The Short Answer is “Yes”. Dogs can Eat Bananas in Moderation.
Well, there are several health benefits of eating Bananas, not just for humans but also for our furry friends.
Bananas are excellent sources of fiber, vitamin B6, biotin, manganese, vitamin C, copper, and potassium, making it a highly nutritious food for you and your pooch.
So, feel free to share your banana with your Doggo without feeling guilty about eating it alone and him staring at you with those puppy eyes.
Health Benefits of bananas for your pooch
Bananas are full of Health Benefits, let’s take a look:
1. Keeps the Heart Healthy
Potassium is essential for heart health, especially to regulate blood pressure. It protects your doggo against the risk of heart diseases.
2. Rich Source of Antioxidants
Bananas are a rich source of Powerful Antioxidants including dopamine and catechins which can protect your doggo against several degenerative diseases and slows down his aging.
3. Helps in Digestion
Bananas are rich in fibers that promote a healthy gut. If your doggo is suffering from stomach issues such as diarrhea, loose motions, etc. then bananas can help.
Each banana contains about 3.1 grams of fiber, and since different dog breeds have different fiber requirements, you can consult your vet to set the ideal limit of fiber consumption.
4. Improves Kidney Health
Bananas are a rich source of potassium, a micronutrient that is essential for regulating the Blood pressure and kidney function.
5. Helps in bone growth
One banana contains 33mg of magnesium, something that is very important for your puppy while he is growing as it promotes bone growth and development.
Magnesium also helps in the absorption of necessary nutrients like Vitamins C and E, and Potassium.
However, you should give Bananas in Moderation. Excess of Bananas can have some side effects for your Doggo.
The side effect of Bananas for Dogs
Bananas are healthy when given in moderation. Excess of Bananas can be Bad for Your Dog’s Health.
1. Dental issues
Each medium-sized banana contains about 14grams of sugar – yes, a lot of sugar for your doggo.
Research shows that 95% of dog parents don’t brush their pooch’s teeth regularly, the high amount of sugar in bananas can lead to earlier teeth decay and formation of cavities.
2. Dog headaches
Although there is no way of asking our dogs if they are having headaches, the possibility cannot be ruled out completely. Bananas contain amino acids that dilate blood vessels, leading to headaches.
So, if too much banana consumption is making your dog’s behavior change. Like exhibiting a lack of energy, having a headache, etc.
3. Diabetes
A Ripe banana contains a lot of sugar. Too much sugar is often linked to Early Diabetes in Dogs.
4. Constipation
The excess of Bananas can lead to Constipation in dogs.
What About Banana Peels?
Do not feed the banana peels to your dog in any circumstance as it may cause blockage in the stomach and acute stomach pain. In case your doggo has eaten a banana along with the peel, please consult your vet immediately.
How to feed bananas to your dogs
Unlike humans, dogs have to stick to a more or less fixed diet and eat the same dog treats. So, finding ways to stir up that same old dietary routine will always cheer up your Furry Friend.
Now, you can simply cut the banana into small pieces and feed it your pooch or mash it up into a tasty paste that he can gulp down easily.
But one of the popular ways of feeding bananas, popular among dogs, is by baking them into dog treats.
Peanut butter and banana dog treat
What you need – 1 egg, ½ cup wheat germ, 1/3 cup peanut butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg white beaten lightly, 1 cup flour, and ½ cup mashed bananas.
What you get finally – a dozen treats with a cooking time of 30 minutes.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
- Grease the baking sheet to avoid the biscuit batter from sticking to the surface.
- Mix 1 egg, 1/3 peanut butter, ½ cup mashed bananas, and the honey together. Keep stirring until you get a smooth texture.
- Add the ½ cup wheat germ and 1 cup of flour into the same mix and keep stirring.
- Now that you have your dough nice and ready, you can use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes that your pooch loves.
- Place the shapes on the baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 30mins.
After cooling, its time for your furry little friend to enjoy some delicious treats.
Now that we have shown you ways of feeding bananas to your dog, you might want to know about some other fruits that your doggo might enjoy.
Some other fruits that your doggo can enjoy are apples( without the core and seeds), blackberries( two or three at a time is enough), blueberries(also two or three at a time), cantaloupe, cranberries, kiwi(half a slice at a time), oranges( rind and seeds removed), pears, raspberries( two or three at a time), strawberries and watermelons( in small slices with the rind and seeds removed).
Some Fruits and Veggies that Your Doggo should Avoid are Grapes, Avocados, Raw Potatoes, Onions & Garlic, Mushrooms, Tomato stems.
Fruits contain great nutrient value even for our dogs. Almost all fruits have their benefits but you must keep in mind to make small slices and remove all the seeds, peels, rinds, and anything else that may be hazardous for your dog.
Got questions? Message us or leave a comment below. We will be happy to help you and your doggo.
