Can dogs eat medlars?
Our dogs are omnivorous animals, so they are adapted to eat foods rich in protein, such as meat, and foods rich in carbohydrates, such as vegetables and fruit. This differentiates them from other animals that share life with us, such as cats, which are considered strict carnivores due to their nutritional and metabolic needs.
Loquats are a spring fruit rich in antioxidants and vitamins, from the citrus family and attractive to the palate, even that of our dogs in many cases. Dogs can eat medlars but as long as they are eaten without the bones inside.
If you want to know more about if dogs can eat medlars, their benefits and dosesas well as how to give it and contraindications, keep reading the following AnimalWised article.
Can dogs eat medlars or not?
Yes, dogs can eat medlars. However, a dog’s diet cannot be based only on fruit and vegetables, as they also need to be nourished by proteins that come from animal tissue, and the sugar contained in these foods is not too recommended for dogs, especially some susceptible groups.
For this, we must moderate consumption of these food groups in dogs. Despite the fact that, as we will see in the next section, they provide many nutritional and health benefits, excessive consumption can endanger your health and cause nutritional deficiencies.
This occurs if our dogs are not fed a complete food for the canine species, since only this is designed so that dogs obtain all the energy and all the nutrients they need in the correct proportions to avoid deficiencies and maintain their health.
Benefits of medlars for dogs
Loquats are a fruit with low calorie and that facilitates digestion due to its content in organic acids, fiber and pectins. They also have anti-inflammatory and astringent properties due to their tannin content, thus preventing gastrointestinal disorders and fatty liver.
loquats too are natural diuretics because they increase the production of urine and with it the elimination of waste products from the organism. Regarding the nutritional content, they are rich in minerals such as calcium and potassium, as well as magnesium, iron and phosphorus.
The vitamin content is also important, highlighting the contribution of vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2. The fiber they contain also helps reduce cholesterol and facilitates intestinal transit.
Do not hesitate to take a look at the following AnimalWised post on Vitamin B in dogs: dose, benefits and uses for more information on the subject.
How to give medlars to my dog
You can opt for different ways when it comes to giving medlars to your canine life partner. From giving them directly in the feeder and seeing how they react to mixing them with their food or crush, crush or beat them to facilitate its ingestion.
Of course, you should keep in mind that you cannot offer them with the skin, because you must remove it to prevent them from ingesting dirt or chemicals. It is also important that remove all the bones that contains the interior of this fruit because they contain cyanogenic glycosides that can greatly endanger your health if they are ingested.
Dosage of medlars for dogs
You must be careful with how much loquat you offer your dog, as it is better not to go too far because excessive consumption can have laxative effects, causing diarrhea and can also cause vomiting. No you should offer medlars to your dog more than two or three times a week and, depending on the size of your canine, the dose will vary:
- in large dogs: you can offer two whole medlars.
- In medium dogs: they should not exceed one and the small ones in the middle.
Side effects of medlars for dogs
Excessive consumption of medlars can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrheabut the really important thing to keep in mind when offering loquats to our dogs is to avoid offering them with the bones.
This is due to bones contain cyanogenic glycosidessome toxins that act like cyanide that binds to the Fe3 + or iron ion, which is found in cytochrome oxidase, an enzyme contained in the cell organelles that are in charge of cellular respiration: the mitochondria.
This binding to the iron ion forms a stable compound that prevents the reaction of cellular respiration or oxidative phosphorylation, preventing cells from using oxygen, causing anoxia or oxygen starvation in the tissues.
This can lead to our dogs having:
Contraindications of loquats for dogs
The main contraindication that the consumption of loquats in dogs can have is its sugar content, especially important in:
- The dogs with sugar problems: for having diabetes mellitus.
- The dogs prone to or being overweight or obese: because it promotes weight gain. How to avoid obesity in dogs? Find out the answer.
- The dogs with intestinal problems: Related to an acceleration of transit or inflammation that is causing diarrhea, since the amount of fiber they contain further facilitates these processes.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can dogs eat medlars?we recommend that you enter our Home Diets section.