs.
Chocolate
Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine and caffeine, which are both toxic to dogs. Even a small bite can be dangerous and you should avoid giving your Pug chocolate of any kind.
Avoid giving your dog waffles that have Nutella, chopped candy bars, chocolate chips, or any other form of chocolate topping. Nutella is not good for Pugs, because it contains cocoa.
Avocado
Avocados contain a chemical called persin which can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Make sure you why Pugs shouldn’t eat avocados and what to do if they do.
Garlic
Garlic contains a chemical called thiosulfate, which is very toxic to dogs. If eaten, it can cause damage to the red blood cells resulting in hemolytic anemia. Avoid feeding your dog waffles topped with roasted garlic, garlic aioli, raw garlic, or onions.
Grapes & Raisins
Both grapes and raisins are highly toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, no one really knows what causes the toxicity, but both can cause kidney failure in dogs.
Never give your Pug any waffles that have been topped by grapes or raisins.
Can Pugs Eat Eggo Waffles?
No, according to the US. Department of Agriculture and their food database, 100g of a Homestyle waffle contains 6.1g of protein, 39.1g carbohydrates, 509mg of sodium, and 8.7 fat.
This food will not provide any substance for your pooch and they will likely be hungry 30 minutes after eating waffles.
It’s your pet and you should train them to eat the right foods. Yes, your Pug will gladly eat any flavor Eggo from cinnamon, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, buttermilk, homestyle, vanilla bliss, apple cinnamon, and buttermilk, but it doesn’t mean that it’s good for them.
Can Pugs Eat Waffles With Syrup?
No, syrup contains high amounts of sugar that is bad for your pooch. Even if your Pug has a sweet tooth, you should avoid giving them too much sugary foods.
Maple sugar has less sugar content, but should be avoided as well.
Are Homemade Waffles Better For Pugs?
When you compare the calories in store bought and homemade waffles, store bought wins that battle.
However, store-bought waffles contain additives and preservatives that can be harmful to your pooch. So avoid feeding your dog frozen waffles.
Homemade waffles will contain more calories, and can be made with ingredients that are safe for your pooch.
While homemade waffles are safer for your pet, they usually contain more calories for your pooch. If your Pug loves waffles, consider cooking some dog-friendly waffles.
Peanut Butter Banana Dog Waffles
Your dog will love these waffles and the best part is they are great friendly dog treats.
So, here’s the recipe!
You’ll need:
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter. (list of dog friendly peanut butters)
- 1 cup oatmeal
- A ripe banana
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Coat your waffle iron with coconut oil to prevent the batter from sticking. Once the batter is mixed properly, about 2 Tbsp into the center of the waffle iron and close the lid.
Cook until the waffle is golden brown, and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. Cut into small bite size pieces before feeding it to your furry friend.
Chicken Dog Waffle Treats
These make a great alternative if your dog prefers the taste of chicken.
They are loaded with protein, and you can modify them to suit your dog’s taste buds.
Follow the recipe below.
- 1 1/3 lactose free milk
- 1 large egg
- One cup shredded cooked chicken
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- Some oil (you can also use melted butter)
Mix all the ingredients together (except the chicken) into a bowl until it is moist, but not too runny. Now, add the chicken and stir really well.
Spray the waffle iron with Pam or another cooking spray to prevent sticking. Pour a small amount in the waffle iron and let it cook until it reaches a nice golden brown color.
Remove it and let it cool before cutting and feeding to your pooch.
Alternatives To Waffles For Pugs
It’s not uncommon for people to share their human breakfast with their four-legged friend. If you’re the type of person who shares all your food with your Pug, consider giving them some of these other human breakfast meals that are healthier options.
- Eggs
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Sweet Potatoes
Final Word On Feeding Pugs Waffles
If you’ve fed your dog waffles in the past and nothing happened, it doesn’t mean you should keep feeding it to them. There are a lot healthier options for your pooch that won’t cause long term effects.
Always opt for giving your dog safe human foods, dog food and treats.
When deciding which foods to share with your dog, make sure you do your due diligence and check out our comprehensive list of things Pugs can and cannot eat. And the next time your dog begs for a taste of your waffle, tell her “leggo my Eggo.”