Should You Feed Your Dog Fruit?

Biting into a juicy pineapple or a fresh strawberry tastes fantastic. Fruit is a natural source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for our health. However, is it good for your dog to eat fruit?

Fruit contains fructose, a natural sugar source. So, feeding your pooch a serving of fruit ramps up their blood sugar if you’re not careful with the portions. That said, dogs can benefit from eating certain types of fruit in moderation.

Dogs don’t digest highly acidic fruits well. Therefore, feeding your dog oranges or grapefruits might turn their stomach – leaving you with a mess to clean up off the carpet. So what fruit can your dog eat? Let’s look at all of the options available to your canine friend.

BEST FRUIT FOR DOGS

1. Bananas

Most dogs enjoy this tropical fruit. Bananas are high in potassium and fiber. However, bananas contain large amounts of fructose, so don’t feed your dog too many in one serving.

2. Apples

Dogs love a crunchy apple. To get them to eat it, you’ll need to quarter the fruit into pieces. Remember to remove the seeds. Apple seeds contain trace amounts of cyanide. While it’s okay for humans to eat them, dogs weigh far less and experience higher exposure to the toxin.

3. Berries

Blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins and polyphenol antioxidants.

4. Pears

Another safe snack option for your furry friend, pears have plenty of fiber and vitamins. Remember to remove the seeds before feeding it to your dog.

5. Tomatoes

Many people don’t realize that a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. This nightshade contains high quantities of vitamins. However, make sure you feed your dog ripe tomatoes as unripe fruit contains low levels of solanine, a toxic compound which can affect the nervous and digestive system.

6. Apricots, plums, and peaches

Never serve these fruits whole to your dog. The pit contains natural cyanide like that found in apple seeds. Always remove the pit from peaches, plums, and apricots before serving these fruits to your pooch. These fruits have tremendous health benefits and come packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

7. Papaya

This fruit is excellent for the digestive health of your dog. Papaya contains prebiotic fiber that’s great for boosting the health of the micro bacteria in your dog’s gut.

FRUITS TO NOT FEED YOUR DOG

Not all fruits belong in your dog’s dinner bowl. Here are the fruits to avoid feeding to your furry friend.

1. Grapes, raisins, and dried fruits

There isn’t much research on why these fruits are toxic to dogs. One theory is that they contain a type of mold toxic to animals. These fruits can cause kidney failure in your dog – avoid them.

2. Citrus fruits

Avoid oranges, grapefruits, and lemons. The citric acid found in these fruits creates digestive problems, and your dog will most likely leave a mess all over your living room when they get an upset stomach.

3. Cranberries and hedgeberries

Avoid these berries as they create digestive issues in dogs. Stick to raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries instead.

INTRODUCING FRUIT TO YOUR DOG

Moderation is the key to successfully adding fruit to your dog’s diet. Too much too soon will put them off of eating fruit altogether.

Start by choosing a few fruits from the list. We recommend bananas as an excellent starting point. Always check any fruit for mold, which could cause digestive and kidney issues. Remove the banana from the peel and slice it up. Mash it into your pup’s dinner until they can’t tell the difference between the dry kibble or wet dog food and the fruit.

Always start with small amounts in the beginning. Introducing too much too soon might give your pooch digestive issues.