Some dogs love apples. Pets happily gnaw on juicy fruits, pulling them off the table or picking them up from the ground in the garden. And the question arises: can dogs have apples? Is it worth limiting your pet’s consumption of this seemingly harmless fruit?
Apples are a source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, and others). Among the beneficial effects for the dog’s body are:
- Increasing immunity;
- Prevention of anemia;
- Elimination of problems with stool;
- Improved digestion;
- Maintaining the balance of intestinal microflora;
- Removal of toxic metabolic products;
- Prevention of diseases of teeth and gums;
- She is increasing her physical activity.
The harm of apples for dogs
The fruits can cause harm to the animal’s body if they. Excess of organic acids and fiber leads to decreased beneficial intestinal bacteria, deterioration of enzyme systems, and impaired absorption in the intestines, provoking hypovitaminosis and a lack of nutrients due to their poor absorption, fermentation, and decay processes. Externally, this may manifest itself as the following symptoms:
- Rumbling in the stomach;
- Increased gas formation;
- Diarrhea;
- Weight loss.
In addition, damaged fruits with signs of rot, which can lead to poisoning, are dangerous for dogs. The same applies to purchased fruits – for transportation, they have unique compounds that harm humans and animals. In addition, various pesticides are used during the growth process.
Can you be allergic to apples?
An allergic reaction to apples in dogs occurs in sporadic cases and mainly applies to pets with low immunity, prone to allergies or intolerance to other products. An immune response develops more often when eating red fruits. As a rule, there is no reaction to yellow and green apples.
How to give fruit to your pet
The fruits can be given to your pet fresh, boiled, or baked. Some gourmets accept a pickled apple or dried fruit. The fruit must first be washed and the core removed so the pet does not choke. If the apples are purchased, it is advisable to remove the peel since toxic substances accumulate mainly in it.
You can serve Pieces or grated fruit. If a dog eats apples just like that, it is allowed to provide them separately after the central feeding. Otherwise, you can add apple mass to the leading food.
You cannot feed your dog apple jam, jam, or sweet apple compote.
How much can you give?
Serving size depends on dog traits. Miniature breeds can take half a medium apple daily, 2-3 times a week. Larger dogs can eat one apple per day at the same frequency. Large breeds can two apples once, 2-3 times a week.
For puppies and pregnant dogs
Puppies apples start from the age of three months. It is best to introduce fruit into your baby’s diet as a puree, mixing, for example, with carrots. After the first feeding, the puppy requires observation for 1-3 days. If there are no problems with your health, the portion can.
During pregnancy, fruits will be an excellent iron, copper, potassium, and fiber source. However, if the dog has not eaten apples before, you should not experiment not to provoke intestinal upset.
For elderly and weakened dogs
Older pets can eat baked apples. They do not act so aggressively on the gastrointestinal tract but, at the same time, retain all the beneficial substances. In dogs that are suffering from disorders of the digestive system, dysbacteriosis, weak intestines, and also after surgical intervention on the gastrointestinal tract, the fruits are in the same form as they were in the previous sentence.
