# Fruits and Veggies as Treats?



## OhHenry (Sep 9, 2017)

Our vet said we could give Henry baby carrots and different types of fruits and veggies. I asked how often and he said there were no health issues with giving him these treats frequently. He's had baby carrots, pears, apples, and string beans and loved them all. 

But now I'm reading some articles saying giving fruits and veggies might be bad for a dog's digestion? My questions:

What are your opinions on giving fruits and veggies once a day?

If you give your pup fruits and veggies, do you cut them up into little bits or are whole baby carrots, string beans, and slices of pears and apples fine?

And just because I can't help showing his latest picture off to everyone :grin2:


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## Marni (Apr 1, 2017)

Right now I give Kosmo banana, blueberry and green beans. Zoe will eat blueberry and green beans. Their kibble has a balanced supply of fruits and veg. I give maybe 5 blueberries to Koz and three banana slices on days we have them. 3 pieces of green bean. Half the amount for Zoe. I am afraid to give more, they have tiny tummies. I would be afraid a whole steamed baby carrot would be swollowed and choked on. I would fear big raw pieces would cause intestinal blockage. Others on the forum may have smarter or chewing havanese.


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## NickieTwo (Jun 17, 2013)

Just don't give any that are dangerous for dogs. Grapes and several others are very dangerous.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

I gave bits of apple to Shama when she was a puppy. Just haven't got around to it since. We give her a single carrot chip in the evening in an effort to give her teeth an extra scrub. That seems to whet her appetite, and she usually eats her supper immediately afterwards. All that to say, we don't give her much in the way of fresh fruits and vegetables. Truth be told, DH and I probably don't eat enough either! (When I was a kid, we tossed grape after grape to our doberman who could catch them like nobody's business. Didn't find out they were toxic to dogs until sometime in the past 10 years, I'd say . . .) (OhHenry, I saw your question in my orthopedic evaluation post, but I don't have a good answer. Hopefully others will reply to you.)


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

Loki loves fruit and vegetables. I don't usually fix them for him special but just cut up whatever we are having and give him some in his bowl. His favorites include sweet peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli, carrots (raw and steamed), cucumbers, grape tomatoes, blueberries (use to train), strawberries, peas, apples... Actually, I haven't found any that he won't eat. I do keep a bag of frozen carrots and peas. Occasionally I will put them in a Mazee or other puzzle ball for him. My vet said they were all ok and didn't mention any limits. I usually just give him a few tablespoons.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Fruits and Veggies for your Dog - my Top Ten picks - The Possible Canine

10 Best People Foods to Share With Your Beloved Pet


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## Marni (Apr 1, 2017)

When I have sardines, my dogs each get one. We like King Oscar triple layer, the tiny ones.


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## OhHenry (Sep 9, 2017)

Thank you everyone. I guess if Henry loves the fruits and vegetables I shouldn't stress too much about it, other than making sure I'm giving him the right ones. Even though he is definitely a chewer, I'll start cutting the baby carrots and sliced fruits into smaller pieces. I haven't been doing that because I was afraid he'd choke on the small pieces. As with my first child, my first dog brings out the overly anxious parent in me. :laugh2:


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## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

Don't know about amounts, but I feed Tux Primal Raw food. Here is the list of ingredients in one serving. He eats this four times a day:
Chicken, Chicken Necks, Chicken Gizzards, Organic Kale, (everything is organic) carrots, squash, chicken livers, broccoli, apples, cranberries, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, montmorillonite clay, parsley, apple cider vinegar, salmon oil, coconut oil, quinoa sprout powder, kelp alfalfa, vitamin E supplement.

All ingredients are pulverized and pressed in to a cube about 1" square x 2" long.


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## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

Tux's Mom said:


> Don't know about amounts, but I feed Tux Primal Raw food. Here is the list of ingredients in one serving. He eats this four times a day:
> Chicken, Chicken Necks, Chicken Gizzards, Organic Kale, (everything is organic) carrots, squash, chicken livers, broccoli, apples, cranberries, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, montmorillonite clay, parsley, apple cider vinegar, salmon oil, coconut oil, quinoa sprout powder, kelp alfalfa, vitamin E supplement.
> 
> All ingredients are pulverized and pressed in to a cube about 1" square x 2" long.


I forgot to mention that he gets a variety of Primal. They offer Chicken, Duck, Lamb, Beef, Pork (he spit it out....hated pork), and several more I can't remember at the time. The veggies and fruit seem to be the same regardless of the protein choice.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Ricky LOVES fruits and vegetables. He likes STEAMED carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and cauliflower, He likes RAW tomatoes, apple, pear, strawberries, blueberries, and banana. We DO NOT feed grapes, onion, or lettuce. Ricky gets about 1/8 cup snack at mid-day and then again after his supper. We cut them into pieces about the size of a nickel. We use the pieces for training and Ricky is enthusiastic about the routine.

Although I am not an expert, I think that fruits and vegetables are fine for a dog in moderation (be sure and remove all hard seeds and cores) as long as they don't show any allergic reactions. I certainly favor them as a treat over something like a Milk Bone or rawhide chew (which are big no-nos)

Ricky's Popi


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## karidyne (Apr 28, 2017)

The problem is that dogs do not have amylase in their saliva like we do, their pancreas can produce some amylase but the amount is not comparable to what omnivores can produce. 

There's no denying that vegetables and fruits are great for a variety of reasons, but for a dog to absorb at least a good amount of the nutrients you need to either lightly cook or liquefy the veggies. It's important to not choose veggies high in oxalates (spinach) to protect the kidneys. Kale is really great, but it is on the dirty dozen list so choose organic. Cabbage, artichoke, sweet potato and broccoli are great options as well. I blend it all (raw) and freeze it in ice cube trays and give as 10% of Migo's diet. There are really cute bone shaped and paw print ice cube trays on amazon.

Fruit such as blueberries, bananas and pomegranates are great as well. Because there is so much sugar in fruit, however, it is best to give it whole so that not all of the sugar is absorbed and you don't give your dog a sugar high.

A lot of this information is in Canine Nutrigenomics by Dr. Jean Dodds and I recommend the book although I'm not a fan of their recommended basal diet as it is starch heavy.. but I am very picky and only recently started incorporating fruits and veggies into Migo's diet.


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## OhHenry (Sep 9, 2017)

Thanks Ricky's Popi and karidyne! You've given me a lot of great information and ideas on how to incorporate fruits and veggies in the daily treats.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Perry gets fruits and veggies as treats, not part of his normal, every day diet. I don't cut them into small pieces, he likes to gnaw on them. His favorites are snow peas, apples, dried blueberries (or cherries) and usually carrots (though they sometimes don't get finished) and pineapple usually goes down well. He's not totally sure about bananas - he'll eat them sometimes but other times won't.


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## Cyn (Sep 18, 2017)

My best friend has told me to give Mojo baby carrots as occasional treats, but I worry about her choking. She also said to freeze them first, as this will soothe her gums while teething. Do you slice them up into bite-sized pieces first? Or can she gnaw on the whole piece? I am always with her while she is nibbling on treats, but I still worry about choking.


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## kathyc (Mar 7, 2013)

Well our little guy, haha he's just a couple ounces under 18 lbs, not little, and he doesn't have one ounce of fat on him. We tried to feed him some veggies back when he was less than a year old and he wouldn't touch anything. 

We feed him his kibble and once a day he gets fresh cooked chicken breast, or beef, he is a real meat eater. Vet says he's in great shape and he's very playful at almost 5 years. 

Please don't come on and tell me I'm wrong about the fresh meat because it won't matter to me, we've been raising dogs for over 40 years with no problems what so ever.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

All three of ours get some steamed veggies of whatever we are having after dinner. They LOVE them. Sometimes they get raw too, which they also love, but I know has little useable nutrition. Kodi is our fruit-aholic. He has never met a piece of fruit he didn't love. His SPECIAL favorite is blueberries. If we're at a trial, and he's getting a little tired, all I have to do is remind him that he's "working for blueberries", and he perks right up!  The girls, however, think he's crazy. If you hand them a blueberry, they each have a different reaction. Panda will keep putting it down and picking it up, but if Kodi looks at it, she swallows it fast, so he can't get it. Pixel? Well SHE doesn't GET blueberries, because SHE takes them, runs into the family room and rolls on them on the couch!!! LOL!


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## Cyn (Sep 18, 2017)

Thanks for the replies. I gave Mojo a few small pieces of cantaloupe yesterday and she gobbled them up. Am gradually introducing fruits & veggies one at a time to watch for allergic reactions. I also shredded up some plain roast chicken ( cooked without onions & garlic) for her, mixed it into her kibble, and she devoured it. I might seem overly cautious, but I am new to puppydom, lol.


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

Not sure why, but all my dogs LOVE yams. I eat the Japanese and Ube (purple) yam, which is Ollie's favorite. Ollie will lick anything sweet, like honeydew or even a strawberry, but he won't chew it.

My big guy, Oz, he will eat any veggies that are cooked with some flavor.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

The only fruit Willow will eat is apple. I always bite off small bits when I'm having one and share with her. They have to be sweet and not too tart. Plus she likes a softer textured apple. She'll eat cooked vegies at times such as beans or carrots. My corgi loved any fruit but especially bananas and melons. Also loved tomatoes and loved raw broccoli. I would save some of the stem of both broccoli and cabbage and cut it into small pieces and give that to her for a treat.


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