Are chopped licorice root for dogs a good idea? Or are there better alternatives? Here’s what we know about licorice for dogs.
Many dog owners give their pets some kind of licorice in their form of a treat. While it may seem like an innocent choice, can it hurt your dog? Let’s talk about this licorice and its effects on your dog.
Is Licorice Root Safe for My Dogs?
Licorice and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly. After all, dogs love licorice so much they won’t even remember the brand they are given. And since licorice is often accompanied by other kinds of treats like peanuts, chocolate, and chips, it’s not difficult to see how dogs will eat a whole lot of licorice and end up with empty stomach problems.
If you really want to avoid this type of problem, you need to feed your dog something else. Licorice is only good if it is consumed in its raw form. You can give your dog ground licorice root or chopped licorice root but the chances of him ingesting any parts of the licorice are slim.
How to give your dog licorice root?
So, what can you do to make sure your dog’s digestive system doesn’t get blocked? There are some alternative products available such as licorice root for dogs that contain very little traces of the actual licorice, so dogs are just as likely to eat them. The only difference is that these are quite different from the real thing.
Some dog owners who feed their dog’s dried licorice root may find it useful to mix a bit of it into the food themselves. The same is true for bark collars. You should be careful though when introducing a part of your dog’s diet to a dish with powdered ingredients. What you put in there can affect your dog’s health, so you want to use caution when mixing the licorice with the bark collar.
Dogs’ systems don’t work as ours do. And while it is true that licorice can help dogs get along, it can also be a cause of digestive upsets, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and intestinal blockage.
That means that the problems caused by consuming licorice can extend right up to the dog’s stomach. If you really want to avoid the harmful effects of licorice, it’s a good idea to avoid giving your dog some of it in his form of a treat. Check your dog’s food first and be sure to check the ingredients list.
Benefits of licorice root for dogs
Licorice is a kind of candy that has sugar in it. There are many types of licorice, but they all taste the same. You may see “licorice” written as “chocolate licorice“, “licorice” in articles, and even read it in your local pet store, but “licorice” is really just “sugar”.
So if your dog’s chew on licorice treats and the sweet taste doesn’t go away after a while, the next thing you will probably notice is a headache and diarrhea. It’s time to stop feeding them the treats and go on a herbal and natural detox diet.
The first step is to get your dog’s food thoroughly analyzed to find out what he actually eats and what he doesn’t. If the food contains any unpronounceable ingredients, it may be necessary to switch your dog’s diet over to a raw diet. Or at least stop giving him any of the treats containing those ingredients.
Dogs are very easy to please, but that doesn’t mean you have to give them everything they want. Keep in mind the benefits and drawbacks of licorice, and your dog will be a better, happier pet for it.
