Our furry friends, like us, are prone to developing a craving for sugary foods, particularly vanilla wafers and cookies. Vanilla wafers and cookies, also known as nilla wafers, have been a popular treat for humans and their pets alike ever since they were first introduced.
We hope to clear things up for anyone who is currently confused by this. Keep reading to find out if your dog can eat nilla wafers and to pick up some helpful tips and tricks along the way. Get out your pencil and notebook. Okay, let’s start swimming.
Can Dogs Eat Vanilla Wafers and Cookies?
No dog should ever eat a human-grade sugar vanilla wafer. These cookies may cause health problems if eaten frequently. Your dog might get sick from eating as little as one vanilla wafer cookie.
Ingredients in Vanilla wafers
There are a few main ingredients used to make Vanilla wafers, though each manufacturer adds their own secret sauce to the mix to give their product its own distinctive flavor.
Most commercial vanilla wafers are made with the following:
- Flour.
- Fat.
- Sugar.
- Salt.
- Bicarbonate of sodium.
- Vanilla.
- Eggs.
- To use oils that have been hydrogenated.
- Synthetic aromas and flavors.
- Often substituted for corn syrup.
- Milk, or whey.
Inspecting the Nabsico Nilla wafers’ components, we found the following:
- The flour was enriched but not bleached.
- Sugar.
- Oils derived from plants (including soybean, canola, palm, and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil).
- Whey is a by-product of cheesemaking.
- Eggs.
- Salt.
- Baking powder.
- A lot of sugar from corn.
- Mineral composed of calcium and phosphate.
- Flavoring additive or synthetic.
- Emulsifiers.
- Genuine taste.
These are the ingredients for a typical batch of homemade Vanilla wafers:
- Simple white sugar.
- Egg.
- Butter.
- Flour.
- Cream.
- Powdered soda for baking.
- Powdered baking soda.
- Salt.
- To flavor with vanilla.
Several of the aforementioned components will be explored in greater detail below.
Sugar
Even though sugar is a form of carbohydrate that will eventually break down into glucose and provide your pup with energy, it’s best to avoid giving your dog treats like Vanilla wafers or other sweets that are obviously high in sugar.
Canine health can be negatively impacted by consuming sugary foods, whether as part of a balanced diet or as a snack or treat. Overconsumption of Vanilla wafers has been linked to diabetes, digestive distress, dental problems, and even canine obesity.
Baking soda
Due to the high baking soda content, dogs who consume an excessive amount of Vanilla wafers run the risk of developing baking soda toxicity. The following signs indicate that your dog has baking soda toxicity:
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Seizures.
- Tremors.
- A difficulty in breathing.
- Lethargy.
- Disorientation.
- Depression.
Sodium bicarbonate
Vanilla wafers contain sodium bicarbonate, an ingredient that is harmful to dogs.
While exposure to low levels of sodium bicarbonate is considered safe for dogs, chronic ingestion of the chemical can be harmful.
As a result, it is recommended that you refrain from giving your canine and feline companions any food containing sodium bicarbonate. If a dog consumes too much bicarbonate, it may experience nausea, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing.
Hydrogenated oils
There are a few reasons why vanilla wafers use hydrogenated oils:
- Makes the flavor even better.
- Used to achieve a satisfyingly crisp texture in the cookies.
- Lengthen its storage time.
But the trans fat in them can raise cholesterol levels. Even though it’s not good for humans, dogs should avoid this fat even more than humans should.
Hydrogenated oils in dog food can lead to a variety of health problems, including but not limited to:
- Inflammation.
- The illness of the heart.
Corn syrup
Vanilla wafers are unhealthy for your dog because they contain corn syrup. In order to achieve that reliably sugary flavor in their Vanilla wafers, many manufacturers use corn syrup in their recipes.
Corn syrup itself is not poisonous, but the excessive amount of sugar in it is extremely harmful to your dog. Canine obesity and diabetes are linked to a diet high in corn syrup.
Fun Fact: Reese’s Pieces are another type of sugary treat that should be avoided because it can lead to dental problems, diabetes, and obesity in dogs due to its high sugar and corn syrup content.
Artificial ingredients
Many manufacturers of Vanilla wafers have long since abandoned their use of natural ingredients in favor of synthetic ones, though this varies by brand.
These man-made substances include the sweetener xylitol and other artificial flavors and colors like vanilla extract. The following can occur if they consume even trace amounts of xylitol:
- We have hypoglycemia.
- Damage to the liver.
Flour
Vanilla wafers contain flour, which may be allergenic for some dogs. Don’t give your dog Vanilla wafers if he or she has an allergy to the flour used to make them.
Though it is commonly used as a binding agent in dog food, plain flour is toxic to canines.
Fats
The high fat content of vanilla wafers may or may not be harmful to canines. However, fats are the primary calorie source.
Fats are useful for dogs that are active or used for sports because their metabolism runs better on fat.
Vanilla wafers may be delicious, but they shouldn’t be given to your dog on a regular basis because, as with humans, a lack of exercise can lead to obesity, which is why it’s not a good idea to feed your dog this flavor.
What are Vanilla wafers?
A vanilla wafer is a type of cookie that is crisp, sweet, and light. Sugar wafers is another name for them. Staten Island baker Gustav A. Mayer, a German immigrant, developed the recipe for vanilla wafers in the late 19th century.
Gustav shared his recipe for Vanilla wafers with Nabisco in 1894, and the company began mass-producing the cookie in 1898. Nilla wafers are the common name for this snack now.
How are Vanilla wafers made?
Making vanilla wafers is surprisingly simple.
For vanilla wafers, cream the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, salt, and vanilla extract together and spoon the batter into a piping bag.
With a medium pastry tip and a piping bag, pipe a uniform cookie-sized mound of batter. Baking the batter to a golden brown color is the next step.
Vanilla wafers are a popular treat in the United States and the United Kingdom, and they go well with a variety of yogurts and ice creams.
Fun Fact: Sour cream, like yogurt, is a fermented dairy product that contains beneficial bacterial cultures.
Are Vanilla wafers bad for dogs?
Vanilla wafers are indeed toxic to canines. Vanilla wafers aren’t good for dogs because of the ingredients.
As a first step, remember that dogs’ specific meals exist for a purpose. The nutrients required to keep a dog healthy and active can be found in dog food.
On the other hand, vanilla wafers are created specifically for human consumption and to sate a sweet tooth. therefore it is likely to contain ingredients that are bad for your dog’s health.
Meat, vegetables, fruits, minerals and nutrients, water, a little grain or carbohydrates, and fats are all included in a standard serving of dog food, as are a few other healthy ingredients.
Clearly, sugar, the primary component of Vanilla wafers, is not included in any of these nutrient sources.
In particular, sugar is a major health risk in Vanilla wafers. Now that we’re on the subject of sweets, let’s take a look at what goes into these crispy, sugary cookies.
Vanilla wafers and cookies can be bad for pets for a number of reasons, including the fact that they were designed for human consumption (and aren’t exactly the healthiest food choice for us, even when prepared properly).
Take a look at some of the major issues that arise when giving them to your dog:
1. They contain processed sugars
Whether you make your own nilla wafer cookies or purchase them from the store, you should be aware that these treats typically have a high concentration of processed sugar.
Dogs should not consume any processed sugar because it can lead to a wide range of avoidable health issues.
Too much exposure to vanilla wafer cookies can lead to a variety of negative health effects in canines, including tooth decay, obesity, and even diabetes.
Moreover, additional health problems like arthritis, energy loss, and depression can accompany these preventable metabolic issues.
Due to these concerns, many dog owners avoid feeding their canine companions vanilla wafer cookies in favor of more dog-friendly treats like dog biscuits.
2. They contain many calories
Unlike humans, dogs need a different number of calories per day depending on their body weight and size.
To keep their weight steady and ensure their health, most dog breeds require between 25 and 30 calories per pound, per day. This amounts to roughly the following when broken down:
- Calorie intake for a small breed dog (10 lb) is 400 per day.
- Dogs of the medium (30-pound) size should consume 900 calories per day.
- Daily caloric intake for a 50-pound medium-breed dog is 1,400.
- Daily caloric intake for a large breed (70 lb) dog is 1,700.
- Consume 2000 calories daily for a large breed dog (90 lb).
According to some estimates, a single nilla wafer has about 140 calories and 6 grams of fat.
Giving your dog a treat like a vanilla wafer cookie every now and then might not seem like a big deal, but it’s easy to see how those extra calories can quickly add up and become a problem, especially for toy and small-breed dogs, which have much lower caloric needs.
An overfed dog has a life expectancy that is roughly 30 percent shorter than it should be, so it’s crucial that you pay attention to the food your dog is receiving.
3. They contain hydrogenated oils
The following only applies to store-bought vanilla wafer cookies (such as nilla wafers) due to their high hydrogenated oil content.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, “hydrogenated oils” refers to a specific type of fat that many food manufacturers use to maintain food freshness and shelf life.
Hydrogen is added to a liquid fat (typically vegetable oil) during processing, and the resulting mixture solidifies into hydrogenated oil once it is cooled to room temperature.
Fats are often added by manufacturers to baked goods, fried foods, and packaged snacks to increase their longevity on store shelves.
Hydrogenated oils are harmful to dogs and have been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and an increased risk of cancer. If you want to keep your dog healthy, it’s best to find tasty alternatives that don’t contain hydrogenated oils. Now we’ll move on to the next part.
When shouldn’t you feed Vanilla wafers to your dog?
If your pet has diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dental disease, or is in the beginning stages of kidney or liver failure, you should not feed them Vanilla wafers. These problems would only get worse if you ate Vanilla wafers.
Do Vanilla wafers provide any nutritional benefit for your dog?
Your dog will not benefit nutritionally from eating vanilla wafers. Due to the high fat content, it is best suited for high-metabolism dogs with high energy needs.
Unfortunately, our four-legged friends shouldn’t eat these crisp vanilla-flavored cookies because they contain many ingredients that are harmful to their health.
What if my dog accidentally eats a lot of Vanilla wafers?
If your dog ingests a small amount of vanilla wafers by accident, don’t worry about it. There’s a chance your dog’s stomach will be upset or he’ll be in pain.
If your dog ate a lot of Vanilla wafers, they need close supervision. Even if your dog seems fine right after intake, you should still call your vet as soon as possible for advice.
Symptoms to watch for
Pets that ingest too many Vanilla wafers may have digestive issues.
Vanilla wafers are unhealthy for dogs and should not be fed on a regular basis. After your dog has eaten Vanilla wafers, he or she may show the following symptoms:
- Obesity.
- Hormonal Disharmony.
- Too much hunger.
- Irresistibly parched.
- Depression.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Symptoms of increased urination.
Treatments if your dog has Vanilla Wafers poisoning
If you suspect that your dog has eaten too many Vanilla wafers, you should schedule an emergency appointment with your veterinarian right away. Do not attempt self-medication for your canine. Instead, consult your vet for guidance.
Your veterinarian may recommend bringing your dog in for a full checkup. They may carry out a variety of treatments, including:
- The use of a vomiting inducer.
- I’m skipping the rest of today’s meals.
- Doggie detoxification.
All of these remedies are available for your use, whether you choose to treat your pet at home or take it to the vet. Always seek the advice of your vet before administering any home treatments, and never treat your dog without their explicit permission.
Hint: In order to keep your dog healthy, opt for more nutritious options like Brussel sprouts, pumpkin, apples, and carrots.
What can I give my dog instead?
If you’re going to start giving your dog bits of your vanilla wafer cookies, you might as well get him some treats that are actually made for dogs.
Dogs can choose from a wide variety of products designed specifically for their dietary needs. These foods are free of harmful chemicals and additives, and they typically contain many healthy, all-natural ingredients.
Why not give your dog some of the Exclusively Pet Vanilla Wafer Cookies instead of giving them cookies made especially for us?
The Exclusively Pet Vanilla Wafer Cookies are an excellent substitute for human-grade vanilla wafer cookies, and they’re made with all-natural ingredients.
They are packaged in a resealable bag to keep them fresh, and are sold in large quantities, so you won’t have to restock for a while.
These vanilla wafer cookies have a satisfying crunch and are made without the use of any animal products or by-products, so you can feel good about giving them to your lovable dog. These wafer cookies are available in a wide variety of flavors, from carob to peanut butter.
With these in hand, you can continue to indulge in your love of vanilla wafer cookies without worrying about the impact your pet’s diet is having on their health. There are no losers in this situation.
How to make dog-friendly Vanilla wafers at home?
Peanut butter, whole wheat flour, oatmeal or rolled oat, unsweetened applesauce, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, eggs, and water can all go into the homemade Vanilla wafers you give your dog.
Make your own homemade dog-friendly Vanilla wafers by following the instructions below.
Bottom Line
While it’s unlikely that giving your dog one vanilla wafer cookie here and there will cause any harm, it’s best to steer clear of them altogether. There are plenty of other treats out there that are perfectly safe for dogs to enjoy.
Related Questions
Can dogs eat Vanilla sugar wafers?
Canines shouldn’t eat vanilla sugar wafers, ever. Dogs shouldn’t eat them because of the excessive amounts of sugar they contain. Too much consumption of Vanilla sugar wafers has been linked to increased risk of tooth decay, weight gain, and even diabetes.
Can dogs eat mini Vanilla wafers?
Miniature Vanilla wafers are not safe for dogs to eat. Vanilla wafers of any size are bad for dogs because of the excessive amounts of sugar and fat they contain.
It’s best to double-check the Vanilla cookies’ ingredients before giving them to your pets. The alcohol content of vanilla extract makes some brands of vanilla cookies unsafe for our dogs to eat.
Make sure our furry friends aren’t getting too much sugar from treats like vanilla cookies.
Can dogs eat plain wafers?
Wafers made with all-natural ingredients are safe for dogs to eat, but you should still avoid giving them plain wafers.