Fruits are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and they provide several health benefits, including immunity boost, digestive support, healthier skin and hair, and better eyesight. However, they are not only great and delicious for humans alone; fruits are also great for your dogs but in moderation. Some fruits are safe for dogs, but some can be highly toxic, especially when eaten in excess.
More so, you need to understand that dogs digest differently than humans do, and eating the wrong foods like fruits can lead to serious health problems, which can result in death.
So it is important to know which fruits are the best for your dogs and which to avoid completely in their diet.
Best fruits Dogs can Eat
Apples
It feels great munching on apples because they are sweet and contain a rich amount of vitamin A and vitamin C. This fruit also contains a lot of fiber and it is a great low-fat treat for your dogs.
However, you just have to ensure you remove the seeds before giving them to your dogs. The seeds contain traces of cyanide which can be harmful to your canine friend. Hence, make sure the apple you are serving your dog is sliced and deseeded.
Banana
Bananas are rich in vitamins, potassium, biotin fiber, and other minerals, which is essential for a healthy heart and efficient kidneys. This makes this fruit an excellent treat for dogs to enjoy. However, ensure you give your dog this fruit in moderation because they are high in sugar, and can cause your dog to gain weight.
Blueberries
This fruit is rich in antioxidants such as resveratrol, which helps to fight heart and cancer diseases as well as prevent cell damage. The tannin content in blueberries also helps to tackle urinary tract infections. All these features make blueberries an excellent fruit to include in your dog’s diet.
Blackberries
Blackberries are packed with vitamins, mineral, and antioxidants. They make a tasty treat and they help to support a strong immune system and healthy skin. However, beware of giving your dog too much of this fruit as this can give your dog diarrhea.
Cranberries
One of the best fruits you can give your dog is cranberries. They have a tart taste that may not be pleasant to every dog, but the acidic nature makes them a natural urinary disinfectant- more reason why cranberries are recommended for dogs suffering from urinary tract problems.
Melon
You can also give your dog the cantaloupe melon, which is rich in Vitamin A, B, and C. But ensure you give your dog in moderation because this fruit contains a high amount of sugar, and this can be bad for diabetic dogs and those that are likely to gain weight.
You can prepare cantaloupe for your dog by cutting the flesh into chunks and removing the seeds. However, don’t allow your pup to lick the body of the fruit as this may harbor pathogenic bacteria.
Oranges
Oranges are known to be a rich source of vitamin C and can help clear toxins from the body naturally. More so, it can help to boost the skin and coat condition of your dog.
So you can peel your pooch an orange, but ensure you don’t add large amounts of pith, the skin, or the seeds. These parts contain oil that may irritate your dog, so avoid completely.
Coconut
Coconut is rich in beneficial oil that is good for dogs. More so, this fruit is a source of anti-inflammatories that can benefit conditions like skin allergies, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
However, the downside is that coconut meat contains medium-chain triglycerides, which is unhealthy for dogs with delicate stomachs or those prone to pancreatitis. Besides, coconut meat is high in calories and it is unsuitable for pooches on diets.
Honeydew Melon
Honeydew melon is rich in vitamins B & C, and their potassium content is similar to that found in bananas. But the high sugar content makes it unsuitable for diabetic dogs.
However, this fruit works well for making healthy red blood cells due to the traces of minerals, including copper and iron.
To feed your dog, cut the flesh of the melon into cubes, and remove all the seeds. But ensure you don’t feed your dog too much of this melon to avoid diarrhea.
Other good fruits to eat include:
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Pears
- Tangerines
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
Fruits to Avoid
You should avoid fruits like grapes, cherries, and avocadoes in your dog’s diet. These fruits can put your dog at risk of serious health problems that can lead to death.
Grapes
Grape is at the top of the list of fruits to avoid in your dog’s diet. Both grapes and raisins contain chemicals that are toxic to dogs. Even a small serving of these fruits can put your dog at risk of developing kidney failure.
So never add grapes to your dog’s diet, and if your dog consumes this fruit accidentally, ensure you contact your vet immediately.
Cherries
Cherries contain cyanide which can disrupt the ability of your dog’s blood to transport oxygen throughout the body. This can lead to difficulty breathing; hence, try to avoid cherries completely in your dog’s diet.
More so, your dog may be attracted to gorge on the tasty pulp, and it may gobble down the pits by accident. This can be a very life-threatening emergency. Besides, the pits can block the bowels and this can damage the gut wall if left untreated, causing fatal consequences.
Avocado
Avocadoes contain a substance called persin, which is highly toxic to dogs. Although this substance is concentrated more in the skin, the flesh has too much of it for your dog to handle.
So, it is better to avoid avocadoes completely in your dog’s diet, else, you should be ready to face symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, which is characteristic of persin toxicity. If your dog eats this fruit accidentally, ensure you consult your vet immediately.
Apricots
This is another controversial fruit that is a source of toxic cyanide. While the fruit is enjoyable and contains a rich amount of beta carotene and potassium, the pits are dangerous for your dogs.
The cyanide content of the pits can disrupt the transport of oxygen in your body. Besides, the size of the gut is enough to lodge in a small dog’s gut, causing a serious blockage.
So it is better to avoid apricots completely, but if you have to compromise, ensure you slice the fruit off the pit before feeding your dog.
Other fruits to avoid include:
- Plums
- Peaches
- Dates
Conclusion
While fruits are healthy and nutritious and most are safe for human consumption, some are highly toxic for animals, including dogs. So when deciding on which fruits to include in your dog’s diet, it is important to consider the list of best fruits for dogs and fruits to avoid which are highlighted above.
However, if you want to introduce a new fruit to your pet’s diet, ensure you start off slow and add one fruit at a time to know if your dog’s body fully accepts the fruit or show negative symptoms due to allergies.