Pineapple for Coco and Bello? Can dogs eat pineapples? Not so easy, the topic of nutrition in dogs. You certainly have at least one four-legged friend at home or are toying with the idea of getting a dog.
An important decision is how you want to feed your dog. Of course, it is important to consider what the dog’s stomach can tolerate and what it prefers to keep its paws off of.
Should pineapple be on your dog’s menu?
This question can be answered with a clear «Yes», because:
- Dogs may eat pineapple occasionally, but
- Pineapple is not part of your dog’s regular diet!
Any why is this the case?
Because the supposedly sweet tropical fruit contains a lot of healthy nutrients on the one hand, but also a lot of acid on the other.
In this case, sour does not make fun, but bad. Too much acid can lead to gastrointestinal problems in our dogs, such as severe flatulence and diarrhea.
Reading tip: You may wonder if dogs can eat lemons. Learn more about this topic in our article «Can Dogs Eat Lemons?».
How to properly feed pineapples:
As with other types of fruit, you should only feed them ripe to overripe fruits.
If the fruit is not yet ripe, this can have serious consequences for your dog. Unripe fruit can cause poisoning.
The tart pineapple should definitely not end up in your dog too often. But you are welcome to give away a piece or two (once) if you treat yourself to a pineapple.
Reading tip: You can eat tangerines for dogs? Find out more about this in our article, Can Dogs Eat Tangerines? and the impact they can have on your four-legged friend’s health.
How your dog best uses pineapple:
If you’re familiar with BARF, then pureeing fruit and vegetables is nothing new to you. Your dog can only use the nutrients it contains by crushing it. The answer to the question «Can dogs eat pineapple?» is also: best pureed!
Some dogs are true fruit fanatics
And there is hardly anything more beautiful than seeing your most loyal friend happy. If you don’t overdo it, you’re welcome to give him a treat every now and then. There is a whole range of fruit types that are suitable for feeding our pet dogs.
You can find a few well-tolerated examples here:
Type of fruitEffect & toleranceAppleParticularly healthy and good for digestion thanks to fiber pectinbananaVery rich in vitamins. Most dogs love them!PearAlso here: dietary fiber pectin ensures balanced digestionStrawberriesSoooo much vitamin C; welcome in moderationBlueberriesOh yes! Blueberries offer your dog great nutritional valueRaspberriesHealthy and harmless vitamin bombPapayadigestive enzyme papain; similar effect & dosage as pineapple
This list could be extended at will.
In addition to the pineapple, there are countless types of fruit that taste good to your dog and offer a welcome change in the bowl.
Fruits such as apples, pears or blueberries are much better suited for feeding than pineapples, for example.
If you barf your dog, you are welcome to have a fruit day once a week. This means feeding your dog pureed fruit with raw meat once a week instead of pureed vegetables.
Can dogs eat canned pineapples?
You should never feed your dog canned pineapple! The canned fruit is placed in a sugar solution.
Sugar can be harmful to dogs.
You can’t make any exceptions here. If your dog adores pineapples, give him some fresh, ripe chunks every now and then!
The same applies to our dogs as to us humans: sweets always in moderation!
This does not only apply to us humans. Of course, our four-legged friends love the little treats in between. However, due to the high fructose content and the acid contained in fruit, you should always feed fruit in moderation.
Too much fruit can not only upset the dog’s stomach, but can also lead to heart problems in the worst case.
Dogs that shouldn’t eat pineapples:
If your four-legged friend suffers from hyperacidity and a sensitive stomach anyway, you should definitely remove pineapple from his snacking plan.
Some dogs have problems with excess stomach acid and the associated heartburn due to feeding or illness.
This is very uncomfortable!
If you are already familiar with this problem with your dog, it is better not to feed it acidic fruit.
Typically tropical – pineapple, what can that do?
The yellow «crested fruit» contains valuable minerals, vitamins and trace elements. The digestive enzyme bromelain contained in pineapple has the task of splitting proteins. Anti-inflammatory and blood circulation-promoting properties are attributed to bromelain. Long known and proven, the enzyme is used to help with swelling, joint diseases and pain caused by injuries.
Lots of nutrients are hidden inside the fresh power fruit:
- Zinc, Iron, Phosphorus, Manganese, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Iodine
- Vitamin C, Biotin, Pro-Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Niacin, Riboflavin and Thiamin
- serotonin and tryptophan
Is there a worm in pineapple?
In the best case no more! Maybe you’ve read that pineapple is supposed to help your dog as a natural wormer? Many dog owners want to avoid giving their pet chemical products and are looking for natural alternatives. But does pineapple really help against worms? That would be nice, but it’s probably a fallacy. Unfortunately, the effect in this regard has not been proven.
Pineapple with a difference
Can dogs dry pineapple? Yes, but only in processed form as a preparation. The positive properties of the super fruit have long been known all over the world. The fruit is now also available on the market in capsule or powder form. Mainly because of the bromelain, which is often offered as a combined preparation with papain and pancreatin. The enzymes can have a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system, digestion and immune system of our dogs.
enzyme preparations for dogs
You already learned in this article that bromelain and papain are digestive enzymes. Enzyme preparations can therefore help your dog with a variety of complaints, such as pancreatic weakness. You should definitely discuss with your veterinarian which is the right preparation for diagnosing your dog.
You can read about the mode of action and use of enzyme preparations here: https://www.netdoktor.de/medikamente/bromelain/
What can dogs eat besides pineapples?
A science in itself! There are several ways to feed your pet. However, you should choose one and not switch between dry, wet and raw feeding every day. Of course, what your dog likes best and what kind of feeding you get along with also plays an important role.
In this summary from ZooRoyal you get a first small overview of what you can safely feed your dog: https://www.zooroyal.de/magazin/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ZooRoyal-Futtermittelliste-2018.pdf