can dogs eat mochi ice cream? Mochi ice cream is often found at Japanese or Asian-inspired ice cream shops, and it’s a sweet, soft cake made from sticky rice that’s then covered in whipped cream or other toppings like fruit and candy. As much as you may want to share your delicious mochi ice cream with your pet, can dogs eat mochi ice cream? The answer might surprise you!
What is Mochi
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made from pounding steamed glutinous rice. In its basic form, mochi is a tasty, chewy treat (much like gnocchi), but it also comes in sweet varieties like ice cream and pudding. Eating mochi desserts can be a fun experience for humans, but do they make good treats for dogs? Let’s find out!
Is it Okay for My Dog to Eat Mochi?
Most dog owners know that mochi, or sweet rice cakes, are not particularly good for dogs to eat. Consuming mochi can be dangerous to your pup’s health. What do you think is worse: knowing that your puppy just consumed a pile of mochi or knowing that he snuck off with your ice cream without you knowing? From here on out, make sure that you keep an eye on him when he eats ice cream, so it doesn’t sneak up on you. Otherwise, avoid giving him store-bought ice cream or treats in general. You should only ever give him his special homemade cookies and other goodies!
Why Aren’t They Made with Gluten?
Most treats containing flour or wheat aren’t safe for dogs to eat. Many pet owners don’t realize that when their dogs are munching on a treat, they might be ingesting ingredients that could harm them. Even if your dog doesn’t have a severe allergy to gluten or wheat, it is not uncommon for dogs to have sensitivity issues with these products. And some dogs develop an intolerance after overeating it, which can lead to more severe problems like skin allergies and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). If you want to find out if your dog can eat mochi ice cream safely, it’s best to check with your veterinarian before giving him any new food product.
Is the Sweetener in Mochi Safe for My Dog?
Glucose and maltodextrin are safe for dogs in moderation, although you should always watch your dog’s reaction to new foods. If your dog does get sick after eating either of these ingredients, it might be due to its glycemic index (GI). GI refers to how quickly a food converts into glucose when digested—meaning how quickly it spikes your blood sugar. A food with a high GI rating is more likely to cause an upset stomach than a food with a low GI rating. The syrup used in mochi ice cream has a very high GI, so you should only feed small amounts of mochi ice cream to your dog at once. Once you determine that he can tolerate that amount, slowly introduce more over time.
How Much is Too Much
When it comes to ice cream, you might think that as long as your pup isn’t eating a whole stick of butter or a pint of heavy cream, they can eat all they want. But even if mochi is made from sweet rice flour, it’s still packed with calories and fat. A cup of vanilla ice cream has about 250 calories and 16 grams of fat. A cup of plain mochi ice cream (not flavored) has about 300 calories and 19 grams of fat; add in any toppings, and those numbers go up quickly. More importantly, dogs don’t digest dairy very well because their bodies lack lactase enzymes that humans have to break down milk sugar.
Mochi ice cream, an Asian dessert made from glutinous rice, came to the United States in the 1980s, becoming popular among fans of Japanese culture. Most people think mochi treats are fine for humans to eat but dangerous for dogs to consume due to their high-fat content, but this isn’t always the case. If you’re concerned about whether or not your pup can safely chow down on this tasty treat
