Cinnamon for Dogs
A Popular Addition to the Canine Diet
Today I want to address a popular addition to the canine diet, one I see popping up all over – almost as commonly as turmeric – today we look at cinnamon.
Again I’ll say, that an herbalist rarely recommends ANY herb across the board for all people, dogs or any being; the exception here is first aid, in which it makes sense to have a number of staples to calm anxiety, help ease pain and staunch bleeding…but, when we think about going deeper – about tonics, about additions to the diet used to provide generalized benefits, or target conditions, one size most definitely does not fit all.
All herbs have a place but not with every dog, or all the time. Dose, duration, the way in which an herb is administered, and the constitution of the dog all play a key role. Cinnamon has benefits/actions well beyond it’s popular culinary use, and is now becoming popular to give to canines, with claims that are sometimes distorted, or inaccurate.
I want to talk about cinnamon because I keep hearing a fair bit of nonsense about it and want to clear up what I can, plus empower you with some ways to make good use of it.
Let’s take a closer look.
To start; let’s get the right species! The herb we use most of the time in baking or cooking is not the one to use with your dog, in medicinal preparations. The culinary cinnamon is likely to be Cinnamomum cassia, native to Indonesia, and a stronger, spicier tasting version than the one we might think about using medicinally.
Several people have asked, can they not just use ‘regular” cinnamon as a dietary supplement? Well, two things: One, no, it’s not the same and it’s not ideal (for reasons outlined below) and two, nobody should be just adding cinnamon (or any other herb) to the diet of your dog without having a good reason to do so, as well as at least some knowledge of the herbs’ actions, dosing and contraindications, either. Most especially not on a regular basis. So, hold off opening the spice cabinet for now. Once we’ve run through the reasons to use, or not use cinnamon, you can decide with more insight.
The cinnamon you want to use, then, is often called Ceylon cinnamon, but it’s always wiser to know the Latin name, because common names can all-too-easily be mixed up or just plain wrong. The cinnamon to think about using therapeutically is Cinnamomum verum, or sometimes zeylanicum. There is a significant reason to use this type, not simply, as I’ve occasionally heard, that it’s” stronger”. Cassia or sweet cinnamon contains much higher levels of coumarin, a compound that has been linked to liver disease, and has a set toxicity level – the amount we typically consume as humans, in baked goods for example, is safe, but to obtain a therapeutic effect we need much more, and the amount of coumarin becomes worrisome. This is true for dogs; hence we need to make sure of the type before using this herb therapeutically.
The first thing to make good and sure of is, that you have the right kind! Here’s where the Latin name is everything. 😊
Now – what’s all this about adding cinnamon to boost minerals in your dog’s diet? Ok – let’s be blunt. Not a plan! There is a huge backlash against adding synthetic supplements to home made meals, and it’s certainly true that natural, food sources are preferable. But adding a synthetic (and much depends on what type) is almost always preferable to feeding a diet that is seriously low in essential nutrients. Cinnamon and ginger simply do not contain enough of ANY nutrient to be a viable source – you don’t want to feed multiple tablespoons daily, of course, and even then, these herbs are so low in vitamins and minerals you would not be making a viable impact. Think of cinnamon, as with any herb, as therapeutically useful, but not nutritionally.
Monograph
Family – Lauraceae
Parts Used – dried Bark, in powder, chips, sticks – several forms
Constituents – terpenes, tannins, volatile oils,
Actions – antibacterial, antihemorrhagic, astringent, antifungal, carminative, aromatic, anti nausea, hypoglycemic, mildly anti-coagulant
Energetics – warm, drying, mildly stimulating
Traditional and current use – Historically, cinnamon has been a go-to treatment for diarrhea, dysentery, upper GI distress including nausea and vomiting, with most uses focused on the digestive tract (or of course, as a warming and flavouring agent in a formula). Current use includes all of the above but has been heavily focused on its hypoglycemic action, which may be useful as part of a regimen for diabetes. Cinnamon is not often used singly, but as part of a formula to address any of the above. I include it in almost all my blends for sinusitis and chronic respiratory infection, in both dogs and humans.
Possible Applications for Dogs
As mentioned, I rarely use cinnamon alone with dogs.
Recently, on social media, there was a movement that supported using herbs to supply nutrients – essential vitamins and minerals – using herbs and spices. Emphatically, as mentioned above – this is not a practise I support. When we need, say, 20 mgs of manganese per week in a diet, we can supply that with a single, high-quality supplement; if we use cinnamon, we’d need 15 Tablespoons, a lot of this warm and dry herb, not to mention that we have no data as to the actual bioavailability of manganese in cinnamon.
And recently we have concerns about lead, as well. There ARE multiple places in which cinnamon is extremely useful as therapeutically, in small amounts, and that’s the way to think of using this wonderful aromatic herb….as well as added to foods simply to boost flavour.
I use cinnamon in formulas for the GI tract that either require some warming up, a little astringency, or the specific antibacterial actions cinnamon offers (against E.coli and Staph aureus, specifically). I would be unlikely to use a tea made entirely of cinnamon but would instead combine several other herbs with astringent action (for short term diarrhea or long-term leaky gut) and this is one place where it really shines.
Think about using the demulcency of marshmallow root, with the potent anti-inflammatory action of licorice, some gotu kola, elecampane – and then to warm and enhance the mix, a relatively smaller amount of cinnamon chips.
One place I would be inclined to use more cinnamon is with HGE (Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis) in these cases I’d look at more anti-hemorrhagics and astringents, like cinnamon, at least in the short term. But wherever there is bloody or copious diarrhea, a veterinary check is always indicated.
Because cinnamon aids with fat digestion, I generally recommend it with pancreatitis, after the diet has been optimized, of course. I also like cinnamon in home made toothpastes, for the flavour as well as antibacterial action. It’s a standard addition when I bake herbal cookies or biscuits that may be a little plain tasting or even bitter, and I generally include it in respiratory blends for bronchitis in dogs. Any place we need warmth, sweet flavour, some astringency AND demulcency, anti- bacterial action, cinnamon’s a friend.
Preparation and Dose
In an infusion, the main medicinals might be 2 parts each, with some supportive herbs at 1 part and cinnamon at ½. Translated to Tablespoons, we might look at 2 Tablespoons each elecampane and echinacea, with 1 Tablespoon marshmallow and wild yam, and 1 ½ teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon (a bare bones formulation for bronchitis, you would usually include many others to this blend). Mix all of these together and use 1 – 2 rounded teaspoons per 6 ounces hot water, steeped 20 – 30 minutes.
Note these are not hard and fast rules, but guidelines I have found effective. Too much herb or overly long steeping can result in an unpleasant taste that puts your dog off, but you do wat the blend to be strong enough to deliver benefits.
Once I have a well infused (steeped) herbal tea, I like to start my dose below the goal and work up to it, increasing as needed and stopping once I have seen result. So for a blended tea such as the one described above, maybe 2 Tbsps. daily for a toy dog – 2 Tbsps. twice daily for a small breed, 3 Tbsps. twice a day for medium dog, 4 Tbsps. twice daily for a large and 6 Tbsps. 2- 3 times for a giant. This will seem like a very small amount, but it is a starting point, and, depending on the herbs used, can be doubled or even tripled.
However, that depends ENTIRELY on the strong medicinals in the formula, for example we may not want so much Usnea, or Uva ursi, or licorice. All I’m doing here is giving an idea of the way to use cinnamon in an infusion. Susan Wynn gives the technical dose as 5 grams herb to one cup hot water, steeped 15 minutes and used at ¼ – ½ cup per 20 pounds, so that’s a lot of cinnamon. Much more than we typically use in formula.
One can also add cinnamon quills or chips to a decoction – I like to simmer astragalus slices for a long time – I mean, 10, 12 hours – and add cinnamon maybe 2 hours before I’m ready to use. My advice is work with it cautiously, always taste the results yourself, and be clear as to why you are using it.
I like to include cinnamon in electuaries (see July 2025 Newsletter for how to make and use these gentle medicines) with honey and other powdered herbs, to increase palatability and address digestive upset.
Because cinnamon has a hypoglycemic effect, I avoid use with dogs who have diabetes unless I know and am working with the case. Simply adding cinnamon could have an undesired effect on medication/insulin levels.
Recipes
Simple Tummy Tea
In cases of gas, burping, possible reflux, try this gentle but effective tea. Never ignore symptoms that persist after a couple of days, but this tea might be all you need to settle occasional indigestion.
2 Tablespoons Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
1 Tablespoon Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa)
2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)
1 teaspoon dried ginger
Combine all four ingredients well and store in a sealed and labeled glass jar, away from heat and sunlight. To make the tea, use 1- 2 teaspoons of the blend with 6 ounces boiling water – cover, steep 15 – 30 minutes, and give ¼ cup per 20 pounds body weight to start. It’s a good idea to start at the lower end of the scale – one teaspoon of herbs, shorter steeping time, to measure your dog’s response. He may or may not need a stronger brew. Chamomile can make a dog sleepy, so don’t give this infusion before heading out for a busy day. 😊
NOTE: please make sure you obtain all herbs and herbal products from a reliable company like Mountain Rose Herbs (one of many, I am going to post more on this soon).
My Takeaway on Cinnamon is threefold.
1. Don’t bother trying to use it to reach your nutrient goals. While it does contain small amounts of manganese, and some beta-carotene and fiber, there is nowhere near enough to make it viable for this purpose. Use food or a supplement.
2. Make sure you use Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) and not Cassia. This is essential. Using Cassia is simply not safe.
3. Think of cinnamon as a helper, in your formulas, adding warmth to a cold blend, extra antimicrobial action for loose stool, some support with fat digestion, a more palatable taste. It’s VERY helpful in formula, but not so much as the key player.
As always, any chronic or severe health issue will need to be evaluated by your vet.