Is Bee Pollen Good for Dogs? Surprising Health Benefits

Bee pollen is not just a food, it is a game-changer for dogs. You might be asking, “Is bee pollen good for dogs?“.

Bee pollen is good for most dogs and can benefit dogs in many ways. But for some dogs it may not be an ideal food.

A few months ago, my friend took bee pollen from me for her dog. After a few days, she shared with me the result of feeding bee pollen to her dog. That’s what I am going to share with you in today’s post.

Also, I provided bee pollen to some of my other neighbors for their dogs. This was for experimental purposes to learn how bee pollen acts on dogs. Those dogs were fed bee pollen for 4 weeks at different dosages.

I will share the results of feeding bee pollen to dogs in this post. The following will be the main topics of this blog post.

1. What is bee pollen and its nutrients?
2. An in-depth answer related to the query “Is bee pollen good for dogs?“.
3. Benefits of bee pollen for dogs.
4. Side effects of bee pollen for dogs.
5. Bee Pollen dosage for dogs.

 

 

What Is Bee Pollen?

Bee pollens are small pellets collected by bees during pollination. These small pellets are very rich in protein and nutrients. Worker bees collect bee pollen to feed the colony members.

 

Bees do not directly consume bee pollen. They use bee pollen to feed brood bees.

However, bee larvae don’t consume bee pollen directly. Nurse bees feed them as a pre-digested mixture of pollen, honey, and secretions.

First, they store bee pollen in brood chambers. Then mix with nectar and saliva to prepare the food for larvae. They also store pollen in the foundation chamber for producing capped honey.

In the case of ground bees, they form a ball shape with bee pollen. Ground bees are solitary in nature. Female ground bees create a big ball of pollen and place it in a hole. Then on those pollen balls, she lays her eggs.

When the egg fertilizes, the larvae eat the entire bee pollen. So, one bee pollen granule is allocated for each larva.

 

 

Nutrients of Bee Pollen

Bee pollen contains a lot of nutrients. This is why humans and a lot of animals also consume bee pollen.

Bee pollen contains the following major nutrients.

1. Protein.
2. Mineral.
3. Vitamins.
4. Carbohydrate.
5. Sugar.
6. Fatty acid.
7. Lipid.

 

 

So, Is Bee Pollen Good For Dogs?

Bee pollens are not harmful to dogs if it is used in limited quantities. In fact, bee pollen has a lot of benefits for dogs. So, bee pollen is definitely good for dogs if you can use it in the right way.

Due to its protein and nutrient intake, bee pollen is also called a “superfood“. It has a lot of positive effects on dogs.

I told you about my experiment of feeding dogs with bee pollen. Here is the result of feeding bee pollen to 12 dogs for 28 straight days.

1. 4 dogs had allergies before feeding bee pollen. 3 of them totally got rid of allergies. The other one’s itching is reduced much.
2.  3 dogs’ weight is reduced on average by 4 kg within 28 days.
3. Most of their digestion seems to be well improved.
4. Their skin tone is also improved.
5. It is noticed that all of them have become more active than before.
6. 2 dogs were having mild colds, which improved more quickly than before.

I have seen the overall digestion and immune systems of these dogs improve after feeding bee pollen. Thus, it won’t be wrong to say bee pollen can be good for dogs.

 

 

Benefits of Bee Pollen for Dogs

From my experiment and researching online, I found the following major benefits of bee pollen for dogs. 

1. Nutrient Boost: Bee pollen is rich in vitamins, protein, and minerals, which provide energy. For this reason, bee pollen is fed to dogs to give a nutritional boost.
2. Improved Immune System: Bee pollens can significantly improve the immune system to defeat various diseases for dogs. It contains antioxidants that reduce the risk of illness and infections.
3. Weight Management: Bee pollen is found to be effective in reducing weight in overweight dogs.
4. Improve Digestion: Bee pollen is very effective in improving the digestion of dogs.
5. Allergy Relief: It has been found that bee pollen can work against dog allergies. Though it may not work for all dogs.
6. Detoxification: Fatty acids and antioxidants in bee pollen can improve the overall skin tone of dogs. Also, it is effective in eliminating toxic elements from dogs.

Remember, all dogs may not respond the same way to any food. So, different dogs may have different effects on bee pollen. But in most cases, bee pollen is totally safe and helpful for dogs.

However, make sure to consult a professional veterinarian before using bee pollen as a regular dog’s diet. Because different breeds may react differently to bee pollen.

 

 

Side Effects Of Bee Pollen For Dogs (Precautions to Consider)

Usually, Bee pollen is safe for dogs. However, it is not tested on all types of dogs. Bee pollen might have mild side effects on several types of dogs. Which may include the following.

• Mild allergic syndrome in some dogs.
• Itching.
• Some dogs may face breathing problems.
• Rarely seen hay fever at the beginning of feeding bee pollen.
• Excessive dosages may cause hair loss.

Other side effects can be seen after starting to feed bee pollen to dogs. These syndromes usually seem to be mild.

But if you notice any kind of negative sign or adverse effect in your dog after feeding bee pollen, immediately stop feeding. If possible, consult a veterinarian before providing bee pollen to dogs.

 

How To Tell If Your Dog Is Allergic To Bee Pollen?

Bee pollen usually helps dogs get relief from allergies. But in some dogs, it may invoke allergies. You can easily identify whether your dog is having an allergy after eating bee pollen or not.

If you see itching, swelling, or small rashes in the body of your dog, it could be an allergic reaction.

 

Common signs of allergic reaction in dogs include:

• Itchy skin or excessive scratching
• Redness or swelling around the face or paws
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Runny nose or sneezing
• Difficulty breathing (in severe cases)

This is why, at the beginning, give a very small amount of bee pollen to your dog. If it shows any allergic symptoms, then stop feeding bee pollen. Otherwise, you can continue increasing the dose below the threshold level.

It is always best if you can consult a veterinarian before adding bee pollen into a dog’s diet.

 

 

Bee Pollen Dosage for Dogs

Bee pollen dosage may vary according to the type and age of the dog.  It is better to start with as little as less than ½ teaspoon per day.

For my experiment, I have applied bee pollen to only adult dogs. For the dogs with a weight of 10 to 12 kg, I have used ¾ teaspoon of bee pollen per day. For dogs with a weight of above 12 kg, I have used 1 teaspoon of bee pollen per day.

Here is an overall list of how much bee pollen you can give to your dog.

Dog’s Weight	Amount Of Bee Pollen To Feed
Below 12 Kg	Up to 4 gm/day.
12 kg to 25 kg.	Between 4 to 8 gm/day.
Above 25 kg	Up to 10 gm/day

Don’t give bee pollen to puppies. Puppies might not be able to digest bee pollen. Only give bee pollen to adult dogs.

 

Start with a small dosage of less than half a teaspoon per day. Then increase it to the above-mentioned dosages. Make sure to divide the dosages between 2 to 4 times per day.

For example, your dog’s weight is 20 kg, and you want to feed twice a day a total of 8 gm of bee pollen. Then feed the dog 4 gm of bee pollen in the morning. The other 4 gm of bee pollen can be given to dogs in the evening. 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

So, I think you got the answer to your question, “Is bee pollen good for dogs?“. If you are thinking of feeding bee pollen to your dog, definitely start with a small dose.

Start feeding 2 to 4 times daily. If you didn’t find any side effects, then raise your dosage. If you see any harmful effects of bee pollen on your dog, stop feeding immediately. It is always better to consult a Veterinarian before changing the diet for your dog.

Have you started feeding bee pollens to your dog? If so, what is the impact of bee pollen on your dogs?

Any health benefits or side effects that you have discovered, comment below. It could be helpful for other dog owners too.