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Our canines are omnivorous creatures—identical to us. That means they might take pleasure in a big selection of meat, fruits, veggies, and grains! If you’ve been in search of a couple of totally different choices, apart from boring canine treats to get your canine’s urge for food going, you would possibly’ve thought of dried fruit.
Fruit is usually a appropriate alternative, and dried apricots are a typical “folks” snack that you could be want to share along with your canine. Ultimately, can your canine eat dried apricots? Yes, canines can eat dried apricots, however due to a couple various factors, it is best to solely feed them to canines as an occasional snack. Let’s get into it.
Why Can Dogs Eat Dried Apricots?
Dogs can eat dried apricots carefully. Apricots is usually a useful fruit deal with, however are often greatest when served recent. The flesh of apricots isn’t poisonous to canines, so as soon as the apricot is dried, it nonetheless is non-toxic to canines. But dried fruits are extra sugary, and smaller quantities comprise extra energy than the recent fruit, so canines ought to solely eat them carefully. In basic, treats and snacks comparable to dried apricots ought to solely make up 10% of your canine’s calorie consumption.
Benefits of Feeding Apricots to Dogs
Apricots Aid in Digestion
Apricots have a ton of dietary fiber which may help hold your canine’s digestion common and wholesome, serving to forestall points like constipation.
However, they need to by no means be used as an everyday additive to the food regimen to get your canine to go to the toilet. If constipation persists for greater than a day or occurs regularly, it is best to at all times get in contact along with your vet to uncover why your canine could be experiencing this.
Apricots Are Full of Vitamins and Minerals
Apricots comprise a number of useful nutritional vitamins and minerals, together with vitamin A for pores and skin and coat, vitamin C for immunity and bone growth, and beta carotene for eye well being. They are additionally supply of the electrolyte potassium which is crucial for correct muscle and nerve operate.
Risks of Feeding Dried Apricots to Dogs
Even although there are advantages, there are a justifiable share of downfalls to feeding your canine dried apricots as properly.
Concentrated Sugars
When the apricot is dried all of the vitamins, together with sugar, are concentrated. Since dried apricots are smaller in dimension than recent ones however comprise the identical quantity of sugar, it’s straightforward on your pup to overindulge and have an unhealthy quantity of sugar.
Calorie Content
Lots of various kinds of dried fruit have a really excessive caloric content material because of the concentrated sugars. Since your canine’s each day calorie requirement must be taken care of by their each day food regimen, any additional ought to undoubtedly be given carefully.
Choking Hazards
Dried apricots are semi-large and a few have a agency texture. If a canine isn’t chewing them very properly, they might get lodged of their throat and be a possible choking hazard.
Upset Tummy
If your canine has too many apricots, or something outdoors of the realm of their regular food regimen, it could completely trigger an upset abdomen. The excessive ranges of sugar and fiber in dried apricots can result in diarrhea and vomiting. This is especially true in canines with delicate stomachs.
How Many Dried Apricots Can Dogs Eat?
Dogs shouldn’t eat multiple apricot at a time—if that. It’s a lot safer if you happen to piece it aside into separate bits so your canine isn’t consuming one huge hunk at a time.
Before feeding dried apricots, examine the packet for any added sugars or other harmful additives, and keep away from any dried fruit mixes as these might comprise raisins that are poisonous to canines.
Feeding Fresh Apricot to Dogs
Fresh apricots is usually a higher possibility than their dried kind. However, if you happen to’re going to feed your canine recent apricots, it is best to at all times take away the pit first.
Apricot pits have a naturally occurring compound in them referred to as amygdalin that converts to cyanide within the gastrointestinal tract. Cyanide is poisonous to each canines and people, however it could have an effect on canines in decrease quantities as a consequence of their smaller physique dimension.
Conclusion
Now you perceive that there may be well being advantages of consuming dried apricots, however fresh fruit is generally a better choice as an occasional candy deal with on your pup. When feeding recent apricots, nevertheless, you need to watch out in regards to the seeds.
Always pit any recent fruit, because the seeds comprise toxins that may make your pet very unwell. If feeding dried apricots, bear in mind one small piece from time to time is lots.
Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock