Powdered gelatin (also recognized as ) is produced of collagen.
The method includes boiling cattle and pigs’ skins and bones. When it cools down, it creates a jiggly cake. Jell-O appears to be a dessert more suited to dogs rather than humans. But this is not the complete story. Typically, this treat is loaded with sugar and artificial substances, and these are not dog-friendly components.
So, can dogs have Jell-O?
Technically yes. But Jell-O has little to do with pups nutritional requirements. Sharing this treat with a pup can often contribute to the creation of poor eating habits. If you serve some to your dog, be very stingy. And don’t give Jell-O to your pup often.
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Is Jell-O good for dogs?
The massive issue with store-bought Jell-O goods is the components they contain. Most have sugars or synthetic sweeteners, which are not beneficial for pets. These also include some artificial colors, which is dangerous for animals as well. Some even include xylitol, a sugar replacement that is poisonous, even deadly, to animals.
Is Jell-O bad for dogs?
Jell-O is terrible for dogs. Moreover, it’s not good for humans too. Let’s have some perspective here.
Jell-O was losing its market share about a decade ago, so it’s manufacturer, Kraft decided to revamp product’s marketing and aimed their Jello advertising to individuals following the low-carb Atkins diet. So sugar-free options were all over the place. And it worked for the brand. Lots of dieters were picking up sugar-free Jell-O to fulfill their need for sweets, justifying it with “it’s a sweet cheat, and it’s just one carb!”. Now that Atkins diet is not that popular anymore Kraft has pivoted, and Jell-O became “food for fun”…
But there is nothing “fun” about the components in Jell-O. We won’t be covering it in all the details – it’s not the point of this article. However, here’s an example to prove the case.
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Some of the ingredients of Jell-O is a sugar substitute that has to be avoided at all costs called aspartame. One of the researches by the American College of Cardiology discovered a surprising 50 percent greater danger of mortality from cardiac illness in females who drank two or more aspartame-containing drinks per day.
Check out this video for some more eye-opening facts about aspartame.
So not only animals but also people have to remain out of Jell-O.
But, this doesn’t imply you need to stay free of anything produced with gelatin. In reality, gelatin in itself is very beneficial for animals. It has tons of amino acids that are good for pups coat, skin, and joints.
Can dogs eat gelatin?
Giving your dog gelatin has many health advantages. Gelatin is produced from tendons, skin, and other animal by-products, and maybe a useful component of a dog’s diet. It can help to stop arthritis’ development in canines of any age, and it is great to support brain health. The primary amino acid in gelatin is glycine, which carnivores used to eat from their prey’s tendons and skin.
If you determined to add gelatin to your pet’s nutrition, it MUST be sugar-free and fat-free (e.g. one is a good option).
And be sure to give your pup homemade gelatin treats, not commercially produced ones, loaded with chemicals, like Jell-O.
Homemade gelatin dog treat recipe
Here’s an idea on how you can add gelatin into your pup’s menu even if he or she has to be on a strict diet. For this low-calorie dog treat, called Jelly Jiggler, you’ll need a cup of water, two tablespoons of your pup’s favorite treat, crumbled and one tablespoon of gelatine.
How to prepare it:
Pour 1⁄4 cup of cold water in a dish, add 1 Tbsp gelatin and mix in 1⁄4 cup of warm water. Whisk until it’s fully dissolved. Add crumbled pup treat and pour the liquid into molds. Then cover it up and let it chill for 3-4 hours.
And after that your gelatin treat is ready. You can keep in the fridge. Eating those for up to 4 days will be okay.
Jell-O and dogs. Summary.
If you want to indulge your pet with healthy gelatin treats, the easiest way to do it is to skip the Jell-O and create your Jell-O-like meal. Keep it simple; most dogs really enjoy those homemade gelatine treats. And the best part: you know exactly what goes into them when you make it yourself, so you can be sure your dog doesn’t eat anything sketchy and potentially dangerous.
Thanks for the blog graphics: Canva.com
