Can Dogs Eat Peaches?

Can dogs eat peaches?

And if your dog should accidentally consume a peach that you have dropped under the table, will everything be “peachy”?

In this post, we’ll examine the question and find out whether it’s safe for dogs to eat peaches, as well as what the health benefits/ risks might be.

CAN DOGS EAT PEACHES?

The short answer to this question is yes! If you want to give your dog a bit of a peach, then you can do so without worrying about harming their health.

The longer answer though is that you should be careful not to give your dog too many peaches, as they can cause stomach upsets and other issues in the long term.

The biggest risk with giving dogs peaches is that those peaches contain a lot of sugar. Sugar is not good for dogs or humans. In smaller quantities, sugar provides us with a surge of energy that will help us to go about our business.

When we get too much sugar, though, this can overwhelm our systems and cause nerve damage along with other issues. That is even more of a problem for dogs, as dogs are much smaller and have naturally lower-sugar diets in the wild.

When a dog gets too much sugar, it can build up in the blood stream and cause nerve damage. That nerve damage can be extremely problematic and cause tingling in the limbs and even loss of movement or pain.

What’s more, is that when the nerve damage gets severe, it may lead to loss of vision. If a dog should eat too much sugar all in one go, this overdose can potentially lead to heart failure.

The fiber found in peaches can also be an issue. That’s because dogs wouldn’t have eaten all that much fiber in the wild and if they consume too much of it, it can cause digestion issues. The most common result of a dog indulging in too much fiber is that they have temporary diarrhea. While this isn’t necessarily a serious risk, it is still unpleasant and may lead to dehydration—which can be a big problem.

For all these reasons, it’s extremely important not to give a dog chocolate! While peaches aren’t quite as bad, they are still a risk. So you need to keep this as a small and occasional treat or a useful way to get your dog to eat their dinner/ swallow their medicine.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Giving your dog the occasional bit of peach can actually provide some health benefits. For one, it can help to give your dog a great source of vitamin C. Vitamin C doesn’t just boost your dog’s immune system, it also helps to boost their mood as vitamin C is converted into the happiness hormone serotonin the body. Peaches are also very rich in vitamin A, which is good for the eyes and which can help to prevent issues like cataracts – a big problem for some dogs.

HOW TO FEED YOUR DOG PEACHES

If you decide to give your dog peaches, then there are precautions you can take to make them healthier. The first is to peel the peach. This will help to reduce the amount of fiber your dog is getting, while also removing any toxic pesticides. Remember that because your dog is smaller than you, anything that is a slight problem for humans is likely to be a big issue for dogs.

At the same time, you should always remove the pit from the peach. It is not only a choking hazard, but it also contains amygdalin. This is a sugar cyanide and while your dog won’t die if it eats one, it can build up and cause issues if your dog gets more than a few.

It’s also very important to avoid giving your dog canned peaches, which contain lots of added sugar and other additives.

So to help your dog enjoy peaches safely, the best option is to just peel them, then cut off a few small slices. You can lie these on top of their bowl of food, or use them to encourage your dog to eat its medicine. They can even be used as dog treats this way!