Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin B6, a heart-healthy fruit, and their built-in packaging makes it a portable food that is perfect for a quick breakfast or snacking on the go. This popular tropical fruit is delicious and healthy for humans, but can it be shared with your dog?
Bonana Benefits for Dogs This versatile, nutritious fruit is also a healthy snack to share with your puppy – sometimes a veterinarian will even recommend this particular fruit as a healthier alternative to more traditional high-fat or high-salt dog treats. As the largest consumed fruit in the United States, bananas are a convenient, complete, and natural food that your dog may like as much as your family. Most importantly, the health benefits of bananas—such as potassium, are essential for maintaining optimal fluid balance in your dog’s body, or vitamin C to strengthen your pet’s immune system—make it the ideal way to provide extra nutrients to your pet’s nutrients. Vitamin A, folic acid, iron, zinc, riboflavin and niacin are one of the vitamins and minerals your dog can absorb from eating bananas.
Potential Health Problems
There are many commercially prepared snacks including bananas, but you may find that your pet likes to chew on the real thing, as many dogs love the sweetness of bananas. But, like most "human" foods, you still need to control the part when supplying bananas to your dog. While bananas are low in sodium, fat, and cholesterol – they contain antioxidants that can prevent certain cancers and keep dogs healthy skin and fur – they are still a fruit and therefore contain a considerable amount of sugar that can lead to health problems such as obesity and even diabetes.
Generally speaking, moderation is key when giving dogs anything that is not specifically prepared for dogs – for most dogs, a few slices of bananas are OK, but having your dog eat your entire banana is more likely to cause digestive problems such as stomach upset or constipation. When adding any new snacks to your pet’s diet – even fruits and vegetables – you need to start with small portions to make sure it doesn’t cause any stomachache to your pet. On the other hand, because bananas have high dietary fiber content, they can actually help alleviate certain gastrointestinal problems in pets and promote digestive health; magnesium in bananas can also promote bone growth, help the body produce protein, and better absorb vitamins.
Can dogs eat banana peels?
Although the inside of the fruit is a safe snack for your dog, you should avoid feeding your pet any part of the banana peel; although they are not necessarily toxic, banana peels have proven to be very difficult to eat for dogs and can cause life-threatening clogs, depending on the size of your pet and how much peel they consume. Banana peels can also pose a suffocation hazard to your pet. Other banana-related hazards include potentially dangerous levels of potassium and carbohydrates when eating too much.
Other ways to feed your dog bananas
If you find that your dog isn't eating enough bananas, you can choose some all-natural banana slices (without extra sugar) and even make your own banana slices at home - these snacks are easy to carry adventures on hiking or other outdoor activities, and you can also get a great reward when using them during training. On a hot summer day, your dog might go eat some frozen sliced bananas as another delicious dish. The mashable texture of
bananas means that your pet's kibble can sometimes be topped with fresh bananas, or if your dog is a hole fan, either frozen or unfrozen banana mash can be used as a filler. You can also mix bananas with other pet-friendly human foods like peanut butter for a special treat for four-legged friends, or bake them with ingredients like ripe bananas, apples, sweet potatoes and peanuts.