Pomegranates are one of the healthiest and tastiest fruits for humans. We can drink its juice or eat it raw, but what about our canine pets? Can dogs eat pomegranate seeds?
Can dogs have pomegranate seeds? The answer is no, for the most part you should not feed your dog pomegranate. Pomegranate seeds are very hard and rich in tannins as well as anthocyanin and ellagic acids, which can cause digestive issues in dogs. However, giving your dog a few seeds here and there won’t hurt.
Keep reading to find out more about what makes pomegranate seeds not so dog-friendly, what quantity is considered safe for your dog to consume, and how you can incorporate pomegranate into your dog’s diet without causing it any harm.
Can My Dog Pomegranate Eat Seeds?
When looking to add a new food to a dog’s diet, the main concern of most pet owners is whether or not it’s safe for canines to consume. This is because some foods can contain materials that are toxic to dogs, while other foods may be too complex for dogs’ digestive systems to break down.
This goes for meats, fruits, vegetables, and even snacks. That being said, you can give your dog pomegranate seeds as long as it’s in very small amounts and not very often.
Pomegranate seeds are not toxic to dogs per se. You can give a few ones to your dog from time to time as a different snack than usual.
Are Pomegranate Seeds Bad For Dogs?
Pomegranate seeds can be harmful to dogs if consumed too often and in large amounts. While pomegranate offers valuable nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, and potassium, the seeds contain high amounts of tannins, anthocyanin, and ellagic acids,
That being said, pomegranate seeds aren’t poisonous to canines the traditional way other foods can be. Ingesting the seeds of pomegranate would probably never result in organ failure or death. Instead, the worst that could happen is some digestive upset in the form of vomiting or diarrhea.
As such, there’s no need to panic if your dog ate a raw pomegranate. Chances are they’ll throw up what they consumed soon after anyway.
Still, it’s generally recommended that pet owners avoid feeding pomegranate raw to their dogs. Giving them the extract with no seeds is a much safer alternative.
If there’s no way around it, then you don’t give your dog more than a few bites. Also, you should give your canine friend plenty more water than it usually drinks to counteract any stomach upset symptoms that may occur.
How Much Pomegranate Seeds Can My Dog Safely Eat?
You may not be able to resist indulging your canine friend in what they’re drooling over. If that’s pomegranate, then you need to keep track of the amount you’re feeding your dog and be aware of the limit.
As long as your dog doesn’t suffer from any particular health issues, you can give it a few bites occasionally. But don’t make this into a daily habit.
(Looking for fruits that are safe for dogs? Feed them bananas or blueberries!)