Have you ever heard of Eccles cakes? Do you make them for Christmas or other special occasions? Even if you’re not familiar with this yummy cake, that’s OK. We’ll tell you about it!
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Can Eccles cakes make your dog sick? Can Eccles cake be toxic to your dog?
What are Eccles Cakes?
Eccles cake is a type of round, small pie. In fact, if you see these on a plate, you may say they were turnovers. These yummy cakes are filled with currants put into a flaky pastry with butter. They may be covered with sugar on the top.
The Eccles cake comes from Britain and was first made in the English town of Eccles in the 17th century. This town is located in Lancashire, in the county of Manchester. These cakes are a Lancashire food tradition.
No one is quite sure who invented these cakes, but James Birch is usually the person named as the inventor. He sold the cakes in his shop, near the town’s center.
Traditional recipes for Eccles cakes are made with currants. The traditional recipe also includes:
- Butter
- Flour
- Water
- Dark brown sugar
- Currants
- Candied peel
- Zest of an orange
- Ground allspice
- Nutmeg
- Sugar (for the topping)
While these are great cakes for humans, can Eccles cakes make a dog sick? Are Eccles cakes toxic to dogs?
Eccles Cakes & Dogs
As you can see from the traditional recipe, Eccles cakes are really not healthy. They contain high amounts of butter and sugar. Both of these in large amounts can be bad for dogs.
For instance, sugar can cause everything from obesity to tooth decay. It can also lead to heart issues and more. Butter is high in fat, which is also not good for dogs in large amounts. It can lead to obesity and other health issues.
The currants in the recipe are great for dogs but only in small amounts.
Then there are the spices, which include allspice and nutmeg. Nutmeg, in large amounts, has been known to cause hallucinations, disorientation, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, dry mouth, abdominal pain, and even seizures.
Allspice contains substances called eugenols. In small amounts, this may be safe for your dog. However, in large amounts, it can cause health issues.
So, can your dog eat Eccles cakes? The answer is no. These are really not healthy for dogs, especially for those that may hog down the entire batch. They could become very sick.
We recommend not even sharing these yummy desserts with your dog. So, be sure to keep them where he can’t reach them!
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Kim
Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.
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