Feeding your dog apples is the perfect nutritious snack. Apples have many health benefits, including a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, carbohydrates and antioxidants. They also have a significant amount of fiber, especially within the peels of the apple, which can assist dogs with digestion. This blog article will further go into depth on the benefits of apples, how many they can eat, how to prepare them, how to incorporate them into your dog’s diet and how we use them as a part of our meal mixes for dogs!
Benefits
Apples are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants. They also have a great amount of fiber, especially within the peels of the apple, which can assist dogs with digestion. Apples are also a good way to freshen up your dog's breath and can help keep your dog's teeth free of plaque and tartar, which is great for their dental hygiene. Dental hygiene is a really important element of dog ownership,expert Cynthia Maro talks more about this. Without the right care, you could be putting your dogs health and comfort at risk, so foods, treats and treatments to keep them fresh are vital.
How many apples can dogs eat?
Ensuring you're feeding your dog apples in moderation is important. When giving apples to your dog as a puppy, ensure you are giving them a small amount to make sure they don’t have an allergic reaction or upset stomach. For a 10-pound dog, you only want to feed them a quarter of an apple. Your dog shouldn’t have a large amount of apples but feed in moderation; they are the perfect healthy snack or dog treats.
How to safely prepare apples for your dog
Important: Don’t feed your dog the apple core or apple seeds, as these contain a small amount of cyanide and are toxic and could lead to cyanide poisoning as well as a choking hazard to your dog.
Before feeding your dog an apple, you want to ensure you wash it thoroughly, as apples and any fruit or vegetables from the grocery store contain pesticides. You want to cut the apple into smaller pieces and remove the core as well as the seeds. Cutting the apples into smaller pieces, such as apple slices or cubes, will make it easier for them to chew and avoid them choking. You may also peel the apple skin to make it easier for your pup to digest. Always ensure you are watching your pup when they are eating to ensure they don’t choke.
Important: Just because dogs can have apples doesn’t mean that they can enjoy human food like apple pie. The added sugar in apple pie is harmful to dogs as well as the added nutmeg. Nutmeg contains a toxin called myristicin which is very toxic to dogs and, when digested, can be harmful. Only ensure you are giving your pooch fresh apples!
Incorporating them into their diet
There are many ways, as a pet owner, you can incorporate apples into your pup's diet! You can feed them to your pup as a fresh snack or treat. You can also roast the apples in the oven and make apple chips for your pup! You can also add small pieces of them into their food to mix things up - just like how we as humans don’t enjoy the same meal every day! Applesauce is another way that you can give your dogs a treat! Ensure that the applesauce is unsweetened and given in moderation. Another way you can make a fun snack for your dog is to slice some apples and add some peanut butter as a tasty treat.
One way we’ve incorporated apples into our brand is in our Organic Oats and Berries Meal Mix.
Our organic oats and berries dog child meal mix uses a blend of oats, apples, blueberries, cranberries and strawberries to create the perfect balanced mixture for your dog's next meal. This mixture was specifically formulated to help support their digestive system and gut health for those pups that need a little extra care. Mixing our organic oats and berries mix with your choice of protein makes for the perfect balanced meal to support your dog's specific needs.
We encourage you to stay connected with our online recipe page to be up-to-date on recipes we make using our Organic Oats and Berries Meal Mix!
