Sour makes fun? Does this also apply to lemon and dog?
Videos of four-legged friends playing with the yellow citrus fruits, both funny and amazed at the same time, are piling up on the Internet. A mix of fun and danger?
The yellow citrus fruit is not only sour, but also full of valuable vitamin C up to the skin!
Does your dog need this too? You want to know if dogs are even allowed to eat lemons?
You can find the answer in this article!
In a nutshell: Can my dog eat lemons?
No, dogs are not allowed to eat lemons! Lemons, while high in vitamin C, are not good for dogs due to their high acidity.
Too much fruit acid can attack the gastric mucosa and lead to severe digestive problems and even dangerous gastritis.
Are Lemons Healthy For Dogs?
In general, lemons are very healthy. In addition to the high proportion of vitamin C, they also contain other positive ingredients, such as:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- magnesium
- calcium
- iron
Dogs also benefit from the healthy nutrients in lemons. However, since it is very acidic, it can also cause significant damage.
It is therefore not advisable to feed them lemons. They contain too much fruit acid to regularly end up in the dog’s stomach!
Already knew:
Dogs can produce vitamin C in the body itself, which is why an external supply is not absolutely necessary.
Reading tip: You can eat tangerines for dogs? Find out more in our article on Can Dogs Eat Tangerines and find out what you need to know about this topic!
How many lemons can my dog?
Does your dog love lemons? You got hold of a rare specimen! Dog spirits differ when it comes to lemons – some love them, others hate them.
If your dog has a hard time resisting the tart fruit, you can give them a piece ON THE OCCASIONAL level.
It’s very important that you don’t overdo it and slowly introduce your dog to the acid. Observe carefully whether your dog tolerates the lemon before continuing to feed it.
Danger:
Lemons don’t belong in the dog bowl! You may give your dog a small piece occasionally if he likes the tart citrus at all. However, your dog should not eat lemons on a regular basis!
Which parts of the lemon can I feed?
If you can’t refuse your dog a little vitamin C boost in between, make sure you give it just the pulph to eat.
The citrus fruit peel contains essential oils that can be toxic to your dog. That’s why the videos of dogs playing with lemons are rather questionable…
In the lemon seeds hides a precursor of hydrocyanic acid, amygdalin. This is harmful to dogs, so you should always remove the seeds.
Good to know:
If your dog accidentally swallowed a citrus stone, it’s not going to kill him right away. Nevertheless, you should make sure to completely remove the shell and seeds before feeding.
Lemon poisoning
Too much of the acidic fruit can damage your dog signs of intoxication cause. The toxin psoralen is responsible for this.
If your dog shows the following symptoms after eating lemons, you absolutely must consult a veterinarian:
- nausea
- Vomit
- Tremble
- seizures
- Strong salivation
- rash in the groin area
- Diarrhea
citrus water for fleas
Brilliant! Lemon water has proven itself as a home remedy for fleas. It actually helps get rid of those pesky parasites!
How it works?
- Take a diced lemon to half a liter of boiling water.
- Simmering for a few minutes is enough. You can then let the mixture cool and steep for a few hours or overnight.
- Then put the lemon water in a spray bottle and apply it to your dog’s coat.
Watch out for your head and eyes! Please do not spray here.
- After about 30 minutes, you can rinse off the brew with clear water, along with the annoying fleas.
- You can continue the treatment once a day for a few days.
Before you treat your dog in a self-experiment, you should always consult a veterinarian!
Can dogs drink citrus water?
There is an unequivocal NO here.
Lemon water is only suitable for external use in dogs, for example for flea infestations.
Do dogs like lemon scent?
Essential citrus oil in the diffuser, the most popular cleaning agent or the scent of a fresh lemon – most dogs will take care of this on their own.
Many dogs don’t like the pungent smell and instinctively know that lemons aren’t good for them.
The dog nose has between 120 and 220 million olfactory cells. Humans, on the other hand, only around five million. So it is quite clear that dogs are much more sensitive to certain smells.
Tip:
If you want to do your darling a favor, opt for a neutral cleaning agent the next time you go shopping.
In short, can dogs eat lemons or will they get mad?
You get mad! Dogs are not allowed to eat lemons.
More specifically, feeding lemons can lead to a Overacidification of the dog stomach lead what turn a gastric mucosal inflammation or others indigestion can trigger.
Lemons have no place in your dog’s diet, even though they are actually very healthy!
The disadvantages of feeding lemons outweigh the disadvantages and you are welcome to choose another, more easily digestible fruit.
If something is still unclear to you or you have questions about feeding lemons, just write us a comment below this article!