Dried apricots are a fast, nutritious snack for people on the go, however simply because they’re good for us it doesn’t robotically imply they’re good for our canine buddies too. Canine can eat many several types of fruit, however can canine eat dried apricots?

Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the advantages and dangers of dried apricots and discover out whether or not Rover can safely get pleasure from this snack with you.

Are Dried Apricots Secure for Canine to Eat?

Typically talking, sure dried apricots are protected for canine to eat, however that doesn’t imply they need to eat a lot of them.

A chopped dried apricot every so often received’t do any hurt they usually comprise a lot of dog-friendly vitamins, however the pit (stone), leaves, and stem are poisonous and dried apricots may be sweetened with sugar or xylitol, so there are dangers.

Extra in regards to the particular risks afterward.

What are Dried Apricots?

Dried apricots are recent apricots which were dried out utilizing both sunshine or sulfur dioxide. You’ll be able to inform the distinction as a result of sulfur dioxide produces vivid vivid fruit whereas solar drying creates darkish brown fruits.

Apricots are native to the Chinese language-Russian border and had been unfold throughout Europe by the Roman Empire. They had been a invaluable commodity on the central Asian silk highway for hundreds of years as a result of dried apricots might be transported for an extended time frame with out spoiling.

Dried apricots featured in lots of medieval European recipes and had been an actual deal with at Christmas time in candy puddings and pies. Apricots unfold to the US within the 1700s when the primary settlers arrived they usually had been very straightforward to develop within the sunshine states. As we speak, California is a serious apricot producer.

Well being Advantages of Dried Apricots

The healthiest apricots are sun-dried organically grown variations which are free from sweeteners, however all dried apricots comprise the next vitamins:

• Retinol (Vitamin A) – is vital for excellent imaginative and prescient
• Vitamin C – helps a wholesome immune system and fast therapeutic of wounds
• Vitamin E – is vital for a wholesome coat. It’s particularly good for canine with dry pores and skin
• Potassium – maintains fluid ranges in cells
• Copper – helps power ranges, connective tissue formation, and wholesome blood cells
• Beta carotene – offers apricots their golden coloration. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects in opposition to illnesses
• Lutein – a powerful anti-inflammatory that helps eye well being

In addition to these important vitamins apricots are filled with fiber. Chances are you’ll understand how fibrous dried apricots are if you happen to’ve overindulged!

They’ve been used medicinally to alleviate constipation for millennia and since they’re faster and fewer messy to eat than recent apricots, many people have been caught out! The identical goes on your pooch. All canine are completely different, however multiple a day for giant breeds or half for small breeds is asking for hassle.

Dangers of Dried Apricots

Dried apricots are wholesome, however there are some dangers to think about:

Sweeteners

Plain dried apricots received’t often trigger a problem, however some are sweetened and it is a downside. Sugar causes dental decay and provides pointless kilos to your canine’s waistline. As a result of dry apricots are smaller than recent ones it’s a lot simpler to eat extra and earlier than you already know it, your canine has eaten far an excessive amount of sugar.

One other concern is the potential for xylitol. This synthetic sweetener is extremely poisonous to canine as a result of it might probably trigger hypoglycemia. In some instances xylitol (in stolen chewing gum) has killed canine.

Sulfur dioxide

There are research suggesting sulfur dioxide is unhealthy for canine and might trigger neurological injury. Typically talking, the brighter a dried apricot is, the extra sulfur dioxide has been used to dry it. Natural dried apricots are a more sensible choice as a result of they’re often solar dried with none preservative, however they’re tough to seek out except you’re close to a well being meals retailer.

Chewy choking hazard

Dried apricots are chewy (that’s the very best bit!) however chewy meals aren’t a good suggestion for canine, particularly in the event that they snatch and gulp. An entire dried apricot may trigger choking or an intestinal blockage. Smaller breeds are extra in danger, nevertheless it’s finest to chop up a dried aprcot earlier than feeding it to any sized pooch. It makes it last more too, so your canine thinks they’re getting extra!

Gastric upsets

We’ve already seen dried apricots are stuffed with fiber, which is vital for wholesome bowels, however in extra it might probably trigger an upset abdomen. Flatulence, diarrhea, and vomiting are distressing for canine and messy to clear up. If an upset happens after consuming too many apricots, supply loads of recent water and feed them small common meals of plain rooster or turkey with rice to assist agency up their stools.

On the flip facet, in case your canine is constipated, a number of apricots could get issues going and keep away from a vet journey!  

Cyanide poisoning

It’s uncommon with dried apricots as a result of the leaves and stone (pit) are eliminated, however there’s a threat of cyanide poisoning in case your canine eats an apricot’s leaves, stem or pit.

The signs of cyanide poisoning embrace panting, dilated pupils, tremors, and collapse as a result of cyanide lowers the physique’s means to make use of oxygen. |It’s a medical emergency that may happen inside 15-20 minutes of ingesting the poison, so at all times name a vet instantly in case your canine eats an apricot pit.

By no means feed your canine combined dried fruits

Though dried apricots should not poisonous to canine, different dried fruits are. Grapes are poisonous and after they’re dried out they turn out to be sultanas or raisins. Currants even have the potential to poison Lassie, and the common pairing of dried fruits with poisonous macademia nuts is one other hazard.

It’s finest to keep away from giving any dried fruit, nut, or path combine mixture to a canine as a result of it’s extremely prone to comprise at the very least one in every of these poisonous components.

How Many Dried Apricots Can Canine Eat?

Dried apricots needs to be fed carefully as a result of they will trigger abdomen upsets. The ASPCA recommends canine eat not more than 10% of their day by day weight loss plan in deal with meals and the remainder from full pet food. Nonetheless, 10% of their weight loss plan in dried apricots will little question trigger diarrhea of epic proportions!

Typically talking, a big breed canine may eat one a day, however a small breed just one quarter to a half.

Easy methods to Give Canine Dried Apricots?

If you wish to give your canine a dried apricot every so often the easiest way is to chop it open to test that the entire pit and stem is gone. Then slice it into smaller items earlier than letting Rover dig in.

Small slices of dried apricot are a great way to coach food-motivated canine to recall or preserve anxious canine busy once you go away the home. Pop a number of slices in a puzzle toy and allow them to spend time making an attempt to extract the candy deal with.

How About Recent Apricots?

As soon as the pit, leaves, and stem are eliminated recent apricots are a more sensible choice for canine as a result of they’re free from sulfur dioxide, sugar, or xylitol.

Nonetheless, it’s important the pit is eliminated earlier than giving canine an apricot. The pit is the massive, arduous seed inside a stone fruit. Cherries, peaches, and plums even have a canine poisonous pit that have to be eliminated earlier than it’s protected. Pits are additionally a choking hazard and since they’re so arduous, they will break tooth off too.

This makes stone fruit timber an actual hazard for canine. When you’ve got one, take care that your canine doesn’t vacuum up the fallen fruits as a result of it may be deadly.

What Meals are Canine Poisonous?

In addition to apricot pits, leaves and stems, there are different dog-toxic meals to pay attention to.

Avocado, xylitol, alcohol, grapes, macadamia nuts, nutmeg, black walnuts, onions, garlic, and chocolate are poisonous and have to be averted. Meals that embrace them similar to garlic bread, low-sugar yogurt, and salads are all harmful too.

Are Dried Apricots Harmful for Canine?

No, dried apricots should not harmful for canine in the event that they’re unsweetened, given carefully, and sliced up. Nonetheless, apricot stones, leaves, and stems are harmful, as are dried apricots coated in synthetic sweeteners.

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