It’s fun to give your dog a taste of the exotic fruits you’ve been trying out.
You may be looking to broaden their gastronomic horizons, enrich their physical makeup, or help them maintain a healthy weight by selecting a tasty and calorie-conscious snack.
Whatever your motivation, it can be difficult to know whether or not an exotic fruit is safe for your dog to eat. No one ever talks about or does anything unusual like feeding dragon fruit to their dog. Can you feed your dog dragon fruit, a pinkish-red fruit with sharp spikes and white, sometimes black, flesh with black specks?
Can dogs eat dragon fruit?
In a nutshell, dragon fruit is completely safe for your dog to eat. You’ll be happy to learn that your dog will enjoy the nutritious, sugary treat. The dragon fruit is also known as pitaya.
You can both benefit from eating dragon fruit because of its many healthful properties. The pink, spiky, and leathery skin of the dragon fruit must be removed prior to consumption. It’s not easy to eat the skin because of how it’s prepared.
Feeding them too much at once can cause stomach upset and loose stools, which is unpleasant for both you and your dog. The soft, almost mushy texture of dragon fruit meat means it may not be to a dog’s liking.
Do dogs like fruit?
Not all dogs prefer gentler materials. Whether or not your dog likes this exotic fruit is, therefore, a gamble.
Because of its naturally sweet flavor, most dogs should come to enjoy dragon fruit. If you know your dog well, you can tell if he or she is enjoying their first taste of dragon fruit.
Dragon fruit (and other dog-safe fruits) can be frozen into bite-sized pieces if your dog prefers a firmer texture. Many canine companions would appreciate a cool, crunchy treat, particularly during the warmer months.
Here are some of the telltale signs that your dog is eager to try some dragon fruit:
- Observing the fruit, or perhaps you, as you consume it, with intense concentration.
- Raised ears, whimpering, and alertness
- Excessively drooling,
- A wagging tail and
- He licked his lips nervously.
- Offering a glimpse into the whale’s perspective,
- When you’re holding or eating the dragon fruit, you have a habit of pawing at your leg.
How Is Dragon Fruit Safe For Dogs?
As with kiwi, the main benefit of dragon fruit for humans does not translate to our canine companions. Because of its high vitamin C content, dragon fruit is extremely helpful to our health. While we might benefit from a daily dose of vitamin C, our furry friends don’t because they produce their own.
Having said that, there are unquestionably advantages for your dog as well.
Dragon fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, as well as calcium, iron, and dietary fiber, all of which aid in the digestive process for canines. As an added bonus, it’s rich in Omega-3, which is known to help a dog’s coat maintain its luster.
In addition, dragon fruit is low in calories and fat, making it a great snack for your dog.
To help matters, dragon fruit is also very tasty and soft for dogs. However, it is important to remember that humans and dogs alike, but especially dogs, should eat sweets in moderation.
Can dogs eat the skin of dragon fruit?
The dragon fruit has a leathery, spiky exterior that is difficult to chew and digest. Before giving it to your dog, cut the dragon fruit in half and remove the soft center. Remove the skin before giving it to them.
Dragon fruit health benefits for dogs
You shouldn’t give your dog huge amounts of dragon fruit, but there are some surprising health benefits to eating these odd-looking fruits in moderation.
Vitamin C
Besides its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin C has been shown to improve mental performance. Vitamin C is not something that humans need to consume, but dogs do. A healthy immune system can benefit from a little extra, and any excess will be eliminated naturally.
Calcium & Iron
Adequate calcium intake is crucial if you want your dog to be healthy, happy, and full of energy all day long. Calcium, as most people know, is essential for developing strong bones and a mature skeleton.
So, to keep your dog’s bones healthy, feed it a small dragon fruit once in a while. Calcium’s benefits extend beyond skeletal muscle to the heart and nerves.
Dogs that get plenty of iron from whole foods, like dragon fruit, live longer and healthier lives.
Red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body, can’t be made or developed without an adequate amount of iron. If your blood is full of healthy red blood cells, you won’t get tired or anemic.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Furthermore, the fatty acids found in dragon fruit seeds are essential to your dog’s diet. Omega-6 fatty acids, of which linoleic acid is a type, are one of the few that dogs’ bodies can’t produce on their own, so it’s important that they get plenty of them in their diet.
Maintaining a proper ratio of fatty acids is essential for optimal joint health, skin and hair vitality, and even cognitive growth and function.
Low calorie
In either case, dogs can benefit greatly from the low-calorie fruits. Your dog can enjoy a small amount of this delicious fruit without worrying about going over his calorie limit for the day because it is low in calories.
You can rest easy knowing that a serving of Dragon Fruit (about 3.5 ounces) contains only 60 calories when fed to your dog.
Be cautious not to overfeed your dog and only give him a small amount of Dragon Fruit on occasion. We’ll discuss the reasoning behind this in greater detail below.
High fiber
Fiber not only keeps your dog’s blood sugar and cholesterol levels stable, but it also promotes regular bowel movements. While 3.5 ounces of Dragon Fruit is perfectly safe for your dog, you shouldn’t give it to them too often because they contain 1.8 grams of fiber.
How Can I Safely Give Dragon Fruit To My Dog?
It’s simple to prepare and serve dragon fruit without worrying about anyone getting sick.
The cherimoya is an example of an exotic fruit that can be completely unnecessary. When a fruit’s seeds are poisonous, even eating the fruit could make you sick. There is still danger even after removal.
However, with dragon fruit, there is no need to remove the seeds because they are edible. The digestive tract is unaffected by them.
Despite being safe to eat, the dragon fruit’s skin has a tough, leathery texture that makes it a challenge to chew. It’s easy to prepare dragon fruit for your dog by first peeling off the skin.
Maybe, though, you’ve seen dragon fruits of varying colors and wondered if they were all equally safe to eat. That’s good news, because they certainly are. When eaten properly and in moderation, dragon fruit of any variety is safe to consume.
Of course moderation is crucial. Any sweet fruit, no matter how benign, can cause stomach upset and loose stools in your dog if given in excess.
Is dragon fruit good for dogs?
Pitaya, or dragon fruit, does have a few minor health benefits, but it is not typically included in a dog’s regular diet. Like many other fruits, it aids digestion because of its high fiber content and low calorie count.
And it has a healthy dose of calcium, an element crucial to bone growth. However, the calcium needs of most dogs can be met by feeding them commercially available dog foods.
Dragon fruit seeds are dog-safe, which isn’t the case with many other types of fruit seeds. They’re so small they pose no choking risk whatsoever, though the whole fruit might if your dog tries to eat it all at once. Cut the dragon fruit into small pieces and introduce it to your dog one at a time.
As was previously mentioned, dragon fruit is a great source of vitamin C. Dogs don’t necessarily need vitamin C in their diets just because it’s recommended for humans.
The American Council on Science and Health suggests that canines generate vitamin C from the glucose they eat. So, there’s no need to give your dog dragon fruit or any other foods high in vitamin C. They won’t get hurt, but there’s no reason to give it to them.
What if your dog eats too much dragon fruit?
If your dog accidentally eats some pitaya, there’s no need to worry. Unless they have an unusual allergic reaction, they should be fine. The discomfort and digestive irregularities experienced by dogs with sensitive stomachs should be mild.
If you’re worried, keep an eye on your dog for the next few hours. They would only need to be taken to the vet if they developed a breathing problem or started throwing up, neither of which are very likely to happen.
When consumed in large quantities, dragon fruits should only cause mild stomach upset. Naturally, you shouldn’t give your dog dragon fruit on a regular or massive scale due to its high sugar content.
As a result of its high cost, however, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have enough dragon fruit at home to create problems.
Which dragon fruit can dogs eat?
White Fleshed Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit poses no health risks when fed to dogs. Pets are safe to eat these fruits because they contain no poisonous substances. These fruits are also beneficial for pets to eat. When the fruit is peeled, the flesh is safe for dogs to eat as a treat or snack. Dragon fruit seeds, on the other hand, are completely safe for canines.
Introduce new foods to your dog slowly and cautiously. Take note of how their stomach reacts to them. No further administration should be continued if sickness develops. Although most dogs will not have any adverse reactions to dragon fruit, it is best to be cautious.
Different regions produce unique varieties of dragon fruit.
Pink Dragon Fruit
Pink dragon fruit is safe for canine consumption. Dragon fruit, with its bright pink rind and white flesh, is native primarily to Vietnam. Pink-skinned varieties with deep to light pink flesh are cultivated in Central American countries like Nicaragua and Ecuador.
Purple Dragon Fruit
Dogs can also safely consume purple dragon fruit. It has a high concentration of the antioxidant betalain and a high folate content. Also, the beta carotene in this is great for your dog’s eyes.
Red Dragon Fruit
It’s okay to give your dog red dragon fruit. They are readily available throughout the year in Costa Rica and the rest of Central America. Numerous vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and more, can be found in it.
Yellow Dragon Fruit
In addition to humans, dogs can enjoy yellow dragon fruit. This plant variety originated in South America. The outside is bright yellow, while the inside is white, and the seeds are dark. Vitamin C content varies greatly among varieties of the same fruit, but yellow dragon fruit tends to have the highest levels.
Conclusion
What about dragon fruit? can dogs eat it? It’s perfectly fine for Fido, but it might not be the best use of your cash. Few people bother to try growing dragon fruit because of the plant’s unusualness. It’s possible that some dogs will find the texture unpleasant. You can feed it to your dog without worrying about them getting sick, but watch the portion sizes.
If your dog enjoys fruit treats, choose apples or pears over other fruits. These are a better value than dragon fruit and contain a little more fiber. Having too much of a good thing is still having too much of a good thing. Avoid giving your dog a lot of fruit and other sugary foods.