Whether it is safe for dogs to eat vanilla depends on the form vanilla takes. Pods and pure vanilla are perfectly safe, although they offer minimal benefits and are prohibitively expensive for anything other than accidental feeding.
Extracts, on the other hand, use strong alcohol during the extraction process. Alcohol remains, and this means that you should never feed vanilla extract because of the high risk of alcohol poisoning. Foods containing vanilla should be judged on their own merits and according to their general content, but it is the processed desserts that most often contain this ingredient. These have dangerously high levels of sugar or, even worse, an artificial sweetener such as xylitol, which can be deadly for your dog.
Pure Vanilla
Vanilla pods are safe for dogs, while vanilla extract is not. | Image credit: Brent Hofacker, Shutterstock
Pure vanilla is expensive, and pods contain a very small amount of seasoning, although its strong flavour means that it goes a little far. Depending on the degree, quality and original source of vanilla, you may have to pay several dollars for a single pod. There are much less expensive alternatives out there.
However, although vanilla pods are expensive, they are also perfectly safe for your dog to eat. If your puppy picks up the package while you are preparing the food and eats the contents, he won’t get sick. Enough food can cause stomach pain, but your dog is unlikely to have access to a large enough amount of vanilla to suffer gastrointestinal problems.
Vanilla extract.
Some recipes, including those for natural treats for dogs, call for the use of vanilla extracts. Vanilla extract is made by softening vanilla, usually using a mixture of ethanol and water. The alcohol extraction process leads to a liquid that contains at least 35% alcohol, which can be very dangerous for dogs.
Alcohol toxicity in dogs
A dog’s liver is not designed to process alcohol, which means that even a small amount of ethanol can lead to alcohol toxicity. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhoea, dizziness and disorientation, dehydration and hypersalivation and, eventually, even loss of consciousness and seizures.
If you know that your dog has drunk alcohol, including the alcohol found in vanilla and other extracts, seek veterinary help as soon as possible. Symptoms may begin a few minutes after ingestion, but you should not wait – the damage may already be done at this point. Your veterinarian will monitor your dog’s vital signs for signs of breathing problems and other serious problems.
Treatment may include vomiting induction, especially if your dog is not yet experiencing symptoms of alcohol intoxication. More serious cases may require more serious treatment, including intubation and administration of anticonvulsant drugs.
Despite the serious risks, some owners still give goodies that contain alcohol to their dogs. Some argue that since vanilla extract is added only in small quantities, alcohol is strongly diluted and does not cause danger to dogs. But is it worth the risk? This is especially risky if you have a small or toy breed.
Non-alcoholic vanilla extract
Some forms of vanilla extract are labelled as alcohol-free extract. They tend to use vegetable glycerine instead of ethanol for the extraction process. This is a simple compound that is colourless, odourless and non-toxic. It has a sweet flavour, although it is unlikely to be transferred to the foods in which you use it, because it will be present in very small quantities.
Vegetable glycerine is perfectly safe for your dog to consume, except for any allergic reaction, and this means that vegetable glycerine-based vanilla extract is also considered safe for canine consumption.
The solution is used in commercial dog food, especially because it works as a binding agent and allows food to retain a chewable consistency.
Processed foods
Another way dogs can consume vanilla is in existing and prepared foods. It is most commonly used in sweet foods and treats, including ice cream and yoghurts. It can also be found in cakes and cookies. These foods need to be considered on their own merits and traps, and you will need to carefully check the ingredients.
Determine the type of vanilla flavour that has been added and observe the additional and supplementary ingredients.
Many sweets include sugar. Sugar is not toxic to dogs, but can quickly lead them to gain weight and even cause behavioural problems if fed regularly.
However, an ingredient worse than sugar is an artificial sweetener. One of the most common artificial sweeteners is xylitol.
Xylitol toxicity in dogs
Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs, and a small amount of this artificial ingredient is enough to cause toxicity. It can lead to dangerously low blood sugar, seizures and can even lead to liver failure and death in dogs. Xylitol is a common ingredient in foods labelled as diet, low in sugar and without sugar and, although vanilla in foods such as vanilla yoghurt may not cause any harm to your dog, xylitol certainly could.
Generally, you should avoid feeding your dog processed foods, because they contain ingredients such as artificial sweeteners and other artificial ingredients.
Vanilla health benefits for dogs
Vanilla contains many antioxidants, but is used in such small quantities in recipes that it does not really offer any benefit to humans or dogs. Although it is safe to feed your dog if it is direct from the pod or an extract made of vegetable glycerine, there is no physical benefit in feeding it.
How to give vanilla to your dog
Vanilla extract has a very strong flavour and there is very little vanilla that comes directly from the pod. As such, using pure vanilla as a condiment in a natural treat for dogs is the most common way to feed you with your furry friend.
A homemade ice cream suitable for dogs is a way to give this seasoning to your dog. Mix the natural yoghurt, peanut butter and vanilla, put it in moulds and let the mixture freeze. This frozen yoghurt treat will taste like vanilla and offer a refreshing treat that your dog will love, especially in the hot summer months, when he wants to cool off.
Is it safe to give vanilla to dogs?
In its pure form, vanilla is perfectly safe for dogs to eat, although it offers few health benefits. As an extract, you should avoid alcohol-based extracts and opt for those that use vegetable glycerine.
You can use these extracts to make any of a variety of canine treats, including frozen vanilla yoghurt. If your dog consumes extract containing alcohol or processed foods containing xylitol, you should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible to avoid serious and life-threatening consequences.