Dogs are carnivores. But that shouldn’t stop you from adding a piece of fruit to your best friend’s diet. After all, fruit contains important nutrients that prevent your dog from getting sick. Unfortunately, not all types of fruit are suitable for your dog. Time for a round-up!
The fruits on the list below are suitable to integrate in your dog’s diet. Always serve your dog fresh or frozen fruit. Canned fruit or syrups are out of the question, because they contain too many unnecessary sugars.
Strawberries contain little sugar, which turn them into the ideal snack for dogs with (predisposition to) overweight. They’re also packed with antioxidants such as vitamin C to boost your dog’s immune system. Result? He’s less likely to get sick and will recover faster.
Apricots are full of fiber and therefore have a laxative effect to enhance the bowel movement of your dog. The fruit can show its beneficial effect on discomfort such as diarrhoea and constipation. Always remove the kernel first since it carries a high concentration of cyanide, a substance that could become deadly when absorbed in large quantities.
Pineapple contains antioxidants and enzymes that benefit your dog’s digestion. Dogs carrying extra kilos should not overdo it, because pineapple contains a lot of sugar. Let them feast on strawberries instead!
The fiber content in apples is high, so they quickly make your dog feel satisfied. Apples serve its purpose as the ideal fruit to keep your dog’s weight under control. Be careful with the apple seeds that contain traces of cyanide because they are poisonous!
Oranges grant themselves as an excellent thirst quencher for your dog, rich in vitamins. However, do not exaggerate if your dog is overweight, because the concentration of sugar can seriously rise. Oranges also contain a lot of fiber giving them a laxative effect. They can relieve constipation, but also cause diarrhoea.
Bananas serve as a healthy snack for your dog. They are rich in potassium and vitamin B6. Potassium plays an important role in transmitting stimuli to the nervous system and it also lowers your dog’s blood pressure. Vitamin B6 promotes the resistance and digestion of your dog. In addition, it balances blood sugar levels, which prevents energy dips. Your dog is allowed to go bananas!
Melons also act as an anti-inflammatory. Cut them into pieces and spoon out the seeds that are too hard to digest. Eating the seeds causes your dog to suffer from digestive problems such as abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhoea.
Raspberries are high in fiber and low in sugar. Nevertheless, it is advisable not to feed your dog more than a handful of raspberries a day. Raspberries contain a low dose of xylitol, which is a natural sugar. Excessively exceeding the recommended dose can be deadly for your dog.
Honeydew melon tastes wonderfully sweet, which is exactly the reason why so many dogs adore it! And like most melons, honeydew melon is the ideal healthy snack for your four-legged friend. This yellow, sweet fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals to keep your dog in shape. First, remove the seeds and skin and cut the honeydew melon into bite-sized portions so your dog doesn’t choke.
Dogs are allowed to indulge the pulp of cherries, without the cherry kernels. The cherry kernel releases cyanogenic glycoside with every bite. This substance is toxic to dogs and it might make them very sick. Removing every cherry kernel from the cherry is the only solution. That’s a bit messy though, isn’t it?
Mango is a healthy snack for humans and dogs. However, make sure to only give the flesh and not the mango kernel or skin. Persin is released right after your dog bites the kernel. This substance is safe for humans, but extremely toxic to dogs. Eating the skin isn’t poisonous, but it’s very chewy and hard to digest
Feel free to serve your dog a wedge of pear, but be wary of the seeds! Pear seeds contain cyanide – just like apple seeds – which is poisonous for your dog. Remove the seeds and cut the pear into pieces so the dog doesn’t choke.
Peaches are rich in fiber and minerals, such as iron, potassium and calcium. This implies a lot of health benefits for your dog! For example, the fiber contributes to healthy bowel movements an keeps your dog energetic, while potassium helps to develop healthy muscles. Beware to remove the peach kernel to avoid your dog swallowing it. This results in an unfavourable and increased intake of cyanide.
Cranberries contain D-mannose: a great-tasting, simple sugar related to glucose. D-mannose renders the E. Coli bacteria hidden in the urinary tract harmless. As a result, cranberries protect your dog against urinary tract infections.
Figs work well against constipation, thanks to its high fiber content. Overweight dogs should not eat too much of them because figs also harbour a lot of sugar.
Watermelon is a healthy thirst quencher when temperatures tend to rise. It is recommended to remove the kernels, as with the other fruits. The kernels aren’t poisonous, but they still remain difficult to digest and can cause cramps for your dog.
The pulp of lemons is harmless, although most dogs don’t fancy the bitter taste of the citrus fruit at all. Make sure to remove the seeds and skin. The seeds are difficult to digest and the peel contains psoralen, a substance that is toxic to dogs.
The guidelines related to serving fruit juice are in accordance with serving lemon. The seeds and especially the peel of lime are dangerous for your dog but the pulp is harmless. But we bet your dog won’t indulge a piece of lime either…
Although most fruits present themselves as a tasty and safe treat for your dog, sometimes you have to pay attention. Certain fruits are better removed from his diet and here’s why.
Grapes, like raisins and currants, are very unhealthy for your dog. The reason why? That remains ambiguous, but it is well established that eating grapes sometimes leads to acute renal failure in dogs. 20 grams of grapes per kilogram of body weight can be lethal. Raisins are even more dangerous: 3 grams per kilogram of body weight can be fatal for your dog. So never let your dog eat grapes, currants or raisins and or sweet treats like currant buns and raisin bread.
Never feed your dog fruit juice because it contains much less fiber and much more calories than fresh fruit. You should separate the good stuff – which is fresh fruit – from the not so good: fruit juice. We therefore recommend you to treat your dog with a portion of fresh fruit.
Fruit contains large amounts of soluble dietary fiber, which causes motion of your dog’s bowels. The intestines of your dog will push food extra quickly through the digestive system when your dog ingests too much fiber. As a result, the large intestine sometimes doesn’t have enough time to absorb sufficient fluid from food. Result? The bowel movements remain rather runny.
In addition, fruit contains a lot of fructose. When a meal incorporates more fructose than glucose, the body absorbs less fructose. The unabsorbed fructose then ends up in the large intestine where it ferments. This can cause diarrhoea, flatulence and abdominal pain.
Your dog’s size and the composition of the rest of his diet determine how much fruit he can actually devour. The general rule goes as follows: serve 30 grams of fruit per 10 kilograms of body weight a day. A 30 kilograms dog can therefore eat 90 grams of fruit a day. That corresponds to a small bowl of strawberries, a slice of watermelon or an small-sized apple.
Few dogs are allergic to fruit. What often happens is that dogs have a harder time digesting certain fruits than other. Knowing which types of fruits digest well and which don’t is a game of trial and error, so you might want to keep a close eye on him. How does he react to oranges? Does he have trouble pooping after a handful of strawberries? Or does banana cause an itch? Offer each variety separately, so you can easily find out which fruit has caused which physical reaction.
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