DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The information contained in this site is for educational and informative purposes ONLY and is NOT advice. Also, this website and the information contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Please refer to our Disclaimer Policy for more information.
Last Updated on June 28, 2023 by Thee Puppypreneur
CAN DOGS EAT BANANAS
Can dogs have bananas? Yes and No! I shall explain my reason for this wishy-washy answer in depth throughout this post, including the dangers associated with feeding your dog bananas. The simple answer is yes, dogs can eat bananas but I personally stopped feeding my dogs bananas and tomatoes because they have been deemed toxic according to research which I will get into further in this post.
As of right now bananas are being used as an ingredient commercially in dog foods and dog treats but so are tomatoes and green tea.
Some dog treats on the market that contain bananas are these peanut butter and banana dog cookies
Human grade dog food such as this whole grain dehydrated chicken with ingredients such as bananas
And these organic sweet potato and banana oven baked little teddy bear cookies
NUTRITION FACTS AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF FEEDING DOGS BANANAS
The benefits of feeding dogs bananas is that they have a whole host of nutrients. A whole banana contains; 1FoodData Central (usda.gov)
- 0.85 g Protein
- 32.2 mg Magnesium
- 375 mg Potassium
- 25.3 mg Phosphorous
- 14.1 mg Vitamin C
One of the other benefits of bananas for dogs is that they are also a great form of soluble fiber. Some other forms of soluble fiber include oatmeal, beans, and peas. Soluble fiber helps aid in digestion by forming a gel-like consistency, in contrast in-soluble fiber bulks up the stool.
CAUTION WHEN FEEDING DOGS BANANAS
Bananas as you know are high in potassium. However, if you are already feeding a grain-free diet that consist of potatoes then your dog’s diet is more than likely already high enough in potassium. Too high of potassium in dogs is called hyperkalemia and too much potassium can cause heart problems in your dog such as irregular heartbeat. 2High Potassium and Cardiovascular Disease: What’s the Link? (healthline.com)
Another recent discovery by a group of veterinarians from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and two hospitals is that tartaric acid may be the component found in grapes that they think may be what makes grapes toxic to dogs. 3‘In the News’: Updates on Grape Toxicity – Clinical Nutrition Service at Cummings School (tufts.edu) 4Letters to the Editor in: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Volume 258 Issue 7 (2021) (avma.org)
Well guess what! That same component called tartaric acid is found in many fruits and vegetables and YES, it is found in bananas as well as cranberries. 5Tartaric Acid – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics 6Tartaric Acid – Definition, Properties, Structure, and Uses (vedantu.com) 7Which Fruits Contain Tartaric Acid? | Healthfully 8Tartaric acid – Wikipedia 9Tartaric Acid (C4H6O6) – Structure, Molecular mass, Properties & Uses (byjus.com)
So, to err on the side of caution since bananas have tartaric acid in them, I personally do not feed them to dogs. Since this is newly researched as being the potential reason for grape toxicity there will obviously have to be more research into the matter but for now, I am just fine leaving it out of their diet as well as not feeding them tomatoes either.
Again, this is a personal choice of mine and as you can see there are plenty of dog treat and food items on the market that contain banana in them.
Check out our other articles for more information on other foods you might feed your dog or that are in dog food such as;
