{"id":190460,"date":"2025-02-21T14:37:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T14:37:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/?p=190460"},"modified":"2025-02-21T14:38:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T14:38:19","slug":"can-dogs-have-cinnamon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/can-dogs-have-cinnamon\/","title":{"rendered":"Can dogs have cinnamon?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Few people can resist their dog&rsquo;s &mdash; actual &mdash; puppy dog eyes that appear like clockwork when as much as a cracker makes its way out of the box. However, there are some foods &mdash; and ingredients <em>in<\/em> foods &mdash; that are cause for concern when it comes to Fido.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Most pet owners know they should avoid giving chocolate and onions to their pups, but there are other foods and spices, such as cinnamon, that present as a bit of a gray area. &ldquo;Cinnamon itself isn&rsquo;t necessarily a problem for dogs,&rdquo; says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellnesspetfood.com\/blog\/get-to-know-wellness-natural-pet-food-veterinarian-dr-danielle-bernal\/\">Dr. Danielle Bernal<\/a>, global veterinarian with Wellness Pet Food. &ldquo;However, the total amount and form can make it a health concern.&rdquo;<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><p>Wondering if your dog can have cinnamon, and if so, how much? Experts answer these questions and more.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>&ldquo;Cinnamon itself isn&rsquo;t necessarily a problem for dogs. However, the total amount and form can make it a health concern.&rdquo;<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><cite>&mdash; Dr. Danielle Bernal, veterinarian<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-dogs-eat-cinnamon\">Can dogs eat cinnamon?<\/h2><p>Yes, dogs can eat cinnamon, but in small amounts. The cinnamon found in most spice racks is non-toxic to dogs according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/animal-poison-control\/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants\/cinnamon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ASPCA<\/a>, nor will it cause any adverse reactions according to Dr. Bernal. However, she adds, this is &ldquo;only when given in very small doses&rdquo; (more on this shortly) and only when it&rsquo;s in dried, spice form.<\/p><p>&ldquo;Cinnamon essential oil can be toxic for pups,&rdquo; Bernal explains. &ldquo;Due to its high concentration, even a small amount of cinnamon essential oil can cause health issues. It is not recommended to ever give a dog cinnamon essential oil.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p><p>Additionally, she notes, avoid giving dogs cinnamon sticks, as they can be choking hazards.&nbsp;<\/p><p><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-care-com-resources wp-block-embed-care-com-resources\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"2cxUbpjgwa\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/my-dog-ate-chocolate-but-seems-ok-what-do-i\/\">My dog ate chocolate &mdash; now what do I do?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&ldquo;My dog ate chocolate &mdash; now what do I do?&rdquo; &mdash; Care.com Resources\" src=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/my-dog-ate-chocolate-but-seems-ok-what-do-i\/embed\/#?secret=NAWxQwpEa8#?secret=2cxUbpjgwa\" data-secret=\"2cxUbpjgwa\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-cinnamon-bad-for-dogs\">Is cinnamon bad for dogs?<\/h2><p>If your dog eats a small amount of cinnamon, don&rsquo;t panic. &ldquo;Nothing should happen,&rdquo; says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.veterinarians.org\/author\/dwight-andrew\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Dwight Alleyne<\/a>, a veterinarian with Veterinarians.org. That being said, if your pup consumes a large amount of the spice, &ldquo;it could cause gastrointestinal issues, and in rare cases, liver damage,&rdquo; he adds. <\/p><p>If you&rsquo;re ever concerned about what your dog has ingested, call your veterinarian right away.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-much-cinnamon-is-safe-for-dogs\">How much cinnamon is safe for dogs?<\/h2><p>So long as your dog&rsquo;s cinnamon consumption is kept to a minimum (think: a sprinkle!), letting them enjoy the spice isn&rsquo;t an issue. &ldquo;Generally, an adult dog should not get more than one teaspoon of cinnamon in their food in order to avoid any issues with the spice,&rdquo; Alleyne explains.<\/p><p>Bernal notes that giving dogs more than a teaspoon of cinnamon &ldquo;should always be avoided,&rdquo; as it can cause them to potentially suffer the following:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Lowered blood sugar.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/liver-disease-in-dogs-the-signs-symptoms-an\/\">Liver disease<\/a>.<\/li><li>Vomiting.<\/li><li>Diarrhea.<\/li><li>Changes in heart rate.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-are-there-possible-health-benefits-of-cinnamon-for-dogs\">Are there possible health benefits of cinnamon for dogs?<\/h2><p>While large amounts of cinnamon may cause adverse effects in dogs, the reverse is also true.&nbsp;<\/p><p>&ldquo;In small amounts per serving or when included in a recipe, as an occasional treat, cinnamon is safe and may even offer health benefits,&rdquo; notes Bernal. &ldquo;Not only does it contain antioxidants and anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, it may promote heart health and help regulate blood sugar.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-i-sprinkle-cinnamon-on-my-dog-s-food\">Can I sprinkle cinnamon on my dog&rsquo;s food?<\/h2><p>If you want to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/homemade-dog-treat-recipes\/\">treat your pup<\/a> to a little spice &mdash; especially during the colder months so they can partake in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/11-christmas-dog-treat-recipes\/\">festivities<\/a> &mdash; go ahead. Just don&rsquo;t go overboard.&nbsp;<\/p><p>&ldquo;Small amounts of cinnamon are OK to be sprinkled onto food,&rdquo; says Bernal. &ldquo;Try to not exceed one quarter of a teaspoon of cinnamon powder sprinkled over food every now and then.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>&ldquo;Try to not exceed one quarter of a teaspoon of cinnamon powder sprinkled over food every now and then.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p><cite>&mdash; Dr. Danielle Bernal, veterinarian<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-bottom-line-on-whether-dogs-can-eat-cinnamon\">The bottom line on whether dogs can eat cinnamon<\/h2><p>Cinnamon, so long as it&rsquo;s used sparingly, is OK for dogs &mdash; in fact, it can even come with heart and blood sugar benefits. If you want to incorporate cinnamon into your pup&rsquo;s diet, sprinkle one-quarter of a teaspoon or less into their food once in a while. More than that, Bernal notes, may cause issues such as upset stomachs and irritation.&nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is cinnamon bad for dogs? So long as it\u2019s the right quantity, and the right form, experts say it\u2019s generally OK to give it to your pup. Yum!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1273,"featured_media":190463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"enable_toc":false,"care_reviewed_by":0,"care_post_updated_flag":false,"care_updated_date":"2025-02-21T14:37:43.752Z","last_update":"2025-02-21","view_count":633,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"member-type":[4],"vertical":[7,21],"platform":[2],"class_list":["post-190460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","member-type-all","vertical-pets","vertical-pet-health-safety","platform-resources"],"acf":[],"created":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1273"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190460"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213323,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190460\/revisions\/213323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190460"},{"taxonomy":"member-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/member-type?post=190460"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=190460"},{"taxonomy":"platform","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/platform?post=190460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}