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dog next to basket with apples on green grass in the garden
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a familiar proverb. But are apples just as good for dogs as they are for humans? In this article, you’ll find essential information about the question: “Can dogs eat apples?”
Apples are packed with healthy nutrients and make for a delicious and beneficial snack for dogs. They’re particularly high in niacin (Vitamin B3), pyridoxine (Vitamin B6), thiamine (Vitamin B1) and pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5).
They also contain a wealth of minerals and trace elements such as iron, potassium and magnesium. The abundance of pectins (a specific type of fibre) in apple skins can also aid digestion.
For dogs with certain digestive problems, apples can lead to an improvement in symptoms. It’s recommended to supplement the diets of dogs with large bowel diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome with grated apples, increasing the amount of raw fibre in their diet.
Too much fruit can act as a laxative and cause stomach ache in dogs. Therefore, never feed your dog too many apples – a few pieces a day are usually sufficient. Especially with small dogs and puppies, it’s better to be more cautious with the portion size.
In principle, any dog can eat apples, regardless of age, breed or gender. However, you should follow all feeding recommendations to ensure your dog does not develop any health issues.
Also, you should stop feeding apples immediately if your dog shows signs of food intolerance or allergies.
Like their grown counterparts, puppies can eat apples too. It’s important to adjust the amount to your puppy’s weight and always ensure a balanced diet.
It’s particularly crucial during the growth phase to give your puppy the best start in life.
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Whether raw, cooked, with or without peel – not every apple is the same. The rule of thumb is: dogs can eat all types of apples, both raw and cooked, provided they are ripe, unspoiled and core-free. Keep reading to find out what else you should consider when feeding apples to your dog:
Dogs can eat apples with the peel as long as the apple is fresh and the skin is untreated.
If the apple has been sprayed, the chemicals could cause health problems depending on the dose ingested. Hence, you should wash or peel sprayed apples before feeding.
Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a precursor to cyanide (hydrogen cyanide, HCN), which disrupts cellular respiration and in large amounts, is poisonous to dogs. To prevent dangerous poisonings in your dog, you should remove the seeds beforehand.
Applesauce is safe for dogs in small amounts, as long as it doesn’t contain any additional sweeteners or spices. In particular, birch sugar (xylitol) is toxic to dogs and therefore a no-go in your dog’s applesauce.
A tip for the hot summer: Freeze homemade, unsweetened applesauce as a cooling treat for your dog in the freezer – filled in a Kong or on a lick mat, it’s an ideal and refreshing activity snack.
You may give your dog apple cider vinegar to cleanse the gut – but please do so only in consultation with your vet! The recommended dose is usually one teaspoon to two tablespoons – mixed directly into the food or with fresh drinking water.
The most important thing first: in normal amounts, apples are not toxic for dogs – except for their seeds. However, apples can have disadvantages for your dog due to their properties:
As tasty as an apple may be for your dog, one hundred grams of apple contain about 10 grams of sugar. To avoid or get rid of overweight, they should not eat too much of this natural snack.
Eating large amounts of fruit like apples can cause bloating in dogs. If your dog tends to have bloating after eating apples, you should reduce the amount of apples in their diet or stop feeding them apples altogether.
Like all other foods, apples can trigger an allergic reaction in dogs. A cross-reaction with tree pollens, potatoes, or corn has been reported.
Important: If your dog is allergic to apples, it should no longer eat them!
In summary, yes, dogs can eat apples as long as they’re ripe and without cores. Apples provide your dog with numerous useful nutrients that can support your dog’s digestion. Grated apples are often used in veterinary medicine, especially for digestive issues.
However, please bear in mind, that the amount eaten is crucial. Too many apples can have the opposite effect and cause digestive problems. Always stick to general feeding recommendations and ideally consult your vet beforehand.
This article from zooplus Magazine is purely informative. If your pet is experiencing discomfort, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
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At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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