Healthy for the Dog: Apple, Banana & More

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away… that goes for the vet too. Because many types of fruit and vegetables strengthen the health of the four-legged friend. We have summarized how to make the dog’s diet healthy and what is harmful to toxic for our “fur noses”.

Spinach makes you big and strong, carrots are good for your eyes, and cucumbers are dehydrating,…. What fruits and vegetables do for our health, they also do for our dogs. Whether in pureed form for the four-legged friend or as a healthy treat in between. A little caution is still required because not every type of fruit and vegetable is compatible with him.

Vegetables

“A large number of different types of vegetables are suitable for feeding dogs. If possible, local and seasonal vegetables should be given preference, but that doesn’t mean that exotic varieties can’t be used,” explains the author and alternative animal practitioner Susanne Günther.

Vegetables are even a very important part of dog food. This digestive tract contains the chopped-up, pre-digested food of the prey. This almost digested food offers the dog the opportunity to eat plant-based food. Dogs cannot break down cellulose (roughage, the cell walls of plants) themselves, so they are dependent on chopped-up plant food to get to the important nutrients”.

Anyone who feeds their dog raw knows: “The greener the vegetables are, the more valuable they are for the dog,” says Günther. Of course, this does not mean unripe vegetables, but leaf salads, for example. With their high base content, they balance out the acidity of the meat. This is important for the dog’s organism.”

You should only feed nightshades seldom or better not at all. “They contain solanine, which is toxic to dogs,” writes the expert. These include raw potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, peppers, and aubergines. “However, under certain conditions, an exception can be made here. Only the unripe fruits of the nightshade family, such as tomatoes or peppers, contain the toxic solanine. Very ripe tomatoes or peppers can therefore be fed to the dog in moderation. Only the yellow, orange or red varieties of peppers should be fed. Green peppers are always unripe, poisonous, and not suitable for dog feeding. In the case of the tomatoes, the green areas at the top of the stalk should always be removed”.

However, what the dog should never be given are eggplant, green peppers, green tomatoes, raw potatoes, and avocados. “Some varieties contain the toxin persin, which is fatal to dogs. Although not all avocado varieties are poisonous to dogs, it is so difficult to distinguish between the individual varieties that the risk would be too great.

Legumes such as peas, lentils, and beans are also not suitable. Types of cabbage such as cauliflower, green cabbage, broccoli, savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and red and white cabbage are only suitable for dogs to a limited extent. Cooked or steamed, they are well tolerated, but when raw they are only advisable in small quantities because they cause flatulence. Chinese cabbage is always well tolerated.

Fruit

“Almost all types of fruit are suitable for feeding dogs, but a few rules should be observed.” For BARF, the following applies: “Like the vegetables and herbs, the fruit must also be pureed before feeding so that the dog can use it”. Of course, it can also be fed in pieces. And thus become a healthy treat between meals – in fresh and dried (untreated) conditions. “Fruit that is fed to the dog in pieces cannot be used by the dog as well as pureed fruit, but it is much healthier than the large abundance of treats that are on the market,” says the animal naturopath.

Whereby the dog should always only get ripe, or even better overripe fruit. “Feeding unripe fruit can have adverse health effects on dogs. Disorders in the dog’s digestive tract can occur. Moldy fruit should never be fed, as moldy areas contain toxic metabolites from mold fungi. Fruits that have indigestible skins must be peeled before feeding. Like bananas for example. Of course, there are apples – if not sprayed – with the peel.