Introduction to Dogs and Bananas

Can dogs eat bananas??

There are plenty of fruit and vegetables worth incorporating into your dog’s diet. But at the same time, some of them (like grapes) can be harmful to your pet’s health.

6 Major Health Benefits Of Bananas For Dogs

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Bananas offer dogs some of the same health benefits that they do for humans. In particular, there are 6 that come to mind:

1. Bananas can promote and help maintain healthy blood pressure. Bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin B6. These two nutrients can help regulate your dog’s blood flow. Low blood pressure equates to healthier heart function.
2. Bananas can strengthen your dog’s muscles. Bananas are also full of magnesium, which plays a major role in muscle maintenance. For active pooches, bananas can help them to ensure they maintain strong muscles.
3. Bananas can increase the strength of your dog’s bones. Potassium in bananas can reduce calcium loss from bones. Meanwhile, magnesium can promote healthy bone growth.
4. Bananas can improve your dog’s brain function. You can keep your dog’s mind sharp by feeding bananas. Along with enhancing heart health, vitamin B6 can promote cognitive capacity.
5. Bananas can supercharge your dog’s immunity. By adding bananas to her diet, you can boost your dog’s resistance to sickness. Bananas contain vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps dogs heal and repair.
6. Bananas can enrich your dog’s digestive health. A medium-sized banana has 2.6 grams of dietary fibre. Bananas are also a prebiotic that helps feed probiotics, the good bacteria in the gut.

The Downside Of Feeding Bananas To Your Dog

Bananas have natural sugars and starches. For reference, a medium-sized banana has 14 grams of sugar and about 6 grams of starch.

Too much sugar and starch can be harmful for your dog. Weight gain can be an issue . Like humans, obesity in dogs can occur when they eat starchy diets.

Although bananas provide digestive benefits, overfeeding your dog can result in upset stomachs. Excess sugar, for example, can often be a cause for diarrhoea. And for some dogs, too many bananas can also lead to constipation.

Can Dogs Eat Banana Peels?

Banana peels aren’t toxic for dogs. But, they’re difficult for canines to chew. That toughness can make them hard for dogs to digest.

If your dog eats a banana peel, she could become sick. Indigestion can result and vomiting is a common symptom that follows.

How Much Banana Can a Dog Eat?

This factor depends on how big your dog is.

• Medium to large dogs should only receive half of a normal-sized banana.

• Meanwhile, small or toy breeds should only eat 2 or 3 tiny slices.

Due to sugar content, feed bananas to your dog only as treats. In general, treats should only make up 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake.

Remember, as with everything, that moderation is key - Gordon Brown famously was reported to eat up to 20 bananas a day!