Can Dogs Taste Almond Butter?

Dogs love peanut butter. Most dogs will go absolutely crazing to get in a few licks of this nutty and buttery spread and peanut buttery treats. In the past few years, different types of nut butter have become very popular. Almond butter is among one of the trendier nut butters we have seen stocking the grocery aisle shelves. 

Since dogs can have peanut butter without any issues, you may be wondering if the same goes for yummy almond butter. Almonds are non-toxic to dogs, so your pup can enjoy the creamy treat, in moderation of course, without any serious issues!

Almonds contain a ton of healthy vitamins, minerals, and very healthy fats that provide your dog's body with wonderful nutrition. Some dogs may really enjoy the flavor of almond butter, but some dogs will not like it as much as they like good, old-fashioned peanut butter. Some dogs can be picky about what they like to eat, so it will depend on whether your pup likes the flavor and texture or not. 

If you'd like to give your dog almond butter as an occasional treat, one of the best ways for them to snack on this nut butter is by spreading a little in a chew toy or baking the almond butter into yummy, homemade dog treats. This can also help hide the taste of the almond butter if your dog is not a fan of the flavor, but you really want or need to include almonds in their diet.

It is likely, though, that your dog is going to love the flavor of almond butter and many dogs will not have any issue with licking the nut butter off of a spoon. Signs they like almond butter may include them wagging their tails and/or pacing around the kitchen waiting for more. They will also likely be looking alert, raising their ears, barking, whining, or cry for more, licking their lips, and even drooling. 

Almonds have a long and precious history all throughout the world. Almonds were grown, eaten, and enjoyed by nearly every single ancient civilization on Earth. People were growing almonds on almonds trees along the Mediterranean Sea as early as 4,000 BC. We even see mentions of the almond nut in Hebrew texts as early as 2,000 BC. Mentions of almonds also came up in Turkey, Romania, and the Baltic Peninsula. We can also see references that suggest King Tut took almonds with him into his grave in 1,352 BC. 

Almonds started to be used in different ways as time went on as well. For instance, the Arab cultures milked almonds and grounded them to make milk and meal. Fast forward many years later to the 1850's in California, and almonds were one of the biggest crops being planted and harvested in the state. Today, most of the country's almond supply is grown and picked in California. 

Many pet parents say their dogs like almond butter just as much as peanut butter. Some dogs even prefer the taste of almond butter! One pet parent claims their pooch will turn their nose up to peanut butter all the time, but they can never get enough of almond butter. It just goes to show us that dogs have taste and food preferences as well. 

There is a heap of health benefits that almond butter can provide your dog's body with. Almond butter contains a lot of essential vitamins that are necessary for your dog. Almond butter contains vitamin B3 to help keep your dog's fur healthy, strong, and shiny and also supports the liver and the eyes. 

It also has high levels of Vitamin E, even higher than peanut butter, which helps remove harmful free radicals from your dog's cells and increase the function of their immune system. Almond butter has tons of calcium to keep your dog's bones and joints healthy and strong and has phosphorous and magnesium that also help with strong bones.

If you are going to give your dog almond butter for its health benefits, only give your dog natural almond butter that does not have any additives. Many nut butters can be filled with high levels of salt, sugar, and unhealthy oils like vegetable oil. You want to avoid these unnecessary additives as they will only fill your dog's body with less nutritious ingredients. 

When looking at the label, the ingredients list only needs to include almonds. You can find many brands without any added salt or sugar. It is also a good idea to look for organic almond butter to avoid adding pesticides to your dog's diet. 

You also must make sure the almond butter you are buying does not contain any level of xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol that often replaces sugar in baked goods, nut butters, and more. Xylitol is finding its way into many different nut butters to make them sweet, but without the use of real sugar. This sugar alternative is extremely toxic to dogs and other animals and not even small amounts should be fed to your dog. 

You also want to make sure you are limiting the amount of almond butter they eat as well. Even though almond butter is filled with nutrients, it is still quite high in fat and calories, which can lead to weight gain if your dog eats too much, too often. Only treat your dog to nut butter occasionally, say once every 2 weeks or so, and only give them a spoonful or two depending on the size of your dog. You can also bake almond butter into yummy, homemade dog treats so they can enjoy almond butter in much smaller quantities more often.