Peaches are a favorite summer snack for humans. These succulent and sweet fruits offer many nutritious health benefits to humans. While enjoying some peaches, you might have noticed your dog gazing at you. It is natural to want to share a slice or two with your dog. If you’re considering sharing peaches with your dog, the question “Can Dogs Eat Peaches?” will come to mind. This article will discuss whether peaches are good or bad for your dog.
Can Your Dog Eat Peaches?
Yes. Your dog can eat peaches. Peaches are not toxic to dogs and are safe to eat. But there are some parts of the peach fruit your dog needs to stay away from. The pit, stem, and leaves of the peach fruit can be harmful to your dog. Regardless, peaches contain many nutrients that are beneficial to your dog. But you have to serve them to your dog in moderation. Feeding your dog excess peaches can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.
Nutritional Benefits of Peaches To Your Dog
Peaches contain many minerals and vitamins that are important to your dog’s health. Like other fruits, peaches contain a high amount of water. This means they are a good source of hydration for your dog on a hot day. Below are some of the nutritional benefits of peaches to your dog.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants in peaches help prevent cellular damage in your dog’s system. They also help to promote a healthy aging process and prevent your dog from developing cancer.
Phosphorus and Calcium
Peaches contain trace amounts of phosphorus and calcium. They help to support immune system function. These minerals are also helpful in bone function and growth.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports your dog’s reproductive system and bone growth. It also helps to boost your dog’s immune system. Vitamin A also supports your dog’s vision. To this end, peaches are good for dogs suffering from night blindness.
Potassium
Peaches contain a good amount of potassium. This mineral is essential in regulating your dog’s blood pressure. It eliminates excess sodium and relaxes tension in the dog’s blood vessel walls. Potassium also helps to boost your dog’s heart health by binding bile acids. Animal research has shown that peaches help to boost heart health.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps to get rid of free radicals that cause damage to your dog’s cells. It also helps to reduce cognitive aging and inflammation in dogs.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E supports your dog’s fur and skin health. Peaches are perfect for dogs with ear infections or dry skins.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that supports the metabolism of fatty acids and proteins. It also aids bone and ligament management. Magnesium boosts energy production in your dog.
Dietary Fiber
Peaches contain a high amount of dietary fiber. Fiber aids food movement in your dog’s digestive system, which in turn aids digestion. Fiber also helps to reduce the risk of constipation in your dog.
How Can Peaches Be Bad For Your Dog?
Peaches are generally not bad for your dog. But it would help if you were careful about feeding your dog some parts of the peach. Below are some ways peaches are harmful to your dog
Choking Disasters
The most significant risk from the peach fruit to your dog is the peach stone or pit. This part of the peach fruit can cause a choking hazard in your small dog breeds. It can also obstruct your dog’s intestinal tract. Obstructions of this nature can become fatal if left untreated. Besides, peach pits have abrasive edges. These edges can damage the lining of your dog’s intestines. Peach pits are also hard, and they can damage your dog’s jaw if it tries to chew on one.
Gastrointestinal Issues
Peaches contain high amounts of natural sugar and are pretty acidic. Your diabetic dog will have trouble converting all this excess sugar to energy. So it is better to ensure your dog stays away from whole peaches. Furthermore, your dog’s digestive system cannot digest excess sugar. If you feed your dog large amounts of peaches, it might lead to gastrointestinal issues in your dog. Also, excess peaches can increase the risk of weight gain in your dog.
Risk Of Cyanide Poisoning
The pit, stem, and leaves of the peach fruit contain trace amounts of cyanide. If your dog eats little of these parts of the peach fruit, there’s no problem. But consuming large amounts can be a problem. Cyanide is very toxic to your dog, especially with liver disease. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning include:
Seizures
Dilated pupils
Hyperventilation
Collapse
Eventual Death
Can Your Dog Be Allergic To Peaches?
Dogs risk getting allergic reactions to any human food you feed them. Allergic reactions in dogs are rare, but they occur. Watch to see if your dog has an allergic reaction before you continue to introduce the food into its diet. Furthermore, it’s advisable to remember the vet-recommended 90%/10% rule whenever you want to feed your dog a human treat. Vet-approved dog food should make up 90% of your dog’s balanced diet. The remaining 10% can be for dog treats If your dog has a severe peach allergy, it can go into anaphylactic shock. Even a slice of peach can cause this reaction, which occurs within minutes. This allergic reaction can be fatal if it’s not treated immediately. It will help if you take your dog to your vet immediately if it exhibits the following symptoms after eating a peach:
Vomiting
Seizures
Pale gums
Diarrhea
Excess salivation
What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Excess Peach or Peach Pit?
Peaches are healthy fruits for your dog to eat. But if your dog consumes peaches in large amounts, there is a probability it might get cyanide poisoning. Your dog could also develop gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea if it eats excess peaches. Watch your dog for symptoms for about 12 hours. If it shows signs of cyanide poisoning or watery stool, call your vet immediately. Besides, the biggest threat to your dog when eating peaches is the peach pits. There is a high probability for your dog to choke on peach pits if it tries to eat them. The pits can also obstruct the digestive tract of your dog. Visit your vet immediately if there are blockage symptoms in the intestinal tract.
Can Your Dog Eat Canned Peaches?
Your dog shouldn’t eat canned peaches. Canned peaches are not toxic, but they contain a very high amount of sugary syrup. The syrup in canned peaches can increase the sugar content in your dog’s system. Too much sugar in your dog’s system can cause diarrhea or a tummy ache. Furthermore, canned peaches might also contain certain preservatives which can harm your dog. It would be best to avoid canned peaches if you want to feed peaches to your dog.
What To Watch For When Feeding Your Dog Peaches
Pesticides
Ensure that you wash all peaches thoroughly before feeding them to your dog. The skin of some peaches might be coated with pesticides to help them grow. These chemicals are unlikely to cause any problems if they are used in the proper concentration. But it is better to err on caution and wash the peaches.
Pits
Before feeding your dog peaches, ensure that you throw away the peach pits. Peach pits cause several health problems for your dog. Also, ensure that your dog doesn’t chew on the pits.
Quantity
You have to serve peaches to your dog in moderation. A few slices of peaches now and then are more than enough. Feeding your dog a whole peach is too much, as it contains a lot of sugar. This much sugar can cause gastrointestinal issues and lead to obesity in the future. The best action would be to give your dog peaches in small quantities.
Pick Fresh Over Canned
When you want to feed your dog peaches, stick to the fresh peach fruits. Do not feed your dogs canned peaches. The high sugar level in canned peaches is not suitable for your dog. Moderate amounts of fresh peach fruits are more acceptable than a spoon of canned peaches.
Final Recap
Your dog can enjoy peaches as a sweet, tasty treat. While the fruit is not toxic to dogs, you must avoid some parts. Get rid of the peach leaves, pit, and stem before feeding your dog. Also, ensure that you do not feed your dog too many peaches. You can also feed your dog the peach skin or flesh, as long as you wash the fruit properly. Before feeding your puppy or dog peaches, speak to your vet first. Your vet will inform you how many peaches your dog can eat. Also, feeding your dogs peaches can worsen certain health conditions. Thus, it’s better to be sure before feeding them to your dog. Therefore, if you’re considering feeding your dog peaches, this post contains adequate information to aid you. In the interim, here are some “human foods” you can feed your dog as snacks per the procedures in each article:
Apples
Raspberries
Cantaloupes
Mangoes
