Honey For Dogs

Bees are one of nature's little miracles. Everything from their little stings to the honey they produce have been praised for their human health benefits. Currently, experts are finding that honey may also help your dog's health. Over these next few weeks, I will talk about a few of the products honeybees create and how they can be used to enhance your dog's health. This week, I am going to talk about the most obvious product- honey.

In this post, when I talk about honey, I am referring to raw honey. Raw honey is not heated, pasteurized or processed which can destroy the nutrients.... and nature has packed A LOT of nutrients into this syrup...

Isn't that amazing? Honey contains glucose and fructose which are simple sugars (monosaccharides) and are more easily absorbed than disaccharides and polysaccharides which are found in table sugar and starchy vegetables. Honey also contains live enzymes, such as amylase. Amylase facilitates proper digestion of carbohydrates. The daily dosage you should give your dog, varies by who you talk to or what you read. But, I found the average to be about 1 Tablespoon/ day for large dogs and 1 teaspoon/ day for small. Large consumption of honey could lead to diarrhea and obesity. If your dog is diabetic, you would want to check with your vet before supplementing with honey.

Honey is used for a variety of health concerns or to upkeep general health.  The live enzymes found in it are antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic and antifungal. It is used as an internal supplement as well as a topical:

And respiratory problems!!

I forgot to add to the list that it can also be used to help treat respiratory problems! It should be noted-- and this is very important!-- that raw honey should NOT be given to puppies or other baby animals. Because it is raw and unfiltered, it could contain botulism spores. Puppies do not have a developed immune system like adult dogs, so these botulism spores could become potentially dangerous for a young pup. As always, please do your own research when wanting to supplement your dog and consult a vet! Knowledge is power!!

REFERENCES

Bee Products Have a Special Meaning for Dogs, The Whole Dog Journal: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_9/features/Bee-Honey-Products-Help-Canines_15967-1.html

The Benefits of Raw Honey, K9 Instinct: http://www.k9instinct.com/blog/the-health-benefits-of-raw-honey-for-dogs-environmental-allergies-in-dogs

Raw Honey: A Sweet Food For the Health of your Pet,  Dr. Jean Dodd's Pet Health Resource Blog: http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/58633442872/raw-honey-pets#.VSlguZNRKRI