Giving your dog some special treats, in addition to their regular food, will make them happy. Additional treats can also help with training and shows your dog that you love them. Let’s find out about bananas and whether or not you can treat your dog.
Yes, dogs can safely eat bananas. Bananas are a good source of fibre and vitamins C and B6 and potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and zinc. However, it’s important to limit how much bananas your dog eats because they are high in natural sugars. Dogs that have diabetes or are overweight should not eat bananas.
Every dog must have a well-balanced diet to live a healthy life. That means your dog’s daily diet should contain 90% of Balanced dog food.
Health Benefits
These nutrients are vital for maintaining your dog’s overall health.
- Fibre
- Magnesium
- Phosphorous
- Potassium
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
Choosing bananas as natural treats can keep your dog happy while providing various health benefits.
The Wonders Of Fibre
Bananas contain a high level of fibre, which is extremely important for your dog’s digestive system. The fibre content of bananas helps move the various foods nicely along your dog’s intestinal tract. That is one of the reasons why consuming bananas regularly can resolve problems related to diarrhoea, constipation and intestinal blockages.
Necessary Vitamin C
Vitamin C is necessary for dogs because it helps increase their immunity system.
Be Strong With Potassium
Bananas are a good source of potassium. It helps improve your dog’s heart health and kidney health. The potassium in bananas can also help keep your dog’s bones strong and muscles healthy. If you give your dog banana treats regularly, it can also help regulate their fluid levels.
The Power Of Vitamin B6
Bananas contain coenzymes that help your dog’s brain and body function correctly. These coenzymes help build proteins, support neurotransmitters in your pet’s body, regulate hormones, and maintain fluid balance.
Warning For Overweight Dogs
Bananas contain a high level of natural sugars, which means that if your dog is overweight, you shouldn’t feed your dog bananas until their weight is under control. Obesity in dogs can be a serious issue and lead to many health problems such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease.
Choose Other Treat Options For An Overweight Dog
If your dog is overweight, it would be best if you did not give them bananas. However, you can give them a tasty, healthy carrot.
Here is an article explaining why carrots are an excellent choice for adults and puppies and how best to serve it to your dog.
- Brussel sprouts, carrots, and cauliflower are low-fat and full of healthy goodness.
How long does it take for a dog to lose weight?
Depending on how overweight the dog is, it can take a few months or up to 8 months for a dog to lose weight healthily. If you are looking to help your dog lose weight, speak with your veterinarian. Your vet will be able to give you tailored advice, such as ideal breed weight, weight management plan, and which foods are best for your dog. Remember that obesity is a severe health problem for dogs, so your vet will be very concerned.
If your dog loses weight and is at a healthy weight, you can give them a piece of banana. Choose other low-fat options like carrot, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts until the ideal weight has been reached.
Amount
It depends on the size and age of your dog and how much you should give your dog a banana as a treat.
Never give a dog a whole banana!
Large dogs should eat a quarter of a standard size banana. Smaller breeds should only eat half 1 cm piece. Remember, banana is just a treat for your dog and not something they should eat a lot of at once.
- Large dogs: a quarter of a standard size banana
- Medium dogs: a couple of slices of 1 cm banana pieces
- Small dog: half 1 cm banana piece
Senior dogs: cut the amount in half depending on the size of your dog as per the recommended amount above. Older dogs have much more sensitive tummies than healthy young adults, so best to be cautious when offering extra treats to older dogs.
Can puppies eat bananas?
Puppies can be treated with a small piece of banana starting at eight weeks old. Bananas are a good source of fibre and vitamins C and B6 and potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and zinc. They are easy to eat for puppies and pose no choking risk. However, do not give your puppy the peel.
Amount: you can give your puppy half a slice of banana, no more than 1 cm thick. If your puppy is a giant dog breed, you can give them two pieces of 1 cm sliced banana at any one time.
Recommended Read: Healthy Homecooked Simple Training Treats For A Puppy
Introducing New Foods To Your Dog
Firstly check if it’s safe for your dog to eat. Offer only small amounts is ideal for introducing a new food item to your dog. Keep an eye on them for any rare reactions.
Can dogs eat the banana skin?
No, do not let your dog eat the banana skin. Firstly, it tastes terrible, and secondly, the banana skin is hard for a dog’s digestive system to break down, which can cause an upset stomach and intestinal blockages.
The banana inside has all the goodness that a dog can benefit from.
Overfeeding Banana To A Dog
If you keep giving your dog bananas in large amounts, that can lead to some health problems. Bananas have high levels of sugar content, which can cause obesity and diabetes—That’s why it’s so important to feed your dog the correct amount.
However, accidents happen, and perhaps your dog has helped itself to the fruit bowl. The next thing you need to do is watch for signs of illness, and if in doubt, you should take them to the vet anyway.
Overfeeding Banana Issues and their Symptoms To Watch Out For
Excessive feeding can cause several symptoms. Stomachache is the first and the most obvious sign that tells you that your dog has overeaten bananas.
Stomach upset: vomiting and diarrhoea is the standard sign in dogs with a stomach upset due to too many bananas
Constipation: straining during going to the toilet can be an obvious sign of constipation.
Gastrointestinal blockage: If your dogs have consumed the banana skin, it can cause blockages within their intestines. Signs of this are loss of appetite, bloating and general sickness. This problem is more severe and requires a veterinarian’s immediate attention, so if you know that your dog has consumed the skin, it’s best to get them to the vet and not wait for any signs.
Diabetes: If your dog is known to have diabetes and has eaten an excessive amount of bananas, you will need to take them to the vet as soon as possible. Leaving them untreated can send your dog into a diabetic coma and life-threatening dehydration.
Potassium Overload: bananas contain a large amount of potassium, creating additional strain on your dog’s body. Symptoms of this problem are disorientation, weakness or even collapse.
Always keep bananas out of reach of dogs with diabetes, kidney problems, or if the dog is overweight! Also, never feed bananas to puppies under eight weeks old.
Other Fruits
Many fruits are great for dogs to eat if prepared and given correctly. Here is a table with the most common fruits.
| Food Item | Safe | Important Information |
|---|---|---|
| Mango | Yes | Dogs should eat mango in its raw form, pitted and peeled. |
| Pineapple | Yes | Dogs should eat pineapple without the skin or core. Do not give your dog canned or dried pineapple. |
| Raspberries | Yes | Dogs can safely eat raspberries in moderation. |
| Blackberries | Yes | Blackberries are safe for dogs to consume in moderation. |
| Grapes | No | If a dog eats grapes in any form, such as raisins, currants, sultanas, or grape juice, it can have severe reactions that can be life-threatening. |
| Banana | Yes | Limiting how much bananas your dog eats is crucial because they are high in natural sugars. Dogs that have diabetes or are overweight should not eat bananas. |
Do all dogs love to eat bananas?
I’m yet to meet a dog that doesn’t like bananas; however, even though most dogs love the sweet taste of bananas, your dog might be an exception.
Just like human beings, dogs also have individual food preferences. So bananas may not be the preferred food for your dog.
Feed your dog a tiny piece of banana to check if it likes it. If your dog gobbles it up, then it likes bananas. If not, your dog will spit it out.
Can I feed my dog banana cake?
No, it is not safe to feed your dog banana cake. Bananas themselves are safe and healthy for dogs to eat, but adding other ingredients to make a cake becomes unhealthy. Sugar and raisins, in particular, are very harmful to dogs.
Can my dog eat dried banana chips?
It is not safe to feed your dog banana chips. However, it depends on how the chips have been dried. If they have been fried, or if sugar has been used, then it is not safe to give them to your dog. Cooking bananas in specific ways makes them unhealthy for dogs and can be a choking hazard. In this case, fresh is always best.
