Can Dogs Eat Oranges? Is an Orange Bad for a Dog
When you think about the food a dog eats, there is more than a better chance that you start to think about some type of meat. However, some dogs will simply go crazy when it comes time to eat fruit.
Some of the better-known fruits that dogs are notorious for eating include bananas, apples and blueberries. In fact, there is a good chance that these fruits are even listed in the ingredients of your dog food and dog treats. The main benefit of your dog eating fruit is that the fruits are going to help promote better health within your dog. If that weren’t enough to get you onto the fruit bandwagon, these same fruits may even become your dog’s new favorite snack as they have a delicious flavor and are typically very sweet.
Unfortunately, not all fruit is good to feed your dog. There are some fruits that are toxic to dogs, and these include macadamia nuts and grapes. If your dog eats them, they have the potential to poison them. Now that you know most fruit is good for you dog, what does that have to do with oranges?
Can Dogs Eat Oranges?
To put it as simply as possible, dogs can definitely eat oranges, and they will more than likely love the sweetness that the orange provides. On top of that, the natural sugars that the orange has are safe for your dog to eat as well. So oranges are good for dogs.
As for how much orange you should be feeding your dog, if your dog is on the smaller size, about 1/3 of a whole, regular sized orange. If you have a larger dog, having them eat the entire orange is absolutely fine.
Since oranges are notorious for having a lot of vitamin C in them, that particular vitamin is also a water-soluble one. This means that your dog is able to eat as much vitamin C as they want, as any extra will simply be urinated out of their body.
Benefits of Oranges for Your Dog
Vitamin C is an essential building block when it comes to the health of your dog. In fact, in some cases where your dog gets an extreme amount of exercise or even an extreme amount of stress, their production of vitamin C can be greatly impaired. If your dog is in a similar situation, it is actually very beneficial for the additional vitamin C to be supplemented into their daily diet. For most pets, however, this is typically not your dog’s situation. Since dogs can eat oranges and they do have health benefits, some of the questions you may be asking yourself are:
- Can dogs eat mandarin oranges?
- Can dogs eat tangerines?
- Can doges eat clementine’?
The answer to all of the above questions is yes. Nutrients that can be found in oranges have been proven to have a positive health effect on the immune system of your dog. Also, if your dog ever ingests some type of toxic substance, vitamin C can play a vital role in helping to eliminate the ingested toxic substance. This can include things such as propylene glycol, onion powder, as well as other types of oxidative toxins.
Hazards of Oranges for Your Dog
While we have just discussed some of the positive benefits that oranges can have when they are part of your dog’s diet, there are also some hazards that oranges can pose as well.
One such hazard is the amount of extra calories that can be found in your dog’s diet when oranges are incorporated. If you continue to feed them the same amount of their regular food, when you add in oranges, it simply adds even more calories into their daily calories. On top of the extra calories, the extra sugars that are found in oranges can also cause a problem for the same reason as the extra calories. When you start to increase the amount of calories and sugars in your dog’s daily diet, but without subtracting calories from some place else to balance it, your dog will eventually start to gain excess weight, which comes with its own set of problems.
Oranges are also able to affect your dog’s blood values if they are diabetic. This is due more to the amount of vitamin C, as opposed to the sugar levels. If your dog does suffer from diabetes, it would be best to simply avoid oranges altogether; otherwise, some serious health complications can potentially arise.
While most already know about the high levels of vitamin C in oranges, what most people don’t realize is that the outer rind of the orange also contains a large amount of the vitamin as well. On top of that, the outer rind of an orange also contains many other minerals and vitamins, but in a much more concentrated dose. So can dogs eat orange peels?
No. In fact, this is the exact reason why it is not recommended to let your dog eat any part of the orange rind. Not only are they extremely difficult for your dog to digest within their digestive system, but they also don’t break down and can even cause some gastrointestinal pain that will upset your dog.
Finally, if you are going to be feeding your dog oranges, be sure that you remember to cut out any seeds that may be present. These orange seeds can get caught within their digestive tract, which can lead to an upset stomach and other digestive problems as well.
Can Dogs Eat Oranges Conclusion
While most dogs that eat a complete, well-balanced diet have no need for any type of mineral or vitamin supplementation (including vitamin C), it is not a bad idea to use oranges as a special treat for your dog. Most dogs will not be able to resist the delicious, sweet, juicy taste of an orange, and when you are able to share that with them, it will not just make them happy, but it will also help to bond you with your dog as well.
Just remember that when it comes to dogs and oranges, you don’t give your dog too much orange, be sure that you cut out any seeds that may be present, and always peel the orange before giving it to them. Also, be sure that you never leave an orange rind lying around where your dog can easily get it. This will almost always lead to some type of trouble that neither your dog, nor you will want to have to deal with.
