I Dream of Doggies

Why I Feed My Dogs Powdered Peanut Butter (AKA PB2)

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A few months ago my wife and I heard about this product called PB2. It’s become famous in the fitness world as a low-calorie alternative to regular peanut butter. It’s essentially nothing more than peanuts that have been defatted, dehydrated, and turned into a powder. My guess is it’s probably a byproduct of peanut oil.

After hearing so many of our favorite fitness Youtubers rave about it, we decided to give it try. We found it’s great for making low-calorie smoothies, sauces, and frostings that have a distinct peanut butter flavor; but I also found another use for it…

A few times a week, I’ll sprinkle a spoonful of powdered peanut butter on my dogs’ food to give them a bit of a treat. I’ve found that powdered peanut butter has a lot of benefits over regular peanut butter. Continue reading to learn more…

Powdered Peanut Butter vs. Regular Peanut Butter for Dogs

I’m a big fan of adding small amounts of “human food” to my dogs’ food to give them some extra nutrition and a little treat. For example, I’ve been giving my dogs nutritional yeast, tahini, and natural peanut butter for years. Recently, I’ve brought powdered peanut butter into the mix, and I’ve noticed it has a lot of benefits over regular peanut butter.

Powdered Peanut Butter Is Much Lower in Calories

My wife and I know so many people with overweight dogs, it’s kind of stunning. Their dogs are overweight for the same reason people become overweight: they eat too much and don’t exercise enough.

Peanut butter is loaded with calories. Per volume, it has to be one of the most calorically dense foods there is. A single serving of natural peanut butter – 2 tbsp – contains about 190 calories, and most people don’t measure their servings. If they did, they’d be shocked by just how small 2 tbsp really is.

This means that treating your dog to a spoonful peanut butter could easily put them in a calorie surplus – i.e., more calories than they need to maintain their weight.

Powdered peanut butter, on the other hand, only contains about 1/4 the calories – about 50 to 60 per 2 tbsp serving.

Powdered Peanut Butter Is Less Expensive

OK, this one comes with a bit of a catch… If you buy the name brand PB2 powdered peanut butter, it is not less expensive than regular peanut butter. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s a lot more expensive. However, if you buy a bulk size container of generic powdered peanut butter, it’s a lot less expensive.

For example, at my local Walmart, I can get a 30 oz container for $10. That’s almost 2 lb, which contains roughly 71 servings! That means every serving I give to my dogs only costs about 14 cents. I’m also pretty sure I rarely give them full serving, so the cost probably breaks down to even less than that.

Powdered Peanut Butter Is Easier to Put on Their Food

In the past, feeding my dogs regular peanut butter has always been a bit messy because it’s so sticky. On the other hand, powdered peanut butter is super easy to feed them. I just sprinkle a little bit right out of the jar onto their food, like a seasoning. That’s it. This means no sticky fingers or dirty spoons, which I hate.

If you want to, you could also mix it with a bit of water and make a sauce, but it really doesn’t matter.

My Dogs Absolutely Love It!

I cannot emphasize enough how much my dogs love powdered peanut butter on their dry food. They love it so much, and have grown so accustom to it, that if I don’t put any in their dish, they sort of look at me, like, “Hey man, what gives?!” – I always give in.

When they’re done eating, they lick their bowls clean, then lick each other’s bowls clean, and then look at me again, like, “Really? That’s it?”

Powdered Peanut Butter Stimulates Appetite

If you have a dog who’s a fussy eater, a little powdered peanut butter on their food my get them to eat it. My dogs aren’t all that stubborn or fussy when it comes to eating, but as soon as they see me grab that jar out of the pantry, they know it’s chow time and they’re ready to grub out.

Are There Any Risks?

Yes. Just like humans, some dogs are allergic to peanuts. If your dog has a peanut allergy, feeding them powdered peanut butter could result in itchy skin, hair loss, agitation, difficulty breathing, and/or hot spots – inflamed skin lesions.

References:

Wag!. Peanut Butter Allergies in Dogs. Retrieved from https://wagwalking.com/condition/peanut-butter-allergies

Jason Jensen
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