A Sweet Treat Picked From A Peach Tree
We all love to give our canine companions treats. We love to lavish them with all kinds of special attention, and it really is fun to give our pups some people food sometimes. So, the pressing question is: Can dogs eat peaches? First, though, you really have to be sure they are safe for them to eat. Well, the short answer to the peaches, is yes, but with some conditions. Of course, you must know that with a good treat, there is a pitfall, of sorts.
The Stone Fruit Family
The peach is a part of a fruit family called the stone fruits. These fruits all have a “stone,” or a pit, in the center of the fruits. Peaches are joined in the family by the nectarine, cherry, apricot, and the plum. These summer fruits come in a white and a yellow color, each delicious in their own right. The peach is not only a part of the stone fruit family, but the nectarine is the peach’s sister, technically. The overwhelming similarities in both of the fruits are what makes them so closely related to each other. Lets look at the differences though, to make it make sense. The peach has a fuzzy flesh and is a bit larger than the nectarine. The nectarine is the smoother sister with a silky exterior and a deeper mauve-colored flesh, and of course, it is smaller than the peach. Now, the interesting thing is that both the nectarine flesh and the peach flesh are edible for you and your canine. In fact, both of the fruits are full of fiber and rich in antioxidants! A word of caution, the nectarine pit is a choking hazard just like the peach pit and should be kept away from your pup always! As a matter of fact, it’s not wise to permit a dog to play with, gnaw on, or eat the pit of any stone fruit.
The Nutritional Facts of a Peach
The nutrition that an organic peach carries is the same for a human and a dog. On that token, try not to feed your treat-loving dog too many peaches. You know what they say, “too much of a good thing is bad” and it could give your dog diarrhea. Anyhow, let’s take a look at the health benefits the peach has to offer.
Rutgers.edu offers the nutritional facts of a raw medium-sized peach. A large peach weighs 147 grams. This low-calorie snack is only 50 calories and with a half of a gram of fat, it is undeniable that this snack is packed full of health benefits. There is zero grams of sodium and cholesterol, and the carbs are at a low 15 grams. The 13 grams of sugar is high, but it is natural sugar — no added sugars here! The 1.3 grams of protein will be a quick pick-me-up for your dog, and the snack is higher in fiber weighing in at a whopping 2 grams! That’s not even the best of the health benefits.
Vitamins And Minerals to Boot
The peach is a superfood and is jam packed with vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. This superfood has a good amount of vitamin K, too. The iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and copper a peach contains makes it a very extraordinary fruit. It is worth it to know that the stone fruit has excellent antioxidant power! But let’s dig a bit further into what these vitamins do for your and your dog’s health.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a retinol or retinol acid, and is responsible for cell division, vision and immunity, bone growth, and reproduction. In a deficiency of vitamin A, your dog will have vision loss and have a compromised immune system. Also, the same retinol we use in lotions and serums for the anti-aging benefits is naturally given to your dog in vitamin A.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant for a dog’s body. This rich vitamin aids in the reduction of inflammation and improves the dog’s cognitive health. The antioxidant will block the free radicals in your dog’s body and, in turn, strengthen his immune system. Although a dog liver can synthesize the vitamin, he may need a boost with a supplement at times.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E proves to be an all-around champion of vitamins and antioxidants with the skin and coat healing properties it possesses! This superhero protects against free radicals in the skin and body’s cells that are known to cause certain cancers. Moreover, it defends the brain, liver, and nerve cell membranes for your pup, and promotes heart health! That’s right! In animal studies, the extract of the peach has been proven effective in lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is arguably the most vital vitamin your dog could consume because of its ability to metabolize calcium to their bones by making sure that the calcium is not traveling to their heart and other muscles and into their arteries instead. So, with this metabolic process the calcium can prevent other joint problems like arthritis and hip dysplasia. Oh, but it does much more than that! This vitamin plays a huge role in aiding the immune system and blood clotting and preventing pulmonary embolisms (a blood clot in the dog’s lungs). The clotting agent in vitamin K also protects the dog from hardening of the heart muscles and a fatal heart attack! Speaking of your dog’s heart, incredibly, vitamin K fights off anemia and high cholesterol, too. In your pup’s mouth, the vitamin prevents gum disease and leaves a healthy smile — if a dog smiles. When it comes female reproduction, vitamin K works to prevent miscarriages and promotes fertility and healthy pregnancies. And in a dog’s diet, this stupendous vitamin also metabolizes carbs into fuel for natural energy and prevents diabetes.
Potassium and Other Minerals
Potassium is a vital electrolyte that aids in the electrical charges from the dog’s neurons that go to the heart, nerves, and muscles. If your dog seems to be tired constantly or has no appetite, your pup may be experiencing a deficiency of potassium. Call your dog’s veterinarian for your next move. The vet may need to see the dog and put him or her on a supplement for potassium.
These are just a few of the elements that are contained in peaches. There is upwards of 2% of the recommended daily value of zinc which fights off sickness, the iron that is vital for your blood cells, and manganese which aids in all the vitamins and minerals efficiently being soaked into the dog’s body. This magical superfood is undeniably a great snack for man AND man’s best friend but beware of overdoing it. Read on to see why too much is not a good idea.
Too Many Peaches
As you have read, peaches are a real SUPERFOOD, but with all good things there has to be limitations. The stone fruit has some naturally occurring toxic chemicals to dogs. There is a choking hazard with the pit, or the stone if you prefer. Furthermore, the way you prepare and serve peaches is important to the dog’s heath and safety. While the peach is a delectable and succulent treat for you and your pup just remember that moderation is key.
Toxic Peach Meat
With all the benefits of peaches, it’s hard to believe that there could be a pitfall — if you will — with the scrumptious snack. Well, unfortunately, there is but tragedy can be completely avoided with a few tips. Since the pit, stem, and the leaves of the fruit all contain cyanide, you will need to promptly remove the leaves and stems upon bringing the fresh fruit home from the market. After removing the pieces from the peach, be sure to dispose of them properly to ensure that your canine companion doesn’t get a hold of them.
First, there’s the pit of the peach. This stone contains cyanide as well as the other parts that get disposed of, so you really want to slice or dice the peaches before serving any to your pup. What you will want to do is slice the peach around the stone in the center allowing for a small amount of the peach “meat” to be cut off along with the pit. After that, cut the peach into thin slices or dices, especially if you have a dog who doesn’t exactly chew as much as inhale their food.
Avoiding an Allergic Reaction
It must be said that, as with any food, a dog can be allergic to peaches. Whether the allergic reaction is mild or severe in a pup, you should always bring the new food you wish to give your baby doggy to the veterinarian first. The vet can do some testing to see the allergen at work in a safe setting, and don’t forget that too many servings of peaches can really do the opposite of offering a good time for your pup.
A Peach Pit Is More Than a Choking Hazard
Speaking of the pits, the pit is a real choking hazard, and your pooch could be a victim of peach pit poisoning! You need to ensure that your dog does not get a hold of the pit by disposing of it properly. Do not leave the pit on countertops, especially if your dog like to surf the counters for yummy treats. If your dog does get a peach stone, you must call the veterinarian IMMEDIATELY to see what to do to next. Even though a dog can swallow the pit and not necessarily choke, the problem behind swallowing one is partly is because of the toxicity of the cyanide in the peach stone and the intestinal blockage he may incur.
All About Peach Pit Poisoning
Even the name of this kind of poisoning is a warning of what will come after a dog gets a hold of a stone of a peach. This very serious poisoning is deadly! There are three ways a peach pit can kill your pooch according to a related post. The stone of the fruits nectarines, cherries, apricots, plums, and of course peaches, all contain cyanide which is an amygdalin and is very toxic to a dog, killing them in a few days from kidney failure. Not to mention the intestinal blockage that will happen if he eats the pit of any of these fruits that too can be fatal. And if a dog chokes on one of these stones, he will die in minutes from anoxia! Please heed these warnings and do your due diligence to ensure your pup’s health and safety.
The Peach Scout Is Here To Help
Whether you are eager to start keeping the stone fruit on hand for all kinds of doggy treat recipes or for the perfect ice-cold peach cubes in your freezer, there are still some nagging questions when it comes to peaches. What about different kinds of peaches? And how many peaches make a serving for the most loyal of companions? You may also be wondering, What else can I infuse peaches into for my pup, and Can my dog have peach yogurt? All burning questions for sure, so keep reading to get all your answers.
Canned Peaches and Artificial Sweeteners
Well, at this point you may be wondering about all things peaches. You know, what kinds of peaches that your dog can have other than organic peaches. It’s a sure thing that the idea of canned peaches or tinned peaches has reached your mind by now. Well, canned peaches come in many different varieties including peaches in heavy syrup, light syrup, fruit juice and even sugar free peaches. While technically you can feed your favorite pup the canned fruit, it’s not really recommended. The sugar content in the canned peaches with syrups, heavy or light, and fruit juice has 11-16 grams per serving. And yes, that is the same as the fresh fruit, however the sugars in the tin of peaches are chock-full of added sugars. The added sugars are everything from high-fructose corn syrup to artificial sweeteners. The tinned peaches that claim they carry zero added sugars accomplish this feat by adding zero calorie sweeteners like aspartame, stevia, saccharin, or sucralose. All these artificial sweeteners have a common problem when comes to your beloved pup like gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea. The severity of the gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea varies from artificial sweetener to sweetener. Although most artificial sweeteners must be consumed in large amounts to see the effects of the upset in a dogs stomach, stevia and xylitol are proven to be extremely dangerous, even fatal! You really must read the labels on canned peaches very thoroughly to ensure your dog’s safety and good health.
Canned Peaches in a Dog Treat Recipe
There are some creative ideas to pamper your canine BFF with like putting some peach slices in the freezer for a snack on a hot day. Some things that sound like an awesome idea sometimes are not, like regular human peach ice cream or regular peach yogurt, but there is always a dog’s alternative. Let’s look at some better ideas for some sweet treats for a sweet pup. If you want to get really creative and you have a talent for baking, you can try these awesome oatmeal peach cookies. Maybe your furry friend likes cold treats like a peach Fro-Yo more than cookies? With all these delicious treats you should be careful not to allow your pup to overindulge to mitigate gastrointestinal upset like diarrhea or upset stomach. Also, in any recipe that makes room for canned peaches but says “just to rinse well” technically you could, but it is healthier to use organic peaches. These are treats anyway, so why cut corners when it comes to your dog’s health?
The Dog’s Golden Rule
This calculates into a whole lot more calories and sugar than in a fresh fruit, especially considering the dog should not be given a whole peach, cut up or not. Remember, that the calories of your dog’s intake should be calculated by the 90/10 rule. The 90/10 rule states that the dog’s intake of calories should be 90% a balanced and wholesome dog food diet and 10% treats. With this being explained, you should have an easier time figuring out how much to give your sweet pooch.
The Key Takeaways
Can Dogs Eat Peaches?
If you ever aren’t sure about a fruit or vegetable that you want to offer to your most loyal furry friend, you owe it to him or her to give their veterinarian a call before doling the treats out. You can unwittingly put your pooch into an allergic reaction or give them something potentially harmful or poisonous. You must always consider the proper way to dispose of any hazardous parts of a fruit or vegetable before even cutting a piece of it. These warnings are here to serve your pup’s health, safety and happiness, so you can always have your furry BFF around to dole out treats and love to. So, here’s to a lifetime of sensible and healthy treats!
