People love pineapples, both adults and children love to eat this wonderful fruit, but for dogs, pineapples can be used only as an occasional treat.
If you like to eat pineapples in front of your dog, don’t forget that this is a very sweet fruit, and the digestive system of your four-legged friend might not very suited to digest foods containing high amounts of sugars.
Canned pineapples can be even more dangerous for dogs than the fruit alone due to the very high amount of sugar in the canned syrup.
Are Pineapples Beneficial For Dogs?
The pineapple (Ananas comosus), is a tropical plant part of the Bromeliaceae family that produces an edible fruit, which is also called ‘pineapple’.
A fresh pineapple contains a high amount of Vitamin C, along with riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
Besides vitamins, pineapples also contain a large amount of minerals such as: manganese (Mn), potassium (K), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and smaller amounts of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn).
Manganese (Mn)
Manganese that is present in pineapple will help your pooch to have a proper growth and will also regulate its metabolism.
This could contribute an excessive boost to the digestive system and the immune system of your dog.
Essential antioxidants
Being such a nutrient-dense fruit, the pineapple is full of essential and healthy antioxidants that could reduce bad cholesterol levels in your dog, and could keep him away from dangerous diseases.
Fibers and natural sugar
The pineapple is also rich in fiber and contains a pretty high volume of natural sugar.
Vitamins
Raw pineapple also contains Riboflavin, Niacin and Folate. The high amount of vitamin C in these tropical fruits can boost the immune system of your dog and also helps him to have a healthy development.
All these nutrients (vitamins and minerals) are essential for a well-balanced metabolism, promoting healthy ligaments and a healthy skin in dogs.
Are pineapples healthy for dogs?
The answer is Yes!, but let’s not forget that beside the above nutrients, pineapples also contain about 10% sugar, which means that we can introduce these tropical fruits in our dog’s diet only as an occasional snack.
How To Serve Pineapple To Your Dog?
If you consider that your dog can eat pineapple as a snack (don’t forget the 10% sugar contained), you need to know a few ways to prepare the perfect treat for your four-legged friend.
Being a tasty, very delicious and widely available fruit, the pineapple is preferred (at least for its taste) by a pretty large number of dogs, which means is not so difficult to add it to your dog’s diet.
If your dog is more interested to lick this fruit (instead of eating it), you can start by cutting small pieces of pineapple and mixing them with the dog food.
If the taste of pineapple is not so strong in the food, your dog will eat it with pleasure, and over time, it might get used with the pineapple.
During the summer, frozen pineapple pieces could be a very tasty treat for your dog.
If your dog prefers smoothies, you can use small pieces of pineapple mixed with fruits that can reduce the sugar level in the smoothie (mix small pieces of pineapple with blueberries, cranberries, huckleberries and bilberries) to prepare a delicious and full of nutrients smoothie for your four-legged friend.
If you like to bake for your dog, you can prepare him (or her) sugarless homemade cookies, in which you add a bit of pineapple.
You can even grill a few slices of pineapple and serve them to your dog if he prefers grilled treats.
A Few Words About Canned Pineapple
Canned pineapple is very appreciated by people (both adults and children) due to its sweet and delicious taste produced by the fruit itself and the syrup inside the can.
The problem with canned pineapple is the high content of sugar in the syrup, which can seriously damage the digestive system of your dog and can harmfully increase its blood sugar.
However, if you have only canned pineapple available, you have to take the fruits inside and rinse them in running water to remove the syrup, which contains a large amount of sugar.
If you can, always feed your dog with raw pineapple, to benefit from a low sugar level, and all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients present in the fresh fruit.
How Much Pineapple Should A Dog Eat?
This depends pretty much on the dog’s size.
If you have a tiny dog, a few small pieces of pineapple would be enough.
If you have a medium-sized dog, one or two slices would be enough.
For a large or very large dog, three to five slices would be enough.
Never over-feed your dog with pineapple, and never give him/her pineapple juice because is highly concentrated and very sweet. They get enough juice when eating the raw fruit itself, so you don’t have to give your dog extra juice.
Avoid smoothies, syrup and frappes made only from pineapple, I know that they are very tasty for people, but dogs could suffer after eating them.
Pineapple skin is very rough, and is also less tasty, so you should avoid giving your dog the skin of the fruit because there is a potential choking hazard.
The pineapple leaves and thorns should be avoided, because they contain sap which is toxic for dogs (it can irritate their skin and around the mouth by triggering an allergic reaction).
What about the core of the fruit?
The pineapple core is pretty tough and less sweet, however, your dog may find it hard to chew and even to swallow, because it represents another potential choking hazard for him.
What Are The Risks When Serving Pineapples To Your Dog?
Pineapples contain large quantities of natural sugar and fiber, which can affect the digestive system of your dog.
If your dog shows signs of stomach upset, diarrhea or even constipation (fibers soak up water) after consuming pineapple, stop serving him pineapple and call your vet doctor to see what you can do.
Do not try to solve the problem by yourself, because this way you may only worsen things.
An excessive consumption of pineapple (too often), can cause tooth decay, obesity and even diabetes in dogs due to the high amount of sugar in these tropical fruits.
Conclusion
Moderation should be the key when serving pineapple slices to your dog.
Always give him raw and fresh pineapple, and avoid canned pineapple.
For maximum safety, include slices of pineapple in your dog’s diet only as an occasional treat.
If you see signs of upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation caused by the consumption of pineapple, just stop serving pineapple to your dog.
