Can dogs eat apples? Yes, dogs can eat apples and they love every bite of it. I use apple cubes or apple slices during training sessions. Apples are high in fiber and contain vitamins B, C, and K. They support digestion, heart health, and immune function. If you’re keeping your buddy’s mind sharp with plenty of training sessions or if you want to teach him new tricks every week or month, you’ll need plenty of treats. I usually go for fruits and vegetables because they are much lower in calories than the store-bought treats. They can also hydrate my dogs and improve their overall health.
During the week I feed my dogs different vegetable treats and fruit treats. Tasty vitamin treats with different taste and texture. Just to make it more interesting for my dogs. They get bored pretty fast if it’s the same treat. Or food, for that matter. I have to rotate foods because they are pretty picky when it comes to what they enjoy the most: food. My Siberian huskies tend to have a sweet tooth so they usually want to eat some sweet treats such as apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, berries, and melon.
Is your dog diabetic? Keep his sugar regulated and avoid any fruits or vegetables with high sugar intake.
Apple treats for dogs
Why do I use apple slices as treats? A few apple slices will not interfere with my dogs’ diet, but it will help them focus on me. My dogs enjoy the taste and crunchiness of apples and they are ready to listen and respond to commands.
How to give apples to dogs?
Before giving an apple to your dog you have to remove the stem, core, and seeds. If your puppy or your adult dog can’t digest the apple skin you should remove it. It’s the first time when you’re feeding your dog some apple slices? You should start with one or two slices to see how he reacts. Supervise him to make sure he will not choke. Especially if he is a puppy.
As I mentioned before, you can cut an apple in slices or squares for training sessions. How you should cut apples for your dog? This depends on the dog. I usually go for one bite-size, so he can chew it and get back to another command.
How many apples can a dog eat?
As with other treats, we should keep a proportion of 10% of the dog’s daily calories. This ratio goes for any treat. We want to keep our dog on a balanced diet. The number of apple slices depends on how big your dog is and how many treats he received that day. You can read the Husky Puppy – Feeding Guide where I talk more about feeding schedules, food types, and treats.
Are all apple types good for dogs?
Yes, all apple varieties are good for your dog. As long as you remove the core, stem, seeds, and skin. You can safely give to your dog sweet red apples or sour and sweet green apples. Apples come in different textures and tastes so your buddy will enjoy them a lot.
Why shouldn’t you give a whole apple to your dog?
Apple seeds contain traces of cyanide. Cyanide is poisonous and even lethal for dogs. Apple seeds have amygdalin – which is harmless when it remains intact. But when apple seeds are chewed by dogs or digested, amygdalin transform into cyanide. That’s why you don’t get sick when you are eating an apple and you touch apple seeds. This has nothing to do with pesticides. Amygdalin is found in the seeds of any type of apple.
My dog ate an apple core. What to do if my dog ate an apple core?
If your dog ate an apple core you should supervise him and see how he reacts. Dogs are curious and if you leave them unsupervised, they might steal an apple and chew on it. Your dog might get away with eating an apple core because one apple has a small number of seeds. A small number of seeds have a small amount of amygdalin which the dog’s body can withstand.
After your dog ate an apple core you should look after signs. Look after signs such as nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, dizziness, difficulty walking or any illness signs. You know your dog’s behavior and you’ll spot if there is something wrong with him. If and when your dog is starting to feel sick you have to go to the vet.
There is 0.45 mg of cyanide in one apple seed and for a Siberian Husky that weights from 16 to 27 kg the lethal dosage is 52 apple seeds. But this is not a rule. Your dog might be more sensible. Still, keep an eye on your dog or put away your apples and don’t take unnecessary risks.
Can puppies eat apples?
Supervise your puppy when you are giving him some tasty apple cubes. Start slowly with 3 or 4 one bite-size pieces. See if his stomach agrees with the apple. If your puppy eats the apples and there is no sign of digestive issues, then you can spoil him with more pieces.
How can you prepare apples for dogs?
Apples are cheap and you can usually find them everywhere. These fruits are good for humans and even for our dogs. If you want to eat an apple during the day you can cut a few slices for your puppy too. But if you want to cook something special for your dog with some apples, here are some simple recipes.
Apple puree for dogs
In this recipe, we don’t use any kind of seasoning. We want to keep it as clean as it gets.
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized apples
- water
Method
The number of apples depends on how much puree you want to make. Also, any variety of apples is good. You can use multiple varieties if you want. Wash the apples and peel them. Remove the core and slice them.
Place the apples in a large pan. Put enough water in the pan. The water should cover the apples. Bring to boil. Gently simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples are soft.
Drain the apples. Use a fork to mash the apples. Let it cool off. Serve the tasty puree to your dog.
Baked apple slices for dogs
Ingredients
- 2 apples
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 °F or 175 °C
Wash the apples. Peel them and remove the core. Slice the apples. In a bowl whisk the water and cornstarch. Pour the water and cornstarch over the apple slices and stir gently.
Put them in the oven at 350 °F for almost 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
Apples are not only good for dogs, but for you too.
There are plenty of recipes with apples for dogs, but these are the simplest ones. You can also share these foods with your dogs. Add some whipped cream on top and it’s going to be a healthy and low-calorie dessert for you too. But don’t give your dog whip cream. If you want to spoil him even more, you can add a bit of peanut butter (without xylitol or sugar) or some plain yogurt on top of his baked apples. You will hear no complaints! You can mix some raw apple cubes with yogurt and fill a kong. That will keep your dog busy for a while.
I hope you found this article useful and you found that dogs can eat apples – a great natural and healthy treat. If you have any further questions leave a comment and I’ll answer it.
Do you like to bake treats at home for your dog? Read Liver treats for dogs.
