Green apples can make crunchy, delicious, sour treats for us—and our dogs might enjoy them, too. That’s right—if served safely, green apples can be a safe and healthy treat for dogs. These apples are packed full of vitamins and are an occasional ingredient in dog foods. However, it’s important to be safe when feeding them and avoid feeding your dog the cores or seeds. That’s because the seeds contain harmful substances, and the hard core around them can be a choking hazard. If your dog does eat a whole apple, keep an eye on him and watch for harmful reactions.
The Truth About Dogs and Fruit
If you look up whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores, you might see some conflicting answers. After all, dogs can eat some vegetables, but they don’t need much in their diet to survive. Most experts call them facultative carnivores—that means that they are designed to eat meat, and they can’t digest all kinds of carbs but supplementing with the right plants can be healthy.
Fruits can be a healthy option to add to your dog’s diet. They contain lots of vitamins that can be missed in meat. Many healthy dog foods include small amounts of fruit, including apples, to add natural vitamins. But fruits can also be high in sugar and carbs that your dog isn’t designed to digest. That’s why it’s important to pick the right fruits and feed in moderation.
Benefits of Green Apples
Green apples are a great choice for dogs. Apples of all colors are safe, but green apples are actually usually a little lower in sugar and carbs and higher in vitamins than red apples. Green apples are low calorie and high in nutrients like vitamin A, C, K, calcium, phosphorus, fiber, and antioxidants. They have a high water content, and dogs often like the taste of apples too.
If you want to feed your dog apples, he’ll prefer the same parts that you do—the skin and the flesh. The best way to feed your dog fresh apples is by washing and cutting them into slices or chunks. These can be fed as treats or added to your dog’s food. The equivalent of one or two slices of an apple is a healthy amount for your dog. You can also feed your dog a few tablespoons of apple puree instead.
Possible Dangers of Green Apples
Just like all foods, green apples are only a good choice if eaten correctly. Avoid giving your dog too much at once. That can cause tummy issues as your dog tries to deal with the sugar and carb overload.
Another worry when feeding apples is the choking hazard. The hard cores of apples aren’t safe for dogs to eat. Depending on the size of your dog and how quickly he eats, you might need to cut apple servings into bigger or smaller pieces to make sure they are a safe size.
Along with these issues, you also need to avoid apple seeds. Apple seeds contain small amounts of cyanide, a poison that affects dogs and humans along with many other animals. Eating one apple’s worth of seeds is unlikely to cause harm to your dog but eating a large amount over time can.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, green apples are a healthy choice for adding some fruit to your dog’s diet. They are high in vitamins and in healthy serving sizes can be delicious, hydrating snacks. If your dog doesn’t like apples, there are many other fruits you can try too, including blueberries, bananas, and peaches. When you feed your dog apples, make sure to remove the cores and seeds and you are good to go.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
