Strawberries are a real spring and summertime favorite, whether you use them as a standalone snack or as a dessert topper. But human foods can be pretty tricky when sharing with our furry friends.
If your dog is eyeballing you for a bite and you have to do a quick Google, toss the goodies to your pooch because strawberries are 100% safe and healthy for dogs to eat occasionally.
Strawberry Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 3.5 ounces
- Calories: 32
- Moisture: 91%
- Protein: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Fat: 3 g
Composed mostly of water, strawberries are excellent sources of all sorts of vitamins and minerals.
- Vitamin C—promotes immune support, skin health
- Manganese—promotes blood clotting properties and connective tissue support
- Folate—promotes tissue growth and cell function
- Potassium—regulates blood pressure
Strawberries Are Safe for Dogs
Strawberries are a delicious, refreshing, bright red fruit that is enjoyable for canines and humans alike—providing all the health benefits mentioned above. So, your dog can absolutely delight in a strawberry or two, only enhancing their health.
Strawberries are packed with antioxidants and valuable components that will improve your dog’s diet. They work stellar as a single treat or topper to another tasty meal. They might even be a lower-calorie snack to reward your dog for pottying outside. Having a variety only amps up your dog’s motivation to please.
Things to Consider
Even though strawberries are a delicious, fresh nutrient-packed snack, balance is everything. Here are a few issues that result from too many strawberries for dogs.
Sugar Content
Because of the natural sugar content, strawberries are recommended in moderation only. Sure, your dog would like to scarf down the entire bottle, but that isn’t the best idea. All that extra sugar can make them pack on the pounds if you give them too many, too often. The likelihood of this is small, but we still have to point it out.
Tummy Pain
If your dog eats too many strawberries or even green strawberries, it might give them slight gastrointestinal upset. It could result in vomiting, or it could just be something as simple as general discomfort and diarrhea.
The loose stool is possible since the fruit contains so much fiber. You can tell loose stool apart from diarrhea—if you want to inspect closely. Loose stool is mushy and soft, while diarrhea is very watery without much substance. So, the added fiber may make things come out a little more smoothly than usual, but it shouldn’t be totally watered down.
Harmful Additional Ingredients
Strawberries are often found in many desserts. Dogs don’t need to eat sugary desserts for a plethora of reasons. But the main two is that it can have negative side effects on the system and could contain an ingredient that’s very triggering to your dog—and even toxic.
Some ideas that immediately pop into mind are dairy items like ice cream and whipped topping. Or some more sinister ingredients like certain nuts or chocolate. If you think that they consumed anything fishy that isn’t just a strawberry, act accordingly.
Here’s a complete list of foods to watch for from the ASPCA.
How to Serve Strawberries to Your Dog
You can really dress your dogs’ diet up by giving them a variety of fresh fruits, veggies, and greens. If you want to add a few strawberries here and there to their diet, that’s quite simple and possible.
Depending on your dog’s size and the firmness of the strawberries, it’s best to cut them up into pieces.
Also, make sure to move any green areas and stems to prevent any gastrointestinal upset. Before you serve them, wash them thoroughly under the faucet to remove any pesticides and potentially irritating debris.
Once you follow those very few simple steps, your dog can munch on these delightfully sweet berries under your supervision.
Dogs + Strawberries: Final Thoughts
Dogs can absolutely enjoy strawberries in moderation. If your dog gobbled one up before you could protest, know that they will be fine. Even if your dog eats an entire carton of strawberries, the worst they will face is gastrointestinal upset. Usually, strawberries might cause a little bout of loose stool at most due to their high fiber content.
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact your vet for further guidance.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
