With so much fruit and vegetables to choose from, have you ever wondered what my dog is actually allowed to eat and what is strictly forbidden for him? In our guide series "Can dogs actually ...?" we regularly present fruit and vegetables that are either particularly healthy for our four-legged friends or completely unsuitable. In this article, we answer the question: Can dogs eat strawberries?
Strawberries for our dogs too?
To answer the question directly: dogs are allowed to eat strawberries. The red fruit contains lots of valuable nutrients and can spice up your dog's daily menu. You can either give your dog strawberries directly as a whole fruit or mix them into their food. Many dogs also like to eat strawberries straight from the bush. If you have a garden or balcony, you can easily grow the treats for your four-legged friend yourself. This also gives you an overview of whether the red fruits have been sprayed or treated in any other way.
But let's take a closer look at the health benefits of strawberries for dogs. What ingredients make the fruit so special and, above all, rich in vitamins?
Strawberry ingredients - healthy for dogs too
The tempting red fruits belong to the rose family, just like raspberries, blackberries and many other well-known types of fruit. Strawberries are known above all for their high vitamin C content - up to 60 mg per 100 g. In comparison, lemons have 53 mg per 100 g.
In addition to other healthy ingredients such as potassium, magnesium and folic acid, strawberries contain a particularly high amount of secondary plant substances known as flavonoids. These plant pigments have exceptionally high antioxidant properties and can protect the organism of the four-legged friend from free radicals.
Free radicals generate oxidative stress and are responsible for the ageing of cells and the development of diseases. They are increasingly formed by the metabolism when dogs are under stress, inflammation develops in the body or the four-legged friend does not absorb enough nutrients to combat oxidative stress. Unfortunately, the valuable radical scavengers cannot be produced by the human or animal organism itself and must be ingested with fruit and vegetables.
Strawberries not only provide your dog with important vitamins and minerals, but also help to combat oxidative stress and counteract the ageing process thanks to their high content of secondary plant substances.
How many strawberries can dogs eat?
We have now answered the question "Can dogs eat strawberries?". However, it is still unclear how many strawberries dogs are allowed to eat per day.
The four-legged friend should be given about 2% of its own body weight in food. The barf food plan for dogs recommends approx. 5 - 8 % fruit from the total daily ration. This means that the daily fruit ration should not exceed 20 - 30 g for a 20 kg dog. You can easily calculate the individual amount for your dog yourself. Our veterinary practitioners recommend 1 g of strawberries per 1 kg/kg. This puts you on the safe side and avoids overdosing on fruit.
Despite the healthy ingredients, too many strawberries can cause diarrhea and stomach pain in dogs. Therefore, make sure that your four-legged friend is only fed the delicious fruit in moderation.
Frozen strawberries for dogs
Unfortunately, strawberries are not available all year round. Out of season, you can also feed your dog frozen strawberries. You can either defrost the fruits beforehand or feed them frozen as a little refreshment on particularly hot days.
Alternatively, we offer you our natural vitamin powder MultiVETAL for dogs. Ingredients such as acerola berries, acai powder and barley grass provide your dog with important vitamins and minerals even during the strawberry-free period and strengthen your dog's immune system all year round. Especially in the cold season, your dog's immune system needs to function properly so that viruses and bacteria don't stand a chance.
At a glance - Can dogs eat strawberries?
- Yes, dogs are allowed to eat strawberries
- The fruit contains more vitamin C than lemons
- Strawberries are a real free radical scavenger
- Approx. 1 g per 1 kg/kg can be fed
- Too many strawberries can upset a dog's stomach
In our article Can dogs eat bananas? we explain whether the yellow fruit is healthy for your dog or whether you should avoid feeding your dog bananas!
We look forward to your comments.
Yours Helene
