Can Dogs Eat Apples?
Many dogs love apples. If you are particularly observant, you may have noticed that some dog foods include apples among their ingredients. Merrick, Fromm, Orijen, and some other companies use apples in some of their recipes. You may have wondered if it’s safe to give your dog some apple slices or to make some treats or cookies using apples. Here’s the scoop on apples for dogs.
Are Apples Good or Bad for Dogs?
Apples are great for dogs. The seeds contain the precursor to cyanide, which can develop into cyanide in the intestines, but your dog (or you) would have to eat lots of them to get sick, and crunch up the seeds while chewing. Dogs, especially, are unlikely to chew the seeds, but to be on the safe side you can remove them before giving your dog any apple. Your dog might choke on the apple core, but most dogs will simply eat it like the rest of the apple. If you want to be safe, you can give your dog apple slices and throw away the core. Apple slices, without the seeds or the core, make a wonderful, healthy treat for dogs.
Are there any health benefits?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away for humans, and they are also very healthy for dogs. They are a good source of soluble fiber (called pectin), vitamin C, vitamin K, and calcium. They also contain potassium and several kinds of vitamin B.
Apple Dog Treats Recipes
For baking purposes, it’s often easier to use applesauce than apple slices. This is particularly true if you are making dog treats or cookies. You can always mash your own apples into an applesauce if you prefer. There are a lot of apple cookie and treat recipes online that use wheat flour and cornmeal but some dogs have allergies to these ingredients. We are using a recipe from Martha Stewart that features barley flour.
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Can a dog eat too MUCH Apple? My dog is 20 lbs and loves apples, my mom cuts up on average 1-2 apples a day but I worry that’s too much each day. If it matters she usually eats Granny Smith or pippin. She seems to do fine on them.