Blackstrap Molasses for Dogs

Blackstrap molasses for dogs? Rich in iron and B vitamins, it is an excellent addition to homemade dog treats or dog food.

In fact, dog owners even claim that it helps dog arthritis, anemia and diabetes.

Blackstrap is a by-product of the sugar industry. It is the dark liquid that is left after the sugar has been removed from the sugar cane.

Ironically, the main product, the sugar, is depleted of its vitamins and minerals, and the blackstrap is full of them!

Often used as a dog food ingredient or a dog treat ingredient, blackstrap improves both taste and nutritional value.

Farmers in Europe and the U.S. often use blackstrap in their livestock feeds to improve the nutrition and desirability of the feeds.

I lived on a farm years ago and we mixed our own feed. We added blackstrap to the feed (for cows, goats, horses and chickens) at the feed mill, as a dietary supplement.

Farm animals like the taste of molasses, and they eat their food more readily when it tastes good!

Kinds of Molasses

There are different kinds of molasses:

• Light molasses – sometimes known as Grandma’s Molasses (which is a brand commonly found in your local grocery store), this molasses has more sugar in it than blackstrap does.
• Dark molasses – This molasses is better for you and your dog than Grandma’s; however, it may be sulphured (processed with sulphur, a chemical) and it is not as pure as blackstrap.
• Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses – This is the kind that you want to use in your dog’s homemade dog treats and food. It has not been treated with chemicals, and is in its most natural form. It is also the healthiest and most nutritious form of molasses. I like to use this molasses in my dog treat recipes, because it is the highest in nutrition and lowest in sugar of the different kinds of molasses.

A tablespoon or two of molasses will improve a recipe substantially. And combining blackstrap with wheat germ or brewers’ yeast makes it even healthier for your dog!

Health Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses

This food is healthy enough for your dog, to be considered a dog food supplement! Some veterinarians even recommend using it, when prescription drugs have not helped a dog.

Most commonly, blackstrap is used for dogs that suffer from:

• Arthritis – It contains an ingredient, the wulzen factor that cures wrist stiffness in humans, muscular dystrophy, and arthritis, according to Dr. Michael Sharon, author of Complete Nutrition.
• Anemia – Blackstrap is very high in iron, that is easily assimilated. But it does not cause constipation, like many other high iron remedies.
• Skin conditions
• Aging – many say that it restores hair color

Recipes for Treats with Blackstrap Molasses

If you’d like to try a recipe with blackstrap for your dog, here are a few:

• Ginger Dog Biscuits
• Peanut Butter Dog Bone Recipe
• Gingerbread Dog Bone Recipe
• Hypoallergenic Peanut Butter Dog Treats
• Wheat Free Dog Biscuits
• Peanut Butter Nuggets

Nutrients in Blackstrap Molasses

Sugar cane roots can go down 15 feet to get minerals from layers of soil that have not been depleted by years of overuse.

That’s why sugar cane is able to absorb so many nutrients. And blackstrap has most of those nutrients, because they are left in the blackstrap, when the nutrients are removed from processed sugar.

So what are the main ingredients in this molasses?

• Iron
• Folate and B Vitamins – healthy red blood cell production
• Magnesium and calcium – healthy bones and nervous system and a healthy heart
• Manganese – fights free radicals, stabilizes blood sugar and utilizes fatty acids
• Copper and zinc

Consider adding a little healthy blackstrap to some of your dog’s homemade treats.

These recipes include blackstrap molasses:

• Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
• Hypoallergenic Peanut Butter Dog Bones
• Ginger Dog Biscuits