Does your dog like fruit? Have you ever wondered if fruit is good for dogs? Well, here’s the answer, thanks to David Huner, writing for Pet Problems Solved…
Should Dogs Eat Fruit?
Dogs do not need fruit as part of their daily diet, but an occasional treat of fruit may be okay for them. Dogs are primarily carnivores; hence they don’t need fruits and veggies as part of their daily meals. If you have to give your dog some fruit, you have to choose the options carefully.
What Fruits are Good for Your Dogs?
If you are constantly asking the question; Can dogs eat watermelon? The answer is Yes! The fruits that are considered to be very safe to offer dogs are; Watermelon, Banana, Cantaloupe, and Blueberries.
Different dogs prefer different things when it comes to treats, and for this reason, you might have to try some of these fruits to find out the ones your dog prefer. Unfortunately, fruits are generally considered unsafe when fed to dogs every day because of the amount of sugar in them. Fruits like pineapples and pear are very nutritive, to humans and dogs, but veterinary doctors recommend they must be sparingly offered to dogs. This means fruits should not make a significant portion of their diet.
What Fruits are Considered to be Dangerous to a Dog’s Health?
A number of fruits can be dangerous to dogs. For instance, medical experts suggest that you should avoid giving your dog raisins or dried grapes because they have been found to cause kidney damage in dogs in the long term. The main reason why grapes are quite toxic to dogs is still unknown, but they have been linked to the destruction of kidney cells in dogs, which can lead to kidney malfunction.
In some other researches carried out, some nutritional experts also suggest that fruits such as peaches, nectarines, are apricot must not be offered to dogs because they contain high levels of Cyanide. In some other researches, it is believed that the cyanide in these fruits is quite low, hence they shouldn’t be a source of concern.
Dog owners shouldn’t panic, especially when their dogs eat the core of apples. This situation is similar to humans consuming apple seeds in the core. The risks of cyanide poison in dogs that eat the core of apples are quite low but becomes high when the dog is exposed to eating apples very often. For dog owners to be on the safer side, they are advised to remove the core part of apple before offering it as a treat to their dogs.
Citrus fruits are also considered to be dangerous to dogs because they contain more acid than other types of fruits. Citrus fruits like lime, oranges, lemon, grapefruit, and persimmons contain high acid content that can cause stomach upset in dogs. Fruits with edible skins can carry dirt and harmful pathogens, hence they must be washed thoroughly before giving them to the dogs.
How Much Fruit Should be Given to Dogs?
The amount of sugars in fruits means fruits must be given to dogs in a very limited quantity. A dog’s body can react to sugar more negatively than the human body. It is recommended that you should only feed your dogs pieces of fruits as treats on only the odd occasion.
Experts suggest that fruits should constitute no more than 10% of the total calories of a dog’s diet at any given time.
What are Benefits of Feeding Your Dog’s Fruits Occasionally as a Treat?
Fruits like apple are very rich in fiber and extremely low on fat. For this reason, apples can be the ideal snack treat for overweight, older and suffering from a slow metabolism. Just as in humans, fiber-rich foods are known to aid digestive health, thus ensuring that we have strong bowel movements. Dogs can benefit from occasional feeding of apple to keep their digestive tract healthy and reduce the risk of constipation. The recommended 10% composition of fruit in a dog’s diet must be followed strictly, in this case.
Fruits like apricot and banana are normally recommended as treats for dogs because they are rich in essential minerals such as Potassium and Beta Carotenoids that can fight against certain forms of cancer. You need to ensure that you eliminate the pit, stems, and leaves of apricots before giving the fruit to your dog.
Fruit like blueberries is known to reduce the risks of dogs developing urinary tract infection. Blueberries have also been proven to improve night vision in dogs, just as they do in humans. Fruits like cantaloupe have also been found to reduce the risks of inflammatory disorders in dogs and cats. Make sure the outer skin of cantaloupe is included in the treat, most of the anti-inflammatory substances are hidden inside the cantaloupe flesh or skin.
Watermelon is roughly 92% water; hence it can keep your dog hydrated, in addition to providing the animal with essential vitamins and minerals. You need to avoid feeding your dog with garlic, onions and other similar cooked or raw veggies. Garlic, in particular, is toxic to dogs and it can cause damages to red blood cells. Rhubarb and Mushrooms are also known to be highly toxic to dogs, so also is the corn which has been linked to a number of allergic reactions.
Conclusion
Introducing your dog to fruits and veggies can cause detrimental issues hence you must show some caution by introducing one fruit to them at a time. Mixing different fruits and offering dogs as treat can cause stomach issues that can lead to diarrhea and vomiting. In addition to washing fruits with edible skins, you need to ensure that you remove all seeds, pits, rinds and inedible skins before feeding the fruit to your dog.
Fruits rich in Potassium can also help dogs maintain excellent muscle and nerve function. A healthy muscle and nerve function can help dogs maintain their agility and speed. If you are unsure of what type of fruit to choose, it is better to stay away from giving pets fruits as treats. Most importantly, you should seek the advice and opinion of your veterinary doctor when making your final choices on fruits.
About the author:
David Huner is a dog trainer looking to expand his knowledge on everything dog-related. Apart from learning new stuff on an everyday basis, David also likes sharing his knowledge with the world. That’s why he’s started his own blog named Pet Training Tip, where he shares his pet training tips and tricks.
Comments are closed.