My Fiance loves Rice Cakes. She tops them with healthy ingredients and snacks on them occasionally. Rice cakes are delicious, crunchy low-Cal treats to snack on in-between meals. But many dogs owners wonder if it is safe to share rice cakes with their beloved dog?
Can Dogs Eat Rice Cakes?
In short, yes dogs can eat rice cakes. Rice cakes are fine to share with your dog in small amounts just make sure they are plain and not flavored rice cakes. Some of the flavored rice cakes are Not ok for y0ur dog to eat.
It shouldn’t be surprising for you to know that the same Rice you find in Rice cakes is the main ingredient in most dog foods. Many dog food companies incorporate rice to add more nutritional bulk to their dog foods.
Are Rice Cakes Healthy For Dogs?
Just because you CAN give plain rice cakes to your French Bulldog doesn’t mean you should on a regular basis. I would recommend using a small piece of a rice cake as the occasional food treat and not something you do every day.
Rice cakes are a processed food and I am not a fan of giving too many processed foods to your dog. Especially if your French Bulldog has any kind of food allergies you definitely shouldn’t be giving them Rice cakes.
What To Watch Out For If You Want To Give Your Dog Rice Cakes
As a responsible human and dog owner, you should become a master of reading nutritional labels on food. Different brands of rice cakes from different manufacturers might possibly include sugar, preservatives, salt and even added flavors. These are Not good for your dog and should be avoided completed.
My Fiance gets these chocolate flavored rice cakes and those are the perfect example of what NOT to give to your dog. The added flavors are not good for your French Bulldog and shouldn’t be shared with your pup.
Some Reasons You Shouldn’t Give Rice Cakes To Your Dog
Many people think that rice cakes are “healthy” but in reality they are pretty empty in nutritional value so if you do give them to your dog, do so sparingly.
Here are some of the reasons you shouldn’t give rice cakes to your doggo:
1. Rice Cakes Have a High Glycemic Index
Rice cakes are primarily made of very refined white rice. As a result, rice cakes will have a pretty high glycemic index. This means when you or your dog eats it it will spike blood sugar pretty quickly (as compared to lower glycemic index foods which slowly release blood sugar).
If your dog is carrying an extra bodyweight I would definitely avoid giving a high glycemic food like rice cakes to them. It won’t help their weight situation, can further their insulin resistance issues, and lead to other weight-related medical issues.
There are versions or rice cakes that are made with brown rice over white rice which can help lower the glycemic blood sugar spike so you may want to look into those.
2. Rice Cakes Don’t Carry Much For Nutrient Value
Like most ‘Refined foods’, Rice cakes don’t carry much at all for nutritional value. They are made primarily from refined white rice. When rice cakes are created the processing removes the rice husk, the bran, and the germ. This means that the processed rice cake has very little protein, nutrients and fiber.
A simple check of the Nutritional Label on a package of rice cakes will reveal there isn’t much to them. There is no fiber, not fat, a minuscule amount of vitamins, a couple grams of protein and some carbs. The nutritional content of a rice cake isn’t much to write home about so if you are going to give them to your dog do so sparingly.
3. Unhealthy Rice Cake Ingredients
As I mentioned above, there are some less than desirable ingredients that can be found in some brands of rice cakes. Some brands or rice cakes have added sugar content, added salt (sodium), and different artificial flavors that can be toxic ingredients to your doggo.
***Definitely DON’T give your dog flavored rice cakes.
Before You Give Your Dog a Piece of Your Rice Cake – Consider This…
My French Bulldog Augie is no dummy. When he sees me sitting down for a meal or snack, he runs right over, puts on his best begging face, and positions himself in my eyesight in hopes that he can get a small piece of whatever I am eating. If you do decide to share a small piece of your rice cake with your dog, be sure to fully understand these considerations:
- The ’empty’ calories in rice cakes — it should be no surprise that the main ingredient of rice cakes is , well, Rice. Rice in and of itself isn’t a “bad” food but after it is refined, protein removed, fiber removed it is primarily empty calories with little to no nutritional value. The bottom line is that rice cakes should be fed to your dog in small amounts and infrequently. You don’t want to create health problems for your French Bulldog and the last thing you want is for your dog to be diabetic.
- Plain rice cakes ONLY (don’t give them flavored rice cakes) – Only give your dog plain varieties of rice cakes that are free from salts, flavors, or added sauces. Flavors with added sugar and sauces may not only be toxic to your dog but may also make your dog gain unhealthy weight, especially if consumed in large quantities. Avoid rice cakes with even a hint of garlic or onion as both are extremely toxic to dogs.
- Be aware of the Sugar Spike – As I mentioned above, the processed rice in rice cakes is high on the glycemic index. This can cause a pretty significant spike in your beloved dog’s blood sugar levels. If your dog is overweight or dealing with blood sugar issues then skip this as an occasional treat.
- Small bites only – IF you decided to give your Frenchie a piece of your rice cake then do so sparingly and only give them small pieces. Just take the rice cake and bust it up into tiny pieces and give your dog a very tiny piece. The last thing you want for your dog is for them to choke on the rice cake piece you give them so break it into a tiny piece. Small dog breeds like a French Bulldog should only ever get tiny pieces and not big chunks so they don’t eagerly gobble it down and choke on a bigger piece.
- Avoid if your dog is food sensitive or has food allergies – My French Bulldog Augie has food allergies that affect his skin and fur coat. He has a sensitive stomach and food allergies verified by testing by my Vet. If your dog has food allergies, then just skip rice cakes completely as a potential treat.
Final Thoughts – Can Dogs Eat Rice Cakes?
Technically speaking, Yes, dogs can eat rice cakes as a treat but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. While giving your dogs rice cakes is ok, there are drawbacks you need to be aware of. If you do decide to give them rice cakes do so sparingly and only give them plain rice cakes.
PS – If you want some better food items to give your dog check this out.
PPS – Many people wonder if Cheese is an ok treat for your French Bulldog. Find out if cheese is ok for Frenchies.
