A question that we often get asked is; can my dog eat strawberries? The answer is yes they can!
Not all fruits are recommended for dogs, for example cherries or grapes (we will discuss this in another blog) but strawberries are perfectly safe. Obviously, it is not recommended to give your dogs the whole punnet of strawberries, but you can certainly share in moderation.
It is important to be mindful of the fact that strawberries contain natural sugar and also fibre, so if you overfeed your dog, it may cause them to have diarrhoea and/or an upset stomach which in turn may cause vomiting. It is advised that when sharing strawberries with your dog start with just a small few pieces, that way can you ensure that they are indeed a suitable food for your dog and to ensure your pet doesn't have an adverse reaction to them.
When preparing strawberries for our dogs, the first thing we do is remove the green leaves at the top of the strawberries. It is important to wash the strawberries prior to your dog eating them. When sharing with you dog it is advised that you cut up the strawberry in small pieces, ensuring that your dog won’t choke.
For our own family of dogs, we somethings mash up the strawberries or make a puree and mix it to their own food. They love this! This can add a very tasty treat with health benefits to mealtime. During the hot weather we were lucky enough to have during the summer we bought frozen strawberries and liquidised them for the dogs and in the hot weather, it went down a treat.
Dogs will benefit from the eating strawberries just like we do. Strawberries contain vitamins C, B and K as well as magnesium folic acid and they can help strengthen the immune system and can improve your dog’s skin and their coat. It is not recommended to feed your dog strawberries from a can, as the canned strawberries can be packed in syrup and this make the sugar content very high.
You should always consult your vet before feeding your dog strawberries as they can recommend just the right portion for your pet.
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