A few months ago My friend bought bee pollen from me for her dog. She gave me the result of feeding bee pollen to her dog after a few days. That’s what I am going to share with you in today’s post. After reading this post your confusion about “Is bee pollen good for dogs?” will be no longer.
Before writing this blog post I have given bee pollen to 12 of my neighbors for their dog. I did so to learn how bee pollen acts on dogs. Those dogs are fed with bee pollen for 4 weeks with different doses.
The result of feeding bee pollen to dogs will be discussed in this post. The following will be the main topics of this blog post.
- What is bee pollen and its nutrients?
- An in-depth answer related to the query “Is bee pollen good for dogs?“.
- Benefits and side effects of bee pollen 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.
Honey and bee pollen are different. Honey is made from bee pollen and nectar through the fermentation process by worker bees.
Bees do not directly consume bee pollen. They use bee pollen to produce the male for brood bees.
First, they store bee pollen in brood chambers. Then mix with nectar and saliva to prepare the meal 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 that pollen ball, she lays an egg.
When the egg fertilizes the larvae ate the entire bee pollen. So, one bee pollen is allocated for each larva. If you need more information about bee pollen you can check this.
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.
- Protein.
- Mineral.
- Vitamins.
- Carbohydrate.
- Sugar.
- Fatty acid.
- Lipid.
Bee pollen also contains a small percentage of other nutrients. Because of rich in protein and longer expiration period of bee pollen, it is popular in the human diet.
How Do Beekeepers Collect Bee Pollen For Sale?
Bees store bee pollen in the brood chamber. Then pollens are broken into small compounds. So, bee pollen can not be gathered from inside the hive. Beekeepers need to collect it before worker bees enter the hive after collecting pollen.
For collecting bee pollen beekeepers usually use pollen traps. Pollen traps are very useful equipment for collecting pollen from bees before they enter the hive.
It doesn’t harm bees and safely collects pollen from bees. The traps are usually placed in front of the hive entrance.
If you are a beekeeper your hive entrance should have perfect dimensions. Not only for the use of pollen traps but also for the overall safety of the colony.
So, Is Bee Pollen Good For Dogs?
Bee pollens are not harmful to dogs if it is used in limited quantity. 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 considered as a “superfood” for dogs. It has a lot of positive effects on dogs. I told you about my experiment of feeding dogs with bee pollen. Here is what are the changes I have found after feeding bee pollen to 12 dogs.
- 4 dogs had allergies before feeding bee pollen. 3 of them totally got rid of allergies. The other one’s itching is reduced much.
- 3 dogs’ weight is reduced on average by 4 kg within 28 days.
- Most of their digestion is well improved.
- Their skin tone is also improved.
- It is noticed almost all of them became more active than before.
- 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.
From this experiment and researching online I found the following benefits of bee pollen for dogs.
- Nutrients Boost: Bee pollen are rich in vitamin, protein, and minerals which provides energy. For this reason, bee pollen is fed to dogs to give a nutritional boost.
- 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.
- Weight Management: Bee pollen is found effective in reducing weight for overweight dogs.
- Improve Digestion: Bee pollen is very effective in improving the digestion of dogs.
- Allergy Relief: It has been found that bee pollens can work against dog allergies. Though it may not work for all dogs.
- Detoxification: Fatty acid 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.
How Much Bee Pollen Should You Give To Your Dog?
Bee pollen dose may vary according to the type, and age of dogs. It is better to start with half-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 1 teaspoon bee pollen per day. For dogs with a weight of above 12 kg, I have used 1 and a half teaspoon of bee pollens 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 g/day. |
| 12 kg to 25 kg. | Between 4 to 8 g/day. |
| Above 25 kg | Up to 10 g/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 dose of less than half a teaspoon per day. Then increase it to the above-mentioned doses. Make sure to divide the doses between 2 to 4 times per day.
For example, your dog’s weight is 20 kg and you want to feed 8g of bee pollen 2 times daily. Then feed the dog 4 g of bee pollen in the morning. The other 4 g of bee pollen can be given to dogs in the evening.
Side Effects Of Bee Pollen For Dogs
Usually, Bee pollen is totally 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 doses may cause hair fall.
Other side effects can be seen after starting to feed bee pollen to dogs. These syndromes might be mild and will be adopted with time. But if you notice serious issues make sure to consult with a pet specialist.
How To Tell If Your Dog Is Allergic To Bee Pollen?
Bee pollen usually helps dogs to get relief from allergies. But for some dogs, it may cause allergy. 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 syndrome.
This is why at the beginning give a very small amount of bee pollen to your dog. If it shows any allergic syndrome then stop feeding bee pollen. Otherwise, you can continue increasing the dose below the threshold level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can dogs eat honey with pollen?
Yes, dogs can eat honey and pollen together. But if you use both of them in little amount. For example, if you are feeding 6 g of bee pollen daily to your dogs. Then the total of honey and bee pollen should be 6 g per day for your dog.
Does pollen make dogs tired?
It is seen that bee pollen gives energy to dogs. So, bee pollen won't make your dogs tired. Instead, your dog will be more active than before. In case, you see your dog is becoming weak after eating bee pollen consult with a veterinarian.
Can dogs have honey?
Yes, honey is totally safe for dogs. Similar to bee pollen honey is also rich in nutrients. But don't give excessive amounts of honey to your dogs. You can feed your dog 1 teaspoon of honey per day.
Can pollen upset dogs stomach?
In rare cases, it can. However, such cases aren't seen often. Because bee pollen is rich in nutrients it improves the digestion of dogs. So, bee pollen may not usually upset a dog's stomach. If you discover any sort of such symptoms consult with a pet specialist.
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 little dose.
Start feeding 2 to 4 times daily. If you didn’t find any side effects then raise your dose. If you see any harmful effect 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 whatever you discovered comment below. It could be helpful for other dog owners too.
Can bee pollen be used to relieve a dog’s cough?
Bee pollen can be helpful in relieving a dog’s cough. Just try to apply doses as I mentioned in this article. If it does not work after using bee pollen for 3 to 4 days. Contact a pet specialist.