Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal? Are Oats Good For Dogs?

Oatmeal is very rich in fiber and consists of a variety of antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients. When served in moderation, oatmeal is much useful for dogs.

Mostly, it is used to bad fat in dogs and to reduce the risk of heart disease.

As it is low calorie it is the best and safe food for your dogs. Oatmeal is recommended for old dogs because they tend to irregular bowel moments, and fiber gives some relief. It serves as the best diet for overweight dogs.

Health benefits 

Some of the health benefits of oats for dogs include

• Acts as a good alternative carbohydrate for canines
• Presence of vitamin B helps your dog develop a healthy coat
• Linoleic acid in oats ensures to keep your dog’s skin healthy and strong
• Soluble fiber regulates blood glucose levels
• Dogs suffering from irregular bowel movements benefits when they eat oats
• Helps maintain immunity level healthily
• Enhances the production of Red Blood Corpuscles (RBC) 
• Ideal for overweight dogs
• Less gluten quotient
• Lowers cholesterol levels

Side-effects 

Let’s analyze some of the side-effects associated with giving oatmeal to dogs.

• Feeding your dog with foods containing a good amount of fiber can cause vomiting and diarrhea
• Never prepare oatmeals using milk. Use water as dogs are very allergic to dairy foods. They do not absorb lactose as effective and smooth as humans do.
• Serve only well-cooked oatmeal and better avoid oatmeal sprinkled over food. Raw oatmeal will make it difficult for your dog to digest.
• Say “No” to grapes, raisins, chocolate, butter, and salt. These ingredients are harmful to your dog’s health.
• Dogs are toxic to flavored oatmeal and also to ones containing “Xylitol” based sweeteners.
• Serve your dog oatmeal only at room temperature.
• Instant oatmeals are less in nutritional value. The least processed oatmeals are filled with more health benefits.
• The ideal serving part is not more than 1 tablespoon for every 20 lbs of your dog’s weight.
• Oatmeals consist of more calories and carbohydrates. Eating a large part can cause bloat, vomiting, or diarrhea, which can be dangerous. Cooked oatmeal (not more than half-a-cup), twice a week is ideal for most dogs.
• As and when you start feeding human food to your dog, start off cautiously and notice how he takes it. If your dog shows any adverse reactions, contact your vet as soon as possible.

Do not feed them too many oatmeals in one go. Once or twice a week, half-a-cup is more than enough(cooked).

Better avoid additives, salt, and sugar-filled oatmeals. When we talk about using milk, give your dog only low lactose milk.

The most authentic way to cook oatmeal is by cooking it using plain clean water. Stick mostly to brands of oatmeals.

Lack of chemicals or pesticides in natural oats makes it one of the ideal choices. Oatmeal cookies containing raisins or chocolates are dangerous to dogs. So avoid them completely.

Oats are rich in fats and proteins. Nutrients and vitamins present in oats for dogs include selenium, iron, zinc, vitamin b, vitamin e, balances amino acids, manganese, biotin, copper, phosphorus, molybdenum, folic acid, and vitamin b5, b9.

Oats are used in many commercial items. Most items use colloidal oatmeal in their products. Colloidal oatmeal means the use of finely grounded oats evenly distributed in the product.

As per reports, colloidal oatmeal promotes itch-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties.

You can try homemade soaks or the ones sold at your local pet store.

Oat Shampoos

Oatmeal shampoos are bets for pets with irritated, itchy, or dry skins. Healing herbs including lavender, chamomile, and calendula can be mixed with oat mixtures to improve healing.

Discuss with your local vet about the right kind of treatment based on her particular diagnosis

• Use water to cook oatmeal, not milk.
• Prepare oatmeal with no sugar or salt.
• Plain oatmeal is the best choice without any flavors.
• For a complete meal offer oatmeal with an egg or a small number of snacks.
• Let the oatmeal cool then serve your dogs with an oatmeal treat.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of oats
• ¼ cup of berries as they are loaded with antioxidants
• ½ cup of water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 berry linked treat and grain-free chopped pork

Preparation:

• Heat oats with water in a small pan for 3 minutes.
• Add stirred egg into oatmeal and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped treats in the oatmeal top after cooking.
• Serve it cool to your lovely pet as a treat.

Zinc in oatmeal is good for a healthy coat and skin of dogs. As it has b-sitosterol which is good for the anti-tumor compound. It is a great stimulant and emollient.

• Soak – Consider a soak for anti-inflammatory and anti-itching actions.
• Shampoos – Oatmeal shampoos are good for bathing pets which avoids irritation and itching in the skin.
• Oat Poultice –  For other skin irritation and hot spots make a slurry of oats and wrap it in the tea bag or cheesecloth and apply this in an affected area.
• Dry oat Shampoo – This shampoo helps to absorb oil from skin and coat which relieves itchiness.

How To Prepare Dry Oat Shampoo?

Dry shampoos with oat formulas can help to remove oil from the skin. It can also relieve itchiness.

• Roast some oats and wait until they turn golden brown.
• When they have reached room temperature, you should grind them. Apply this mixture on your pet’s hair.
• Leave it for 20 minutes.
• Comb or brush the hair to avoid the formation of matt.

How to prepare home-made oat soak?

• Fill a handful of dry oatmeal in a sock. Tie the sock in a bathtub. Fill the bathtub with water enough to pass through the sock.
• Let your dog soak in this oats immersed water for half-an-hour.
• When the time is up, rinse thoroughly well and dry.
• Use lukewarm water as dogs cannot handle really hot water.