My partner grew up in the city of smiles, Bacolod, where piaya existed even before those big malls started coming to town. Then, his family ran a home business where they sold piaya, amongst others. To date, I still make him some batches of piaya occasionally, giving him that nostalgia of his childhood (how much I love him).
We both love each bite of piaya, and our kids have grown to enjoy this treat. Our dogs are super curious and extra social; they also love participating in any snacks that stuff the air with aromas, but is it safe to let them have some piaya? This article sheds light on serving piaya for dogs, everything you need to know.
What is Piaya?
Piaya is a delicious Filipino dish with origins tied to the Occidental in the Philippines. Just like paratha, it is a type of unleavened flatbread whose fillings consist of muscovado sugar and other ingredients, then sprinkled with sesame seeds. Piaya is often enjoyed as a dessert or a snack.
To make piaya, the dough is first prepared by mixing water and flour (some bakers may add fats like lard or margarine) until it becomes elastic and smooth. This dough is further divided into smaller portions and rolled into thin circular sheets. This resulting sheet is cooked on a skillet or griddle until both sides are crispy and golden brown. Then unrefined brown sugar (muscovado sugar) is caramelized to create a sweet filling.
Can dogs eat Piaya?
Dogs can have half to one of a piaya bread once in a while. While piaya for dogs is not toxic, it contains lots of sugar, which could cause certain long-term and short-term health issues, which is why piaya is not suitable as a regular treat for dogs.
Firstly, piaya is made with muscovado sugar. This is a form of brown sugar that is considered centrifugal cane sugar. Unlike your average brown sugar or white sugar, muscovado is not refined with chemicals, making it retain much molasses and a bit lumpy. Muscovado sugar is healthier than regular brown or white sugar and is often compared with honey because of its natural molasses retention, making it a safer sugar to offer your dog.
However, dogs don’t share the same system as humans and may not be able to handle as much sugar as we can. Sugar in general can cause diarrhea, vomiting, obesity, dental problems, and diabetes in dogs if significant amounts are eaten regularly. This is why you should tread with caution, even though muscovado is one of the healthiest sugars out there.
As for the flour used in making this bread, it is safe for dogs in moderation. All kinds of flour, including semolina, rice, sorghum, almond, and coconut flour, are safe for dogs, provided they are not offered in dough form, which could cause possible intestinal blockages and bloating.
Where we have some problems is the possible lard or margarine that may be used in making the piaya. While lard is not toxic to dogs, too much of it could cause pancreatitis in dogs and even obesity, which is why I prefer feeding my dogs low-fat treats to human junk food, which could possibly cause health issues in the long run.
Is Piaya Good For Dogs?
While piaya is not toxic to dogs, it is not good either. Piaya doesn’t contain any essential nutrients for dogs, making it an empty calorie treat that could cause weight gain if constantly handed to your dog.
Dogs could have breads, be it white bread, pan dulce, or Ezekiel bread, but all these, of course, are just a treat and nothing more, as they could oversupply your dog with nutrients or calories, and that is not what you want.
My dog ate Piaya: What will happen?
From personal experience with my son feeding piaya to dogs, my dog had three of these breads before I intervened, but nothing happened to our dog. However, I don’t recommend giving your pooch more than half, or at most one sheet of piaya.
While 3 did not have any effect on our dog, it may be because our dog is healthy from its coat down to its gut (trust me to make those kefir treats that supply probiotics to our pooch). However, some dogs may have bloody diarrhea or vomit if you give them so much piaya.
To treat this mild case of diarrhea caused by feeding too much sugar, offering bland diets such as white rice and boiled chicken or even cooked healthy noodles like shirataki for dogs will help give your dog’s GI a rest.
Should puppies have Piaya?
Just like your adult dogs, puppies should not have piaya bread, as it could upset their delicate systems. Age-specific treats are usually the best to offer to those little angels to ensure they develop properly and do not develop any health issues that will impact the quality of their lives.
Alternative treats to Piaya for dogs
These treats are more human treats that your pooch could enjoy, which will also provide them with numerous benefits:
Carrots
Carrots are low-calorie treats your dog will enjoy. They find the crunch and taste exciting. Carrots are also good for Fido’s dental health, and they are a great source of beta-carotene and vitamin A. Carrots could cause gas, so introduce them slowly, and then you could go up from there.
Pumpkin
My dogs find pumpkin very delicious, and guess what? This superfood is packed with fiber and vitamins, which uphold the proper functioning of the digestive tract while keeping it clean. For mild diarrhea that can result from your dog eating too much piaya, pumpkin can also be used to resolve it.
Can dogs have Piaya? Final thoughts
Dogs can have little piaya occasionally, but ensure it is not fully incorporated as a staple treat as it could possibly cause some health issues in dogs. If you must hand some treats to your dog, ensure they are healthy and dog-safe so as to avoid a visit to the vet or reducing the quality of your dog’s life.
