Can apples be given to dogs and in what form?

Whether or not to let your pet eat apples is a question that rarely comes up ahead of time. Usually the owner thinks about it for the first time right after the dog has already stolen the apple. And what will happen to her, and will not something unpleasant happen? No, it won't. You can give apples to dogs, but in certain quantities.

Much, of course, depends on the breed of the dog, age and state of health. There are such pampered four-legged allergy sufferers who cannot tolerate fruits in principle. But most of the dogs living in our latitudes may well eat apples, traditional for Russia. Moreover, it is this fruit that should be considered optimal for introducing healthy vitamin supplements to puppies.

Apples are pectin, essential vitamins, iron, manganese, potassium and magnesium, they are also light carbohydrates, which are needed in order for the body of your four-legged friend to have a normal supply of energy. The vitamin composition of apples enhances immunity, fiber improves digestion. And even dogs with "capricious" digestion (for example, pugs and Shar Pei) begin to go to the toilet "like clockwork", constipation disappears. The animal feels good, it is energetic and healthy.

Dogs usually like the taste of apples.

The answer to this question is quite simple and obvious - if there are too many apples. On a fruit diet, your four-legged pet won't last long. He needs a balanced diet, in which fruit is not the basis of the diet, but only a pleasant addition to it.

If you give the dog too many apples, then fiber, useful for the intestines in moderation, can in large quantities lead to diarrhea, leaching of nutrients from the intestines, hypovitaminosis, digestive disorders, and pathological weight loss of the animal. Fermentation occurs in the intestines, flatulence increases.

Dogs generally do not have apple allergies, but high allergic status breeds may show signs of an inadequate immune response - the dog begins to itch, there are problems with digestion. Experts tend to believe that the reason lies not in the fruit itself, but in the chemicals with which the peel is often treated, if it is out of season, if the apples are imported. Does it mean that apples should not be given to a dog in winter? No, it doesn't. You just need to peel the peel and give the fruit without it.

If you are giving your dog an apple for the first time, do not rush to make your pet happy with a large portion. Limit yourself to a small piece, observe whether the pet loves the taste, whether he likes it, whether there will be an allergic reaction. Serve fruit after your dog has finished his main meal.

Green and yellow fresh apples are suitable for dog food. If your fruits are grown in your garden or at least in your strip, you can give them with the peel. If purchased and imported, then it is better to free the fruit from the peel first.

What the dog is better off from is apple seeds. They contain cyanide, a poisonous compound. And if the pet loves to eat hastily, literally swallows the offered pieces indiscriminately, it is better to cut the fruit into cubes so that your four-legged friend does not choke in a hurry.

Not all dogs take the offered apples with pleasure and enthusiasm.

Small dogs need fruit slightly more than large dogs. The total share of vegetables and fruits in the diet of representatives of small breeds should be about 45%, and for large dogs - no more than 30%. In order not to be mistaken with the quantity and not to harm the health of the pet, remember:

• a dog weighing up to 10 kilograms is given no more than half an apple 2 times a week;

• an average dog weighing 10 to 25 kilograms is given a whole apple three times a week;

• large dogs (over 26 kilograms in weight) can be offered 1 apple twice a week.

It is permissible to give apples to puppies in grated and cut form, you can start at the age of 2.5 months. The puppy can be offered an apple supplement in the diet once a day every day or every other day (in reasonable amounts, of course). It is easier for pregnant dogs to feed apples, even if the bitch did not burn with great love for these fruits before pregnancy. Like humans, a dog's taste preferences change during the period of gestation, the need for vitamins increases, and the dog satisfies it with pleasure by eating an apple, a pear, or bananas.

In the past, wild apples were harvested and given to guard dogs. There is a minus - they are more sour, and not every dog ​​will agree to eat such fruits.

You can give apples to dogs in almost any form - baked, fresh, and even pickled apples are very popular with some dogs. Dried apples are often included in vitamin mixtures and animal feed.And if the dog persistently refuses to eat a fresh apple, try offering him a dried fruit - there is a chance that he will taste finicky.

Do not give dogs apple jam, sweet apple compote, apple jam. All dishes in which, in addition to fruit, a large amount of sugar is present, is not useful for the dog, but destructive. But if you are making a compote from apples without sugar, then the dog can be offered a small portion - as a variety.

If the fruit still caused a negative reaction, then it will be quite simple to recognize it: the pet develops itchy skin, the dog itches. Eyes may begin to water, sometimes "runs" from the nose. Dogs prone to allergies begin to shed their hair quickly. If this happens, do not waste time looking for the product that caused such a reaction, immediately help a friend.

Like humans with allergic sensitization, dogs are given antihistamines (Suprastin, Loratadin, Erius, etc.). Give the dosage in accordance with the instructions for the preparation, which describe the dosage and frequency for children. If the dog is small, halve the infant dose.

After giving first aid, see your veterinarian. Think back to everything the dog ate during the last 24 hours. Sometimes an allergy does not even develop to food, but, for example, to a new rubber ball. Before seeing a doctor, do not give your dog anything that could aggravate an adverse reaction. Provide the dog with plenty of drink - this will help to quickly remove the remnants of the antigen from the body.

Imbued with the potential benefits of this fruit, the owner can offer the dog apples, but for some reason the dog will refuse the treat in any form. In this case, the question arises, how to replace the product? The answer is simple - any other fruit. Offer the dog a pear, a banana, a slice of melon... Sometimes dogs don't like fruit at all. These animals should try offering vegetables such as pumpkin or carrots.

Apples are not a must in the dog's diet. But it will be better for everyone if they are still present in the allowed amount. The easiest way to train your dog to eat them is during childhood.

What fruits can be given to dogs, see the video below.