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Last Updated on June 28, 2023 by Thee Puppypreneur
CAN DOGS EAT BLUEBERRIES
Can dogs have blueberries? Yes, dogs can eat blueberries and they are considered a superfood. What is a superfood? It is a food that is nutrient rich in many different areas such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Which is supposed to be especially good for your overall health and as it turns out your furbaby’s overall health.
NUTRITION FACTS OF BLUEBERRIES
For example, 100 grams or approximately 3.5 ounces of blueberries contain; 1FoodData Central (usda.gov)
- 0.7g Protein
- 0.34mg Iron
- 6.2mg Magnesium
- 86mg Potassium
- 0.423mg Manganese
- 8.1mg Vitamin C
- 19.3mcg Vitamin K2Blueberries, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories (self.com)
- 6mcg Folate3Blueberries, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories (self.com)
- 6mg Choline4Blueberries, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories (self.com)
- 54 IU Vitamin A5Blueberries, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories (self.com)
One of the benefits of feeding your dog blueberries is that they are one of the few fruits you can give your furbaby to lower their urine pH and make it more acidic with the other fruit being cranberry of course.6What Foods Decrease the pH of Urine? (healthfully.com) I give my fur child organic blueberries in her meals from time to time as these are good for her urinary tract.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FEEDING YOUR DOG BLUEBERRIES
ANTIOXIDENT
Another one of the benefits of blueberries for dogs is that they are considered an antioxidant which means they can help scavenge for free radicals that can build up in your furbaby’s body and cause DNA or cell damage which in turn could lead to illnesses.
If you want to get the most antioxidant benefits out of blueberries then you should not mix them with dairy products. In a 2008 study that looked at mixing blueberries with milk, (this means kefir, yogurt, etc.) it was found that the combination
“impairs the in vivo antioxidant properties of blueberries.”7Serafini, M., Testa, M. F., Villaño, D., Pecorari, M., van Wieren, K., Azzini, E., Brambilla, A., & Maiani, G. (2009). Antioxidant activity of blueberry fruit is impaired by association with milk. Free radical biology & medicine, 46(6), 769–774.
BRAIN FOOD
Blueberries are a good source of brain food.8Hein, S., Whyte, A. R., Wood, E., Rodriguez-Mateos, A., & Williams, C. M. (2019). Systematic Review of the Effects of Blueberry on Cognitive Performance as We Age. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 74(7), 984–995. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glz082 If your furbaby is starting to age, you want to make sure you boost their cognitive brain power. This is their ability to remain alert and not to forget to go outside potty or have changes in their mood like grouchiness.
Blueberries;
“may convey benefits to cognition and mood.”9Bell, L., & Williams, C. M. (2021). Blueberry benefits to cognitive function across the lifespan. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 72(5), 650–652.
OVERALL WELL-BEING
Blueberries also support other functions of the body such as protecting your furbaby’s heart.10Eladwy, R. A., Mantawy, E. M., El-Bakly, W. M., Fares, M., Ramadan, L. A., & Azab, S. S. (2018). Mechanistic insights to the cardioprotective effect of blueberry nutraceutical extract in isoprenaline-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 51, 84–93.
Blueberries also contain anthocyanins which are potent anti-inflammatories. 11Lee, S., Keirsey, K. I., Kirkland, R., Grunewald, Z. I., Fischer, J. G., & de La Serre, C. B. (2018). Blueberry Supplementation Influences the Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Rats. The Journal of nutrition, 148(2), 209–219. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxx027 Anthocyanins can be found in fruits and veggies that are red, blue or purple.
In another study on blueberries in rats it was found that blueberries can actually alter the gut microbiota and reduce inflammation. 12Lee, S., Keirsey, K. I., Kirkland, R., Grunewald, Z. I., Fischer, J. G., & de La Serre, C. B. (2018). Blueberry Supplementation Influences the Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Rats. The Journal of nutrition, 148(2), 209–219. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxx027
Even in rats that had age related liver issues
“blueberry effectively reversed age-mediated disruption.”13Albrahim, T., & Alonazi, M. (2022). Effect of Blueberry Extract on Liver in Aged Rats. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2022, 3490776. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3490776
HOW TO FEED A DOG BLUEBERRIES
You can feed your dog blueberries in a variety of different ways. Can dogs have blueberries raw? Yes, as I always give my fur kid organic, raw, blueberries. I just hand them to her one at a time and she takes them very daintily out of my hand. However, be careful since they are so small, they could pose a choking hazard. Or you can mash them up into a puree a mix them in with your furbaby’s food.
For those of you that worry about giving your dog fresh, small blueberries or don’t want to go through the mess (and yes, they stain carpets and clothes) Another way on how to feed a dog blueberries is this simple jerky treat for you furbaby like this one,
I love these treats because they are made with very simple ingredients like, duck, sweet potato, blueberries and rosemary. It is grain-free, human grade and made in the USA.
Another option if you are looking for extra benefits such as cleaning your furbaby’s teeth while giving them blueberries and without making a mess or staining things is
These chews are not grain-free but they are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council and what this means for you and your furbaby is that they only approve products that meet the criteria for controlling or slowing down plaque and tartar build up on teeth.
Check out our other articles for more information on other foods such as;
