Can Dogs Eat Cinnamon Rolls?

Cinnamon rolls are a sweet rolled pastry made with a yeasted dough, gooey cinnamon-sugar filling, and topped with cream-cheese icing. They’re a tasty treat for humans, but they pose some serious health risks for dogs.

While cinnamon itself is safe for dogs to consume, cinnamon rolls and other similar pastries can definitely harm your dog.

• Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a common ingredient in cinnamon rolls, and it has toxic side effects for dogs. It’s unlikely that your dog will consume enough nutmeg to experience side effects, but note that high doses (for instance, if your dog finds a whole jar of nutmeg in the pantry) can cause dogs to experience symptoms like disorientation, hallucinations, dry mouth, abdominal pain, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and occasionally seizures.
• Chocolate: Not all cinnamon rolls include chocolate, but if you’re intent on feeding your dog cinnamon rolls, at least double-check that they don’t contain chocolate. Dogs’ digestive systems can’t break down the theobromine in chocolate, and it can cause an upset stomach or worse if consumed in large quantities. Other symptoms of chocolate toxicity include abnormal heart rates, blood pressure issues, increased urination, digestive issues, and seizures.
• Raisins: Grape products can seriously damage a dog’s kidneys and even lead to acute kidney failure. Early-stage signs of grape poisoning or raisin toxicity—including vomiting, trouble breathing, and abdominal pain—can arise within two and twenty-four hours of ingestion. More advanced symptoms indicative of kidney failure typically occur within seventy-two hours of consumption. These include dehydration (indicated by a dry nose and excessive thirst), loss of appetite, and irregular urination patterns.
• Macadamia nuts. Cinnamon rolls may contain macadamia nuts, which aren’t good for dogs to eat. Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs and can result in vomiting, hyperthermia, ataxia, lethargy, vomiting, and fever.
• Sugar and artificial sweetener: Cinnamon rolls and similar baked goods almost invariably include a large amount of sugar. Consistent sugar intake is detrimental to a dog’s diet (it can contribute to pancreatitis), so avoid giving your dog too much sugar to support your pet’s health. Xylitol, an artificial sweetener, is extremely toxic to dogs, and even small amounts can be hazardous. It causes a rapid release of insulin from the pancreas, which can drop blood sugar levels dramatically.

A variety of foods similar to cinnamon rolls—like cinnamon bread and cinnamon toast—can also contain ingredients toxic to dogs.

Cinnamon isn’t toxic to dogs, and there are even health benefits of cinnamon for dogs—including cinnamon’s anti-inflammatory properties. A small amount of cinnamon (around a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon powder as a supplement) may even help lower insulin resistance. Talk to your vet before feeding your dog cinnamon, especially if your dog has low blood sugar or other blood pressure issues.

Certain human foods can cause adverse reactions in canines, so always consult your veterinarian to determine whether it is safe to add these foods to your pet’s diet. This article is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

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