Is there anything more delicious than eating ginger snaps with either a latte or a cup of tea? What better way to spend the day than with a packet of ginger snaps in one hand and stroking your dog with the other?
However, you might be tempted to reach over and share the sweets with your pooch? The question is: should you?
Well, in short, the answer is: yes, you can… but only in small amounts. Ginger in isolation is great for dogs to eat and most veterinarians might certainly welcome it as an addition to your dog’s diet, as it comes with plenty of nutrition and antioxidants, which will stop your dog from getting ill.
But ginger snaps are a whole different thing. There is a lot of sugar added to a ginger snap and, if left unchecked and fed over a long period of time, you could feed your dog enough of these biscuits to see them double in size, causing them mobility issues and sugar-related illnesses like diabetes.
So how many ginger snaps should you feed your dog exactly? If your dog has accidentally grabbed one from the counter, should you rush them to the hospital?
How can you make a great ginger snap recipe for you and your dog? What other tips are there for counterbalancing the negative aspects of ginger snaps?
Well, if you need to solve the equation of your dog and your ginger snap, then you should keep reading this article. We will look at how this treat affects your dog’s diet and whether or not you should be feeding them too many sweet things. We’ll also discuss the best type of dog and age range for ginger snaps.
Is It Okay To Feed My Dog Ginger Snaps?
To put it bluntly, yes, it is okay to feed your animal ginger snaps. But there are some caveats that you need to be aware of…
Firstly, you should be aware of the fact that there is a higher level of sugar in a gingersnap than in regular ginger, however, there is not as much sugar in one of these biscuits as there is in some others.
So you will be able to feed a dog a higher level of ginger snaps than other biscuits, although you should still limit the amount of sugar in your dog’s diet.
We would recommend that you simply save this ginger snap as a treat for after your dog’s meal, but do not commit to it more than once a week. If you start feeding your dog snacks then it might come to expect them after every meal. It might also affect the dog’s appetite for its dinner.
When it comes to dog breeds, you should feed ginger snaps to larger and more energetic dogs. Smaller dogs tend to pile on the weight a lot easier, so you really should minimize the sweet treats that you’ll be feeding it.
We would also avoid feeding your ginger snaps to elderly dogs, as they have a lot slower metabolism than younger dogs. Also, if an older dog develops diabetes, then you can be sure of shaving off a few years from its lifespan.
What Benefits Do Ginger Snaps Have For Your Dog?
Ginger snaps do have trace amounts of ginger and so they can contribute the same health benefits as real ginger. However, this will only be a very small amount and if you do want a lot of the health properties of ginger, we recommend chopping up a fresh root and mixing it in with your dog’s regular food.
A gingersnap might be a good treat to encourage your dog to behave. This rewarding of good behavior is a really good method of getting your dog to listen to its owner. However, this should only be employed as a short-term strategy, as once again, this can lead to health problems if your dog becomes dependent on it.
This really only benefits your dog’s mental well-being, as it will lift the animal’s spirits, especially after it has suffered from an injury or has undergone some surgery at the vets. We would also recommend this for young pups who can burn off the calories a lot quicker than an older dog.
Now that we’ve discussed some of the positives and negatives for your dog, let’s move onto a recipe that is guaranteed to get both you and your dog foaming at the mouth for a ginger-flavored treat.
Great Ginger Snap Recipe For Dogs
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Whole wheat flour – 4 cups.
- Ginger (freshly shredded) – 1/4 cup.
- Cinnamon – 2 teaspoons.
- Honey – 1 tablespoon.
- Molasses – 1 cup.
- Olive oil – 1/4 cup.
- Water – 1 cup.
Gather together some of these recipes and then move on to the main event, that is, the recipe itself.
- Preheat your oven to around 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the flour, honey, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Then stir all the ingredients together vigorously.
- Once they are properly mixed, add in the olive oil, molasses and water.
- Knead all these ingredients until they make a thick dough.
- Once this has been done, you can roll it out onto a floured surface into a square that is around 1.5 inches thick.
- Use a cookie cutter to separate the individual biscuits.
- Bake the snaps for around 20 – 25 minutes. After this, leave them on the counter to cool down.
Once the ginger snaps are fully cooled down, you can then put them in a Tupperware container and place them in the fridge. You can even put them in the freezer if you are thinking of keeping them for a few months.