Your dogâs your best friend ⌠so you want to share a bit of that juicy apple youâre having as a midday snack.
As you reach down toward your pupâs salivating mouth, you realize you donât know if apples are safe for dogs to eat.
hmmmâŚ.
You know âan apple a day keeps the doctor awayâ ⌠but does this mean the veterinarian too?
Itâs time to find out whether you should be sharing one of natureâs finest crunchy treats with your furry friend.
Can I Give My Dog Apples?
Any food you can find might contain some level of toxins. So, itâs perfectly natural to question whether adding apples to your dogâs diet is a good idea.
People might tell you youâll poison your dog by giving him apples. Thatâs because apple seeds contain cyanide.
This idea is a bit over-dramatic. So letâs set the record straightâŚ
The Myth About Poisonous Apple Seeds
Yes, apple seeds contain cyanide. Yes, cyanide is toxic. However, apple seeds contain a minute amount of cyanide. This means thereâs only a risk if your dog gets huge quantities.
Veterinarian Dr Marty Becker says, âThe amount of cyanide within a few seeds is so minimal that itâs really not a concern.â
You see, apple seeds contain amygdalin. When crushed or chewed, the amygdalin transforms into hydrogen cyanide.
- At high levels, cyanide is dangerous to both people and pets.
- It would take at least 0.2 mg of cyanide for every pound of bodyweight to cause acute poisoning. That translates to 10g for a 50 pound dog.
- An entire gram of chewed apple seeds would only deliver up to 0.24 mg of cyanide.
- There are about 20 apple seeds in one gram.
So, youâre perfectly fine feeding your dog apples in moderation!
But if youâre worried ⌠or your dog is very small ⌠you can always remove the seeds before sharing an apple with your dog.
Hidden Health Benefits of Apples
You and your dog might just see an apple as a tasty treat. But it can provide many health benefits.
Apples can âŚ
- Provide antioxidants
- Help relieve allergies
- Improve gut health
Those benefits make apples the super-treat your dogâs been begging for.
Apples: Natureâs Allergy Fighter
Itâs heartbreaking to see your dog constantly scratching because his skin is so itchy. Allergies can be a constant source of discomfort for your dog. And the scratching can get to you too!
Thatâs where apples can help!
Apples are a great source of quercetin. Quercetin is a flavonoid that helps to fight off the harmful effects of allergies. Quercetin is known as Natureâs Benadryl⌠and for good reason.
Quercetin is an antihistamine that can reduce irritation, redness, and inflammation. That means less itching for your pup!
- Fresh, whole apples supply about 4.4mg of quercetin for every 100g of apple.
- A good sized apple can be nearly 200g, so one apple can contain nearly 9mg of quercetin.
- Make sure you give your dog the skin. Without the skin, 100g of raw apple only has 1.5 mg of quercetin.
Of course, giving your dog a quercetin supplement might produce faster results. But adding some quercetin-rich food can give an extra anti-allergy boost.
Healthy Tip: Lots of other produce, like berries, also contain good amounts of quercetin. As I reviewed this chart I noticed that lots of dark leafy greens are also high in quercetin.
Feel free to add some of these foods to your dogâs meals. (But skip the onions: even though they have huge amounts of quercetin, theyâre toxic to dogs.)
A Healthy Source Of Vitamins A And C
You do everything you can to avoid chronic disease in your dog. So, itâs important to protect against the negative effects of damaged cells ⌠called free radicals. Free radicals build up in the body. They can cause chronic inflammation, leading to chronic disease and premature aging. So nowâs the time to start fighting back.
The vitamins your dog gets from apples can help protect against the damaged cells ⌠by giving your dog a source of antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals. This helps control inflammation ⌠and can help your dog avoid long term health issues.
- Vitamin C helps your body free itself of these damaged cells.
- Vitamin A supports vision, skin and coat health for your dog.
Benefits Of Polyphenols
Polyphenols are micronutrients that help prevent degenerative diseases like cancer.
- Like other antioxidants ⌠polyphenols can reduce chronic inflammation, promote a balanced gut, and detoxify the liver.
- Apples are a plentiful source of polyphenols, with 200 to 300 mg for every 100 grams of fresh fruit.
Prebiotics From Pectin
Apples contain a substance called pectin.
- Pectin makes up about 50% of the fiber in an apple.
- Itâs a polysaccharide starch in the cell walls of fruits and veggies
- Itâs what makes jams and jellies thicken!
But it also has a valuable role as as a prebiotic food ⌠feeding the probiotics in your dogâs gut. Probiotics ⌠or good bacteria ⌠help your dogâs gut health and support his immune system.
Choose Your Apples Carefully
The amount of cyanide in apple seeds is nothing to worry about in moderation. However, you should still be careful when choosing the apples youâll feed your dog.
Buy Organic
Many kinds of apples are sprayed with pesticides that can transport toxins to your pet. So, stick with organic apples to give your dog a healthy snack without the risk of negative effects.
This is important ⌠because you want to feed the skin to get all the nutritional benefits of apples.
Choking caution: If you have a gulper whoâs inclined to swallow everything whole ⌠donât give him whole apples. Slice them for safety and avoid ER visits!
Limit The Sugar
You try to maintain a balanced diet for your dog. Adding some fruit to your dogâs diet has lots of health benefits ⌠but careful you donât overdo the sugar. Be aware of the varieties that contain higher amounts of sugar.
Green apples ⌠like Granny Smith ⌠are lower in sugar than other popular apples like Fuji or Honeycrisp. People love these apples because of their natural sweetness. But thatâs exactly why your dog shouldnât have too much of them!
If you like giving your dog apples, theyâre a great healthy choice. But donât overdo it. Think of them as a treat or snack.
So just a few slices a day for a medium sized dog is plenty ⌠and far better than a junk food starchy biscuit!