Can Dogs Have Strawberry Jam

Strawberry jams are made from strawberries, quite alright. The strawberry fruits are okay for dogs to eat. These fruits contain nutrients that are beneficial to your dog’s health. Strawberries also contain malic acid, an enzyme that gives your dog super teeth.

The question is are strawberry jams also safe for your dog to consume? The answer is no. Although the fruits are safe and healthy for dogs, the process of making them into jams or syrups and the ingredients contained in the preparation are not the safest options for dogs.

Find out why strawberry jams are unsafe for dogs and some preferred alternatives for your dog, all in this article. Let’s go!

Can Dogs Have Strawberry Jam

Even though your dog can eat a tiny little portion of strawberry jam and get away with it at the moment, it is not advisable. We do not advise feeding your dog strawberry jam or any other jam, for no other reason than the composition of these jams.

Jams contain very high amounts of sugar, which does not give any nutritional benefit to your dog; rather, it can be detrimental to his health as it can lead to diabetes. Facts show that jams contain about 65% sugar and 35% of all the other ingredients put together.

That is a lot of sugar, don’t you think? As a matter of fact, the amount of sugar overpowers all the nutrients that are contained in the jam, coupled with the fact that as the fruits used to make the jam are heated, their nutrients ( vitamin C and others) burn off.

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Ingredients And Nutritional Value Of Strawberry Jam

We have listed the major ingredients contained in strawberry jam that make the jam unsafe for dog’s consumption. Here they are:

• High amounts of sugar
• Citric acid
• Corn syrup with high level of fructose
• Cane sugar
• Strawberries
• Fruit pectin

The nutritional value of 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam are:

• Calories – 45cal
• Carbohydrates – 11grams
• Total Sugar – 12grams

The recommended daily limit of calories intake for a dog is 25 calories per day for each pound that the dog weighs. A dog that weighs 10pounds needs to consume only 250 calories per day, of which calories contained in treats should only take up 10% of this daily recommendation.

With this analysis, 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam already exceeds this dog’s daily limit and this can lead to several health conditions.

Large-size dogs may be at any potential risk of health issues if they consume 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam but this does not change the fact that the jam provides no nutritional benefits whatsoever to dogs and they are still contained with unsafe amounts of sugar and other ingredients for dogs.

Side Effects Of Strawberry Jam On Dogs

To properly outline the adverse effects of strawberry jam on dogs, we would be discussing the side effects of each of the ingredients contained in the jam. Keep reading to find out these side effects.

Sugar

As we earlier mentioned strawberry jam is basically 65% sugar and 35% of the other ingredients put together. Excessive sugar is very unsafe for dogs as it can be detrimental to their health.

As a matter of fact, excessive sugar is not healthy for even humans. An excessive intake of sugar can cause stomach upset, inflammation, diabetes and obesity.

Citric Acid

Dogs naturally are not the biggest fans of citric acid because its taste is not quite appealing to their taste buds. However, if you happen to have a dog that doesn’t mind the taste, it is okay to give them only small amount of the citrus fruits as a treat from time to time.

You must also ensure that the citrus fruits are kept away from the reach of your dog so that they do not consume more than they should. Due to the level of acidity, consuming excessive citric acid can result in vomiting, stomach upset, general weakness, diarrhea and depression.

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Cane Sugar And Corn syrup With High Fructose

The cane sugar and corn syrup with high amount of fructose are very dangerous for your dog when consumed in large quantities. Strawberries already have natural sweetness.

Adding cane sugar, corn syrup with high fructose and sugar can cause damage to your dog’s health as this triples the already high sugar level. Feeding your dog food containing this sugar content puts your dog at a risk of diabetes and obesity.

Fruit Pectin

Due to soluble fibrous content, pectin might seem fine to feed your dog with but it can also be harmful when taken in large quantities.

Consuming fruit pectin in large quantities can cause pectin toxicity, which may result in some health conditions in your dog like labored breathing, diarrhea, stomach upset, accumulation of fluid in your dog’s chest and gassiness.

Dog-friendly Alternatives For Strawberry Jam

Strawberry jam can be used more creatively than just as spread for bread. Some other things you can use strawberry jam for are:

In plain yogurts, as pancake toppings, in vanilla wafers and cheese cakes, as waffle toppings, and so on.

If you really want to give your dog some strawberry jam, you can go ahead and prepare a homemade strawberry jam for him or mash up some fresh strawberry fruits and a couple of other fruits together to give him a fruity syrup.

Some fruits that are dog-friendly and can provide your dog with the right nutrients are apples, pears, blueberries, pumpkins, bananas and peaches.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Jam Poisonous To Dogs?

Jams are not poisonous. They are only unsafe for dogs due to their high sugar contents and some other ingredients that are contained in them, which can lead to several health conditions in dogs with time.

Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter And Strawberry Jam?

Peanut butter is safe for dogs to eat as long as Xylitol sweetener is not contained in it. Strawberry jam on the other hand are very unsafe for your dog. So even though the peanut butter is safe, the strawberry jam makes this combination unhealthy for your dog and so you should avoid feeding it to him.

Are Strawberry Preserves Good For Dogs?

The simple answer to this question in a big NO! Canned or Preserved strawberry jams are not in any way healthy for your dog. Completely avoid feeding your dog any strawberry preserves.

Conclusively

As we have already established in this article, strawberry jams are unhealthy for dogs and so we strongly advise against feeding your dog any strawberry jam at all. If you must give your dog some strawberry jam, ensure it is homemade.

That way, you can be sure that it does not contain the preservative, pectin and excess sugar that makes it unsafe for dogs consumption. Prepare it plainly without any additives as the fruit itself already contains natural sweetness. Even this should be given in moderation.

If you are just introducing this fruit or any other fruit you are mixing the strawberry with for the first time, make sure you consult your vet doctor before feeding it to your dog to be sure that they are safe for your dog’s consumption as many strawberries have been found to contain residues of pesticides, even after they have been washed.

This why they are considered to be pesticide-laden fruits on most health sites.