We have all grown being reminded to eat vegetables and fruits. Perhaps back then, as young kids, we didn’t comprehend or know the significance of eating fruits and vegetables.
However, today, most of us know that fruits and vegetables are nutritional powerhouses with minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients (that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties among other benefits), fiber, and other vital compounds.
As a pet parent, it is normal to wonder if you can share fruits and vegetables with your canine friend just as we share with them some safe and healthy foods. There is no straight answer. It all depends on the specific fruit or vegetable.
Before you start giving your dog every food you eat, you need to know that our digestive system isn’t the same as that of dogs, and sharing with your canine a lousy diet or foods may cause nutritional deficiencies, long-term health problems, or even cause death.
Today, we will focus on fruits. We will tackle vegetables in a different post.
Dogs and fruits
The is no consensus on the issue of dogs eating fruits. Some people say they are beneficial while others refute, saying they don’t need them or vegetables.
Opponents of giving dogs fruits
Those who refute say dogs that unlike herbivores that chisel-like front teeth and flat premolars and molars for grinding cellulose (rigid cell wall) by the side to side and up and down jaw movement. They further say that dogs have sharp and ridged teeth to help them hold, rip and tear flesh, and their jaws move only up and down.
Secondly, they argue that dogs don’t chew curd. However, this doesn’t seem to hold much water because even humans who eat plants don’t chew curd.
Thirdly, their saliva only lubricates food to help them gulp swallow large junks. Unlike humans and other omnivores (eat plants and flesh) whose saliva has amylase that will help digest starch that fruits have
Additionally, they mention that too much fiber may alter the normal dog’s stomach pH affecting normal digestion and add a lot of fructose and glucose (two sugars in fruits). All this may impact your dog’s digestive system in negative ways.
Wolves, the ancestors of dogs, eat their prey with their gut content. Opponents of fruits and veggies argue that these animals shook their prey’s stomach content from the lining before eating it. If they ate any, it would only be a minimal number of whatever herbivores may have eaten.
However, they seem to concur that canids do nibble wild berries when they are in seasons. However, they do so in small amounts
Fruits are ok for dogs – proponents
Dogs can eat some fruits in small quantities as a treat in moderation or occasional, like a few times a week. Fruits will make a great and healthy treat and have various nutrients. However, not all fruits are good. Some are harmful, toxic, or poisonous. Avoid any toxic ones.
While it is true that as carnivores, dogs do not need fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, or fiber, these pets stand to get some benefits as long as they have them as an occasional treat and not a diet replacement.
All you have to ensure all treats that your dog eats, including fruits, veggies, or commercial treats, don’t go beyond 10% of their total daily calorific intake and not a diet replacement. They are healthy and very beneficial.
Going beyond the10% of a dog’s daily caloric intake may cause various problems such as nutritional imbalances, weight gain, and so on. Excellent dog foods should be nutritionally balanced with the right proportion of the different nutrients they need, and too many snacks, even if they are healthy, will bring an imbalance.
Depending on their size, they will have 1-2 small slices of banana, apple, watermelons, mangoes, cantaloupe, apricot, pears, peaches, pineapples, and 1-2 berries, or a teaspoon of cranberries.
Avoid giving them excessive amounts since they may cause gas, bloating, intestinal irritation, and other digestive problems, even if they are safe.
Carnivores vs. omnivores?
Whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores is a debate with varied opinions. Research has shown that dogs can eat plant material safely. While they share traits with wolves, they are not wolves.
While meat is an essential part of their diet, they have evolved to benefit from other foods with many domestication years, including fruits. Also, dogs, wolves, and other canids scavenge fruits and berries when they are in season.
By eating their prey’s gut content, they eat a little bit of vegetation and any other thing that their prey has eaten, even if they shake it.
Have amylase
While their saliva doesn’t have digestive enzymes, nor their stomach able to digest starch and sugars in fruits, i.e., their pancreas does produce amylase and disaccharidases on their small intestine brush border, which aids in the breakdown of carbohydrate and starch.
Finally, fruits have beta-amylase, which hydrolyses starch to maltose as fruits ripen, making them sweet tasting.
Benefits
Perhaps knowing the various potential benefits that fruits have to your dogs may make you see why you need to give them, and they include:
a). Nutritious
Fruits are nutrient-rich and will provide additional nutrients that include vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and other micronutrients that are beneficial. Therefore, they will promote the immunity of your dog and ensure they are strong and very healthy.
Fruits like berries, pears, and apples, among others, and spices, herbs, nuts, veggies, are rich in polyphenols. For starters, polyphenols are highly beneficial micronutrients in certain plant-based foods, flavonoids, phenolic acids, polyphenolic amides, etc. Their benefits include:
1. Fight chronic illnesses and free radicals
They may hay help fight against some chronic illnesses, including cancers, diabetes, heart disease, etc. While some kibbles have fruits and veggies to provide polyphenols, most are degraded during the cooking process.
A study on tea Polyphenols Display Antioxidants, and Antimicrobial Properties In Dog revealed “higher levels of antioxidants in the dogs’ blood on the tea polyphenol diet. They exhibited increased oxidizing enzyme activity and a 15% reduction in malondialdehyde, a lipid oxidation by-product. These dogs also had less fecal bacteria in their stools, indicating a reduced number of pathogens in their food. It seems that not only would dogs rather eat tea polyphenol-containing food, but it also has potential health benefits.”
This study shows the significance of polyphenols in reducing pathogens in your dogs and for those that have antioxidant properties neutralize the damage free radicals produced by oxidative stress. If not counteracted, they will cause cell and organ damage.
Poor diet, stress, and environmental factors may cause free radicals. Antioxidants like resveratrol and curcumin are some of the useful free radical scavengers.
Similarly, resveratrol common in apple skin reduces bacteria activity thought to contribute to colon cancer formation.
2. Anti-inflammatory properties
Since some have anti-inflammatory properties, they may help manage various diseases that cause inflammation like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, or allergies. They suppress inflammatory enzymes as well as cytokines (the pro-inflammatory immune cells).
3. Nourish good bacteria that boost immunity
Polyphenols feed good gut bacteria that protect the gut lining, help moderate immunity, and produce essential vitamins for your dogs while binding to receptor sites on harmful bacteria.
For instance, catechin and quercetin help arrest the growth of E. coli, while catechin will prevent the development of salmonella and Bordetella bronchiseptica (causes kennel cough).
If your dog has enough of the excellent gut microbiota (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa), it will overwhelm lousy gut bacteria that cause inflammatory by-products. Starch and toxins may contribute to the harmful gut bacteria.
4. Toxin eradication
The liver produces nutrients and removes toxins. Polyphenol helps eradicate some toxins, such as the fat-soluble toxins that the liver cannot readily metabolize. They cling to liver cells, and as they build up, free radicals will also build up.
Polyphenol defends the liver against activating enzymes that neutralizing the harmful molecules and render them to by-products that can exit the body (water-soluble).
5. Kill tumor cells
Block tumor activity, kill tumorous cells, prevent and repair DNA damages from toxins, and aid in controlling hormone metabolism.
6. Improve cognitive functions
Flavonoids like flavonols, Anthocyanins, flavanones, and flavonols that have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and improves cognitive functions, and prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
b). Healthy, low-calorie treat
Secondly, they are low-calorie, low-fat, healthy alternatives to commercial treats, which tend to be high in calories. However, most are high in sugar. When offering those with high sugar to your dog, reduce the amount.
c). Fiber source
Since they have fiber (soluble and insoluble), especially those eaten with their skin, they may help regulate bowel movements (intestinal transit) and thus preventing constipation or diarrhea. Also, fiber will help in weight loss.
While they have simple sugars like glucose and fructose, they won’t cause a spike in blood sugar level since the fiber will slow digestion, and the sugar will slowly be absorbed into the bloodstream. Avoid juices and give them whole fruit.
Fiber will pass the stomach and small intestine without being digested. However, while in the colon, soluble fiber will be fermented to produce short-chain fatty acids that protect mucus gut lining, have energy, and build immunity.
Soluble fiber feeds good gut bacteria, and promotes a healthy gut, helps clear toxins, creates a feeling of fullness for dogs trying to lose weight, binds with cancer-causing substances, among other benefits.
Some fruits such as apricots, figs, nectarines, apples, and citrus fruits have soluble fiber that feeds the good gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids that provide colon cells nourishment ensure a healthy digestive tract.
d). Help in hydration
Also, since most are high in water, they are very refreshing and promote hydration, especially to dogs that don’t drink much water. However, ensure they have clean, fresh water at all times, especially when it is warm.
e). Alkalizing effects
Fruits like cantaloupe, watermelon, mangoes, papaya, kiwis, blueberries, etc. have alkalizing effects. Therefore, they will support organs like the pancreas, liver, heart, kidney, kidney, or hormones that work best in an alkaline environment. Too much acid in proteins like meat will make them acidic, causing inflammation.
F). Enzymes
Some tropical fruits like papaya (has papain) and pineapple(bromelain) are enzyme-rich and so on—some of these enzymes, especially those that support health and are anti-aging or anti-degeneration.
Feeding fruits to dogs
You need to know how to introduce fruits when to stop, avoid, and much more. Let us look at it more.
1. How to introduce them
Introduce them slowly and one type of fruit at a time. Begin with a small amount such as a pea-size to give their tummies time to adjust to the new food.
If your dog has never had fruits before or is under some treatment, talk to your vet before you begin giving him or her any type.
2. Preparation
Wash them thoroughly just as you do to those you eat. Avoid spoilt ones, those with molds, or that fell if you happen to plant them. They may be infested with maggots.
Remove seed or pits, core, stem, as well as inedible rind or skin. Some sources such as apricot, nectarine, plum, peach, apple, or cherry pits are potentially toxic and may also be problematic to your dog.
While it is true that the seeds (stones) of peaches, nectarines, or apricots do have a tiny amount of cyanide, they won’t cause cyanide poisoning should your dogs accidentally swallow them. Even apple seeds do have small cyanide that doesn’t harm anyone who accidentally swallows the seeds.
Besides being potentially toxic, pits may present a choking risk, a reason why we will recommend you remove them.
3. Avoid toxic fruits
Grapes and raisins are known to cause kidney damage, and cherries are toxic. Citrus fruits are not necessarily poisonous but may cause stomach upset, and they include lemons, limes, grapefruits, and persimmons.
4. When to stop
Being healthy doesn’t mean they may not cause issues like stomach upset, gas, diarrhea, and other abdominal discomforts. These symptoms don’t necessarily mean the specific fruit is harmful. You have to feed them too much, or they are allergic to some fruits.
Some of these symptoms like diarrhea, stomach upset, gas, abdominal pain, and skin problems like itchiness and scratching may be signs of allergies or other issues. Also, your pet may be very thirsty.
Discontinue any fruit that causes stomach upsets, diarrhea, or any other health problem and talk to your vet.
5. More feeding tips
If possible, introduce fruits to dogs when they are still young. They may end up liking them for the rest of their lives.
Not all dogs will like fruits, especially raw ones. Some love almost all fruits, while others love a few or don’t at all. If you love fruits so much, don’t give them a lot. Instead, try some of the Best Breed brands with fruits or a base mix like Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Grain-Free Fruit & Veggie Base Mix for Dogs or Purina Beneful Adult Dry Dog Food (with blueberries).
If they don’t like fruits, try experimenting to know which ones they want and those they don’t like. Cut them into small bits, and for larger dogs, you can give them a whole berry or half for a smaller one.
You can also puree or mash them and sprinkle them on their food as a topper or make them part of the homemade dog treats.
Alternatively, you can use fruit juice so long as it doesn’t have any other additive like sugar or preservative. Let it be 100% fresh juice and nothing more.
You can freeze them during the warm summer, especially if they don’t know what to do with the fruit’s new texture. Just add some water or plain yogurt to your ice cube tray and add small fruits and let them freeze. They will be a good treat.
You can also make a smoothie by blending fresh or frozen fruits with chicken, beef, veggie broth, plain yogurt, and offer them.
To make everything more entertaining, hide small fruit pieces in their puzzle toys and let your dog find and eat them. Doing so is a great way to stimulate a dog mentally
Finally, keep changing the fruits you offer to your dog. This variation will provide maximum nutritional benefit and offer variety. Otherwise, it will be monotonous if they keep eating the same type.