Dogs eating Bananas?
Is it okay to give your dog banana as a snack?
Author: Julia Henriquez
As a dog owner, you’ve likely asked the question, “Can dogs eat bananas?”. Well, the short and simple answer to that question is an unequivocal yes.
But before you start feeding bananas to your dog, there are some important facts to discover.
In this article, I’ll share the pros and cons of incorporating bananas into your dog’s diet. You’ll also learn some useful insights on how to serve this tasty fruit to your happy canine.
If you’re ready to begin, then let’s dive in and get started.
6 Major Health Benefits Of Bananas For Dogs
Every dog owner hopes to give their dog a chance at a long and healthy life. Adding bananas to your canine’s diet is one easy way to ensure that.
Bananas offer dogs some of the same health benefits that they do for humans. In particular, there are 6 that come to mind:
Bananas can promote and help maintain healthy blood pressure. Bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin B6. These two nutrients can help regulate your dog’s blood flow. Low blood pressure equates to healthier heart function.
Bananas can strengthen your dog’s muscles. Bananas are also full of magnesium, which plays a major role in muscle maintenance. For active pooches, bananas can help them to ensure they maintain strong muscles.
Bananas can increase the strength of your dog’s bones. Potassium in bananas can reduce calcium loss from bones. Meanwhile, magnesium can promote healthy bone growth.
Bananas can improve your dog’s brain function. You can keep your dog’s mind sharp by feeding bananas. Along with enhancing heart health, vitamin B6 can promote cognitive capacity.
Bananas can supercharge your dog’s immunity. By adding bananas to her diet, you can boost your dog’s resistance to sickness. Bananas contain vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps dogs heal and repair.
Bananas can enrich your dog’s digestive health. A medium-sized banana has 2.6 grams of dietary fiber. Bananas are also a prebiotic that helps feed probiotics, the good bacteria in the gut.
The Downside Of Feeding Bananas To Your Dog
By now you’ve learned that bananas are a great, natural addition to your dog’s diet. But at the same time, don’t go overboard. The benefits can turn into disadvantages when you do.
Bananas have natural sugars and starches. For reference, a medium-sized banana has 14 grams of sugar and about 6 grams of starch.
Too much sugar and starch can be harmful for your dog. Weight gain can be an issue . Like humans, obesity in dogs can occur when they eat starchy diets.
Although bananas provide digestive benefits, overfeeding your dog can result in upset stomachs. Excess sugar, for example, can often be a cause for diarrhea. And for some dogs, too many bananas can also lead to constipation.
Can dogs eat the banana peel?
Banana peels aren’t toxic for dogs. But, they’re difficult for canines to chew. That toughness can make them hard for dogs to digest.
If your dog eats a banana peel, she could become sick. Indigestion can result and vomiting is a common symptom that follows. Call your holistic veterinarian if your dog’s conditions get worse.
*Digestive support with probiotics helps to maintain a healthy gut*
How much Banana can a dog eat?
Let’s start with serving size. This factor depends on how big your dog is. Wise and Wonderful Integrative Veterinary Center in Santa Rosa, California offers the following daily recommendations:
Medium to large dogs should only receive half of a normal-sized banana.
Meanwhile, small or toy breeds should only eat 2 or 3 tiny slices.
Due to sugar content, feed bananas to your dog only as treats. In general, treats should only make up 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake.
How to Feed Bananas to Your Dog
There are endless ways to serve bananas to your dog. If you’re searching for ideas, here are a few you can try:
Mix bananas in with the rest of your dog’s food.
Mash and stuff them into one of their toys, like a kong.
Give bananas a solid texture by freezing then cutting them into pieces, or dehydrate them in a dehydrator or low oven.
Create a homemade dog treat and use bananas as an ingredient.
What We Know Now About Bananas For Dogs
When it comes to your dog’s diet, you’re careful about what she eats. After all, the food you feed your dog is the foundation of good health.
Dogs are carnivores. But they’re capable of eating a mixed diet that includes fruit and vegetables, too. With assorted minerals and vitamins, bananas can complement a pooch’s balanced diet.
If you start to feed bananas to your dog, remember that moderation is key. That way, she will reap rewards and avoid negative consequences.
