Pancake Day can be a fantastic excuse to indulge in a tasty treat! But if your dog or cat is greedily eying up your neatly arranged Shrove Tuesday extravaganza, it can sometimes be hard to deny them a bite to eat. Is it safe for pets to eat pancakes, or is it something you should avoid giving them? Here’s what you need to know!
Can dogs eat pancakes?
The simple answer is yes, dogs can eat pancakes! Unless your canine friend has a dairy intolerance or an allergy, there shouldn’t be anything in pancake batter to cause them any harm. Remember, however, that pancakes are high in both carbohydrates and fat, so should only be fed to dogs in small amounts and as an occasional treat. Otherwise you could find your dog putting on weight*, or suffering from some serious indigestion.
Suitable pancake toppings for dogs
While the basic batter might be safe for dogs, remember to pay close attention to what you’re adding to it. Pancake toppings such as chocolate, raisins, maple syrup and nuts can be dangerous for pups of all ages. Here at The Insurance Emporium, our data** for food-related poisoning (including chocolate & raisins) revealed claims were up 22% YoY during the 2023 festive period.
If you want to jazz your pet’s pancake up a little, extras such as banana, blueberries, peanut butter or dog biscuits could be more suitable!
Can cats eat pancakes?
Although cats have a reputation for enjoying milk, many are actually lactose intolerant. This means that the dairy in pancake batter could confuse their digestive system. If you want to feed your cat pancakes, it might be best to try making them to a vegan recipe that they’ll find easier to stomach. As with dogs, you shouldn’t be feeding your feline pancakes all the time, even if they are vegan, as they’ll be of little nutritional value, but some every now and then shouldn’t hurt. Although, cats are known to be fussy eaters, so whether your moggy will even like pancakes is a different question!
Suitable pancake toppings for cats
As with dogs, chocolate, raisins, syrup and nuts should all be avoided when feeding your cat, as they can all be toxic to our feline friends. Certain fruits can be suitable for your cat to eat, such as apples, bananas, blueberries and watermelon. Try giving them a small amount of these in advance, however, just to make sure they actually like it, and if they don’t maybe keep it plain.
If you want to get your pet involved in the Pancake Day fun this year, we hope we’ve given you some useful advice as to how to go about it! The most important thing is to remember that pancakes are treats, and your pets should only eat a small amount. As a pet owner, you’ll want to do all you can to keep your furry friend healthy and happy, so it could be a good idea to consider taking out pet insurance to help protect them against the unexpected. At The Insurance Emporium, we offer a range of Dog Insurance and Cat Insurance policies with cover for Vet’s Fees up to £8,000^. You could also get up to 30% discountᵻ. Head to our product pages to see if we have the perfect policy for you and your pet!
* The Insurance Emporium Pet Insurance will not cover any costs resulting from your pet being overweight.
**Data provided is from The Insurance Emporium’s internal data using paid claims ranging from 01.11.22 – 31.01.23 versus paid claims ranging from 01.11.23 – 31.01.24.
^ Cover for Vet’s Fees up to £8,000 available on lunar monthly Lifetime Gold policies only.
ᵻ The 30% discount is made up of 20% Introductory Discount plus 10% Multi-pet Discount (if appropriate). The Introductory Discount is available for the first 12 premium payments on lunar and calendar monthly policies or one premium payment on annual policies.
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