There have been so many mixed feelings and misconceptions about what carob is and is not. Is it chocolate or not? Why can’t I eat carob as much as I eat chocolate? Can dogs eat carob? You may have wondered where the concerns would end. 

It may interest you to know that carob is not at all like chocolate and is not toxic to humans or dogs. However, our body mechanisms, as well as those of our pets, repel certain foods, no matter how pleasant they seem. 

We are not saying your body repels carob or that of your pup; we are saying there are certain considerations you need to consider before feeding carob to your dog. 

This article will guide you in answering one of the questions asked herein: Can dogs eat carob? Not just that, we would also consider the risks and dangers you might face if you feed a carob to your dog and other health concerns that might arise when introducing a new meal to your pet. 

If carob is at all healthy for your dog, you might want to know how you can feed it and avoid certain complications. Let us get you started on that. First, you might want to know what carob is and see where we go from there.

What Is Carob?

The carob tree, or Ceratonia siliqua, has fruits that look like dark brown pea pods with different seeds and pulp. Carob is a sweet and healthy fruit often substituted for chocolate. Its use for health benefits and treatment dates back 4,000 years in ancient Greece.

Carob, also called locust bean, is a tree of the pea family (Fabaceae), cultivated for its edible pods. Carob comes from the Eastern Mediterranean region and is also cultivated worldwide.

The ripe, dried Carob pods can be ground into a powder that tastes like cocoa and can be used as an alternative to chocolate in health food products. 

The tree has evergreen leaves with thick leaflets that show its healthy capabilities. The red Carob flowers are followed by flat, leathery pods 7.5–30 cm (3–12 inches) long. The pods contain 5 to 15 hard brown seeds embedded in sweet edible pulp.

According to the “Encyclopedia of Healing Foods,” chewing carob pods helped singers maintain healthy vocal cords and soothe and clear the throat. Read on to learn more about how people use Carob today and its health benefits.

Carob can be got in the following form:

• Powder
• Crips
• Syrup
• Extract
• Diet pills

Carob pods can be eaten fresh or dried. People who have added Carob to their diet have seen benefits such as weight loss and reduced stomach problems.

Nutritional Benefits Of Carob For Dogs

Carob has a relatively high sugar content. It is also rich in fibre and antioxidant polyphenols. In addition, Carob contains essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium. 

Carob is known to have little amounts of phosphorus, iron, and protein. Notable, one tablespoon or 6 grams (g) of carob powder contains:

• Calories 13.3
• Carbohydrates 5.33 g
• Fibre 2.39 g
• Sugar 2.95
• Calcium 20.9 milligrams (mg)
• Magnesium 3.24 mg
• Phosphorus 4.74 mg
• Potassium 49.6 mg
• Sodium 2.1 mg

Protein Source

Carob has a good amount of protein. As carnivores, animal proteins are essential for dogs. However, the protein content of carob can be a great addition to your overall protein intake.

Antioxidant Boost

Carob contains a high amount of antioxidants. They help fight free radicals in the body and help prevent oxidative damage. This is particularly beneficial because oxidative damage is associated with increased cancer risk.

Fibre Content

As a member of the bean family, carob is packed with fibre. Dietary fibre is essential for a healthy gut and normal bowel movements. 

They also help keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels within normal limits and support cardiovascular health. Fibre also improves calcium absorption.

Low In Fat And Sugar

Carob is an excellent choice if your dog needs weight management. Carob has an extra low fat and sugar content. It has a low glycemic index (GI) and prevents spikes in blood sugar. On a more practical note, carob is safe for dogs with diabetes.

Gluten-Free

One of the biggest benefits of gluten is that it is gluten-free. Gluten sensitivities and allergies are not particularly common in dogs, but they are possible and worth mentioning.

High In Calcium

One tablespoon of carob contains 21 grams of calcium – twice the amount in cocoa. In addition, unlike cocoa, it does not contain the harmful form of calcium oxalate. Calcium plays several roles in the dog’s body, and maintaining strong bones is one of the most important.

Minerals

In addition to being rich in calcium, carob contains many other minerals, such as iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, zinc, and selenium. These minerals serve various purposes and are essential for optimal health and well-being.

B-Complex Vitamins

Carob has a high content of B-complex vitamins, especially B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B6 (pyridoxine). Riboflavin is necessary for the metabolism of fats and proteins and the formation of some coenzymes. 

Niacin boosts brain health, manages cholesterol levels, and can ease arthritis. Finally, pyridoxine boosts the nervous system and strengthens the dog’s immunity.

Vitamin A

Carob is particularly rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A has several functions in the body, including supporting eye health and enhancing vision, ensuring reproductive health, and acting as an antioxidant.

Tyramine

Human studies suggest that Tyramine product is associated with an increased risk of headaches and migraines. Although this effect has not been demonstrated in dogs, it is safe to assume that the mechanism of action would be similar.

Health Concerns

Carob powder contains significant amounts of calcium, potassium, and fibre. These nutrients are all important, and people should try to get adequate amounts of each through food.

Carob powder is also low in fat, making it ideal for people trying to reduce fat intake. Carob is also gluten and caffeine-free. This makes it a good choice for people who avoid these ingredients and those who may be allergic or sensitive to them.

Although many health claims are made for Carob, the evidence to support them is limited.

Researchers claim that it helps with weight loss. One small 2019 study of young athletes saw a slight reduction in weight in those who consumed Carob instead of a placebo. However, they did not experience significant fat loss or muscle gain.

Other common claims state that the antioxidant content of Carob can fight harmful cells such as cancer.

A 2016 review article lists the valuable properties of Carob. While researchers may be able to use Carob to make new drugs and treatments, that doesn’t mean consuming Carob powder will provide the same results.

People who want to use carob powder in their recipes should choose it for its taste, texture, and nutritional value.

Read also: Can Dogs Eat Raisin Bread? Find Out

Can Dogs Eat Carob?

The desire to share your food with your furry friend, especially when they put on that pity puppy look, is sometimes hard to ignore. Maybe you walk around the house with a chocolate bar in hand, only for your dog to smell a treat opportunity and ask for it too. 

We know that chocolate toxicity is real among dogs; the chemistry of cocoa beans includes compounds that the dog’s body can’t efficiently metabolize. 

So is there a chocolate substitute dogs can eat without any health risks? That is why we check the Carob.

Everyone knows dogs can’t eat chocolate, but why are Carob ideal? The answer is in reality and body chemistry. As you might know, both chocolate and Carob contain a mixture of chemicals. 

Unfortunately for dogs, chocolate happens to be full of chemicals they can’t easily digest. Of these ingredients, theobromine and caffeine are the most dangerous.

When a dog eats chocolate, even a small amount, these chemicals will build up in his body. Theobromine, in particular, takes a very long time to digest. 

This means that when you eat too much chocolate at once, your pooch’s body tries to digest and get rid of these toxins.

After ingestion, dogs will show a number of symptoms. These symptoms of chocolate toxicity include:

• Increased heart rate
• Irregular heartbeat
• Muscle tremors
• Agitation and restlessness
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Internal bleeding (in extreme cases)
• Loss of coordination and consciousness (in extreme cases)
• Heart attack (in extreme cases)

Fortunately, Carob has a different chemical composition. These peas in the pod are free of theobromine and caffeine, making them the ideal treat to give our dogs, as they act as a taste of safe chocolate.

As an ideal chocolate substitute, Carob is perfect for your dogs. It doesn’t have theobromine and caffeine, which are the main ingredients in chocolate that make dogs sick. 

Carob beans are also naturally sweet, which means carob-based chocolates and goods do not require the same amount of sugar as real chocolate.

In its ordinary form, Carob also contains essential vitamins A, B, and D, and minerals, calcium, magnesium, iron, fibre, and protein, which are also part of the natural composition of Carob.

If you plan to feed carob products to your dog, do your homework! Avoid any toxic ingredients and try to buy the low or, better yet, no-sugar version.

How To Prepare

A quick and easy recipe for delicious carob treats includes the following;

• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup carob flakes
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of warm butter
• 2 teaspoons of chia seeds
• 1/4 cup water.

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Line the tray with baking paper.
• Stir and mix in the chia seeds, carob flakes and flour.
• Beat the eggs and butter in a separate bowl.
• Make a space between the dry ingredients and pour the mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
• Pour the ingredients with water and mix to form a dough.
• Roll out Carob dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
• Beat the cutter and cut the dough into the desired shapes.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Let the carob treats cool and feed the puppy. Feel free to store the treats in the fridge for a week.

Risks Of Feeding Carob To Dogs

Yes, carob can be bad for dogs. Simply put, any human food that isn’t part of a dog’s natural diet can be risky if used incorrectly – given in large amounts or too often.

So before making carob a regular addition to your dog’s bowl, consider the potential risks. Here are the reasons why carob can be bad for dogs.

Upset Stomach

As you already know, dogs have sensitive tummies. Although carob is mild and soothing to the stomach, too much of it can wreak havoc on the digestive tract. Telltale symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and loss of appetite.

Allergies

Carob allergy is not widespread, but possible. Human studies have shown that people with nut and legume allergies have a higher-than-average risk of carob allergy.

Suffocation And Irritation

Depending on the carob form you use, the dog may injure itself due to its voracious appetite. Specifically, suffocation is likely if carob flakes and carob powder irritates the upper respiratory system if accidentally inhaled.

Please Note: Carob is a treat and cannot make up more than 10% of a dog’s daily food intake. In practice, if you use a carob, you can give a medium-sized dog two or three pieces. When first serving carob, it is advisable to start with smaller sizes and portions, then gradually increase the portion size as the dog gets used to the new food on its menu.

How To Safely Feed Carob To Your Dog

Many carob treats still contain high amounts of sugar, and research has made it clear that dogs do not need too much sugar in their diet. 

For this reason, it is best to buy carob treats that do not contain added sweeteners, including regular sugar, honey, and especially xylitol, which is a sugar substitute highly toxic to dogs. Carob is naturally sweet, and many treats made with carob are unsweetened due to this fact.

Something you should always remember when feeding carob treats to your dog is the 90/10 treat rule. 

This rule states that 90% of your dog’s daily food should be normal kibble, with 10% remaining for healthy treats of any kind. 

Carob treats are definitely one of those, so it is recommended that you feed your dog less than 10% of its daily kibble intake in carob treats.

Most vets recommend giving your dog even less than 10% of their daily kibble intake in carob and feeding a snack mix to supplement that 10% rather than just carob treats. 

For example, you can offer a carob together with a piece of banana or a carrot stick instead of three carob treats. Remember that dogs like treats but don’t need them to be healthy.

The following tips will help you succeed when feeding carob to your dog:

• Start Small: Do not overfeed your dog with carob, as this may turn out dangerous to their health if they develop any allergies to it.
• Cut and serve in small sizes.
• Monitor for reaction
• Consult Your Veterinarian

FAQ

Conclusion

If you form part of the statistics asking the question: can dogs eat carob? It will interest you to know that the answer is a resounding yes. 

Dogs can eat carob at different precautionary levels. You do not stuff your dog with carob simply because it is a healthy meal. All meals served to your dog should be served in small quantities, as this means considering their body metabolism. 

Carob, unlike chocolate, is not poisonous for your dog; therefore, be careful not to undermine the danger of serving chocolate to your dog. Always consult your veterinarian before introducing any meal to your dog, as this may harm your dog’s health.

The essence of guides in feeding your dog is to help your dog maintain the needed strength and agility it needs daily.

We hope this article has proved helpful in explaining the dos and don’ts when feeding carobs to your dog. Feel free to share this article with friends and loved ones who love or are dog owners. Cheers.

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