Raw Feeding Dogs - can they eat fruit?

CAN DOGS EAT FRUIT? IS IT PART OF RAW FEEDING DOGS?

The short answer is…yes, it’s a great part of raw feeding dogs! 

Obviously, if your dog has particular dietary requirements, then it’s best to check with your vet, but on the whole, fresh fruit and veg is great.
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However, there is one caveat to that... 

For your dog to get the nutrition from the fruit by being able to digest the produce, it ideally needs to be broken down… i.e. bashed, mashed, smooshed or grated and ground, to release the goodness.  A dog’s digestive system is a lot shorter than ours, so there isn't that much time to break things down.

In the wild, a wolf (our domestic friends differ by only 2%) eats the fruit and veg mostly from the contents of their preys stomach, where it is already semi-digested; so we need to replicate this as much as we can to benefit our pets digestion.

Can dogs eat fruit with the skin on?

Absolutely.  You may want to remove things like the skin from bananas, the peel from oranges and grapefruits, or the hairy outside of a kiwi – I don’t think anyone, let alone a dog, would like to eat those.  But keeping the skin on things like apples and peaches adds to the nutrition. 

However…

Again, I have one caveat – that you use organic produce where possible.  If you don’t, then yes, it may prove more beneficial to remove the skin, as this is where most of the chemicals and pesticides will be held and could outweigh the goodness that it may contain.

Be aware that grapes and raisins can cause problems in some dogs, so best to avoid those.

If you’ve got any ideas on fruit and veg recipes for your dog, or any questions on why you should give raw feeding dogs a go, comment below.

Stay fruity!
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