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Last Updated on June 28, 2023 by Thee Puppypreneur
CAN DOGS EAT APPLES?
Can dogs have apples? Yes, they can! In fact, there are several benefits to feeding you dog apples and are very nutritious and a healthy snack or treat for your furbaby. Just like carrots help clean your dog’s teeth, apples can also help keep your furbaby’s teeth clean. There are many varieties of apples out there including little crab apples which can also be consumed by your furbaby.
DANGERS OF FEEDING YOUR DOG APPLES
You will want to be careful of smaller apples such as the crab apple as their size could pose a choking hazard so don’t let them eat them whole. If you are going to give your furbaby apples, please be aware that you need to remove the core, stem and seeds as these might be harder to digest. The seeds contain a compound called amygdalin which if the seed gets crushed in any way it releases a chemical called hydrogen cyanide1Fact check: Apple seeds have cyanide, but not enough to kill (usatoday.com) , which is toxic to your furbaby.
SYMPTOMS OF CYANIDE POISONING IN DOGS
If you furbaby has ingested seeds (it would take a lot) and you suspect poisoning take them to your emergency vet asap. Symptoms will usually appear within 15 minutes to a couple hours after ingestion and may or may not include rapid breathing or excessive drooling.
NUTRITION FACTS FOR FEEDING YOUR DOG APPLES
Some of the benefits to feeding your dog apples are in the amazing nutrients, from fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In fact, apple skin contains insoluble fiber while the apple itself is a great source of soluble fiber. Dogs need both insoluble and soluble fiber in their diet as insoluble helps bulk up the stool and soluble fiber creates a gel-like consistency to ease the passage through the digestive tract.
For example, according to USDA Food Data, 100 grams of a Red delicious Apple contains;2FoodData Central (usda.gov)
- Riboflavin, 0.066 mg
- Thiamin, 0.009 mg
- Niacin, 0.09 mg
- Vitamin B-6, 0.021 mg
- Manganese, 0.029 mg
- Copper, Cu, 0.024 mg
- Potassium, 95 mg
- Magnesium, 4.7 mg
- Calcium, 5 mg
- Phosphorus, 9 mg
- SUGARS 12.2 grams (can be high in sugar, so feed in small amounts)
HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLES FOR DOGS
ANTIOXIDANT
There are several benefits to feeding your dog apples such as the antioxidants that apples posses to help fight off free radicals in dog’s your body which is one of the benefits to feeding your dog apples. When these free radicals build up, they can cause damage to your furbaby’s DNA and cells and can cause illness. Apples are high in antioxidants so maybe that’s why some people say, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.”
In one study they stated that;
“one or more apples a day may reduce the risk for lung and colon cancer.”3Gerhauser C. (2008). Cancer chemopreventive potential of apples, apple juice, and apple components. Planta medica, 74(13), 1608–1624. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0028-1088300
Apples have also been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, asthma, cancer,4Hyson D. A. (2011). A comprehensive review of apples and apple components and their relationship to human health. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2(5), 408–420. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.111.000513 and improved outcomes related to
“diabetes, weight management, bone health, pulmonary function, and gastrointestinal protection.”5Hyson D. A. (2011). A comprehensive review of apples and apple components and their relationship to human health. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2(5), 408–420. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.111.000513
Apples have been shown to prevent skin and mammary cancer in animals.6Gerhauser C. (2008). Cancer chemopreventive potential of apples, apple juice, and apple components. Planta medica, 74(13), 1608–1624. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0028-1088300 This is also true of people that consume apple juice as well as those that eat raw apples.
GALLBLADDER AND KIDNEY STONES
Apples also contain malic acid. Malic acid has been associated with helping the liver and the gallbladder ease the passage of stones as it is supposed to help soften the stones and dilate the bile ducts. 7Malic Acid Powder – Pure Joy Planet In fact, malic acid was actually studied for its potential to raise the urine pH and potentially prevent calcium oxalate stones from forming.
In case you didn’t know when your furbaby’s urine is too acidic (below 6pH) calcium oxalate crystals/stones can form causing problems down the road for your beloved furbaby that may or may not require surgery. The conclusion to their research basically confirmed that malic acid was capable of raising the acidity in the urine pH and making it more alkaline and
“may be useful for conservative treatment of calcium renal stone disease.” 8Rodgers, A. L., Webber, D., de Charmoy, R., Jackson, G. E., & Ravenscroft, N. (2014). Malic acid supplementation increases urinary citrate excretion and urinary pH: implications for the potential treatment of calcium oxalate stone disease. Journal of endourology, 28(2), 229–236. https://doi.org/10.1089/end.2013.0477
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Apples can also help your furbaby with inflammation. In fact, pectin’s which are found mostly in the apple’s skin have been proven to help mice inhibit induced intestinal inflammation.9Markov, P. A., Volkova, M. V., Khasanshina, Z. R., Martinson, E. A., & Popov, S. V. (2021). Voprosy pitaniia, 90(6), 92–100. https://doi.org/10.33029/0042-8833-2021-90-6-92-100 What this means for your furbaby is that maybe by supplementing your dog’s diet with apples (in moderation of course) they might be able to suppress inflammation or certain digestive issues.
WAYS YOU CAN GIVE YOUR DOG APPLES
IN THEIR FOOD
If you are wondering how can dogs eat apples, you can incorporate them into your dog’s diet daily. This company Just Food For Dogs is amazing and they have this product that allows you to take control of your dog’s nutritional needs by cooking at home for them, following their recipe and then just adding this powder supplement of vitamins and minerals
This particular recipe has beef, potato, apples, liver, peas, carrots, sweet potato, green beans and safflower oil. This company is very transparent and will help you with any and all questions you may have. If making your dog homemade dog food isn’t what you want to spend your day doing then you can also head over to your local Petco and pick up their ready-made version there.
APPLE JUICE
I personally give my little fur kid apples for a variety of different reasons. She is not fond of raw apples so we use Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Juice which contains no added sugars or extra stuff.
Amazon.com : Lakewood Organic Pure Apple Juice, 32 FZ : Grocery & Gourmet Food
and she usually gets 1-2 Tbsp before bed as a snack before I brush her teeth if there are no extra fruits in her home cooked meals as apples contain a lot of sugar.
DEHYDRATED
Or if you’re feeling adventurous try making some dehydrated apple chips at home but they are time consuming depending on the method you choose you may have to give up your oven for 6-15 hours or you could settle on a ready-made dog treat for your furbaby such as these with no extra added ingredients, just one ingredient that is sourced in the USA.
Check out our other articles for more information on other food such as;
CAN DOGS EAT MANGOS? NUTRITION FACTS, HELPFUL BENEFITS AND MORE
