Pineapples are a great low-calorie treat for dogs, so can dogs eat pineapple? The answer is yes, dogs can eat pineapple. They are packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and enzymes that protect against inflammation and can help improve your dogs digestion.
Can dogs eat pineapple: Five health benefits of pineapples for dogs?
The majority of the beneficial effects of pineapples come from the enzyme bromelain.
1. Pineapples are low in calories and fat
Although they are pretty low in calories they still have a ton of nutrients. A cup of pineapple chunks has about 83 calories and 1.7 grams of fat.
2. Pineapples are packed with vitamins
Pineapples have a lot of vitamin C and manganese. In addition, but to a lower extent, they can provide lower amounts of vitamin B6, thiamine, copper, folate, magnesium, potassium, iron, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. Pineapples also contain trace amounts of zinc, calcium, vitamin K, vitamin A, and phosphorus.
With the large amount of vitamin C and manganese available to your pup, you should know how each vitamin affects your dog. Read our article about vitamins and your dog.
3. Pineapples have fiber
If you have a dog with digestive issues that do well with fiber a cup of pineapples provides over two grams of fiber. While you probably wouldn’t give your dog this much pineapple it is a beneficial treat to give to your dog in an appropriate amount for their body size.
4. Pineapples have antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that help prevent oxidation and oxidative stress due to free radicals in your dog’s body and can help with inflammation which may help with cancer and arthritis. Pineapples are rich in the antioxidants phenolics and flavinoids specifically. (Source)
5. Pineapples can help with hydration
Pineapples contain over 80% water so that’s some serious hydration for your pup
Can pineapples really stop my dog from eating poop?
The answer to this question is it depends. Success rates with this issue vary greatly with many owners seeing no signs of their dog stopping the practice of coprophagia.
The tanginess of the bromelain in pineapples is supposed to give your dogs poop a nasty taste, although if they don’t think feces tastes disgusting there’s a good chance this won’t do much.
There has actually been little scientific research that corroborates the statement that pineapple will end this act. If you have a coprophagic dog it is worth giving pineapple a try, but if you are looking for other tips that may help read our latest article here about coprophagia and puppies.
Which dogs benefit the most from eating pineapple?
1. Dogs with digestive issues
If you have a dog with digestive issues such as constant constipation they benefit from the added fiber in pineapples. In addition, the bromelain helps to break down protein molecules which can aid in digestion.
2. Dogs with arthritis
Dogs that have arthritis may benefit from eating pineapple every once and a while due to their anti-inflammatory effects.
3. Dogs with cancer
Because pineapples have tremendous antioxidant effects they are often included in dogs diets that have cancers. If you have a dog with cancer, make sure to read our article about how to feed a dog with cancer.
4. Dogs with pancreatic insufficiency
In humans with pancreatic insufficiency, the bromelain enzyme has been shown to be helpful because it breaks down the protein molecules, which assists the pancreas since it is not making enough digestive enzymes. Bromelain is used in meat tenderizers to help break down tough meat proteins, so it should be extremely helpful to dogs with pancreatic insufficiency
What are the risks and dangers of feeding my dog pineapple?
While there are many beneficial aspects to feeding your dog pineapples there are some detrimental ones as well. This is why it is important to feed pineapples to your dog sparingly
Sugar Overload
One large pineapple has an average of 89 grams of sugar which is about a whopping 21 teaspoons of sugar! If you have a diabetic dog you should refrain from feeding your dog pineapple.
Allergic Reaction
Pineapples are a very low-risk allergen but if you are feeding your dog pineapple for the first time keep an eye on him or her to ensure they don’t have a reaction to the fruit.
Obesity
Due to the high sugar content if given too often your dog can develop obesity and possibly diabetes, especially in smaller dogs
Tooth Decay
Again due to the excess sugar in pineapples in fed too often accelerated tooth decay can occur
Choking
Choking is of concern if you aren’t giving your dog pineapple the correct way (cubbing it for them) and feeding parts of the pineapple they shouldn’t eat like the skin or core
Allergic Reactions
While rare, it is possible that your dog may be allergic to pineapple. If you want to read more about how to recognize allergic reactions to pineapple skip to that section in this article.
Can all dogs eat pineapple? Which dogs should not eat pineapple?
Most dogs can eat pineapple but there are exceptions
- Due to the high sugar content dogs with diabetes should not be given pineapple
- Dogs on a blood thinner should not eat pineapple as the bromelain can decrease blood clotting time
- Obese dogs should not get pineapple due to the high sugar content
How to feed your dog pineapple
- Ensure that the flesh is a light to medium yellow
- Always give your dog raw fresh pineapples
- Never give your dog an entire pineapple as they can not eat the crown, core or the skin (just like us)
- Cut your dogs pineapple into small chunks
- Do not feed your dog canned pineapple as these are usually preserved in sugary syrup and have added sugar for extra sweetness
How much pineapple should I feed my dog?
Fruit should play a very small part in your dog’s meals, if you are feeding your dog an over-the-counter diet you may notice a tiny amount already in the ingredients list.
If you are making your dog’s food at home and want to add pineapple the fruit should not exceed more than 10% of his or her total food consumption for the day.
If a small cube is about 4-5 grams (think the size of a sugar cube) it contains about 2 calories.
| Small Dog (5-19 pounds) | One to two small cubes no more than 2-3 times a week |
| Medium Dog (20-50 pounds) | Three to Five cubes no more than 2-3 times a week |
| Large Dog (over 50 pounds) | Five to Eight small cubes no more than 2-3 times a week |
You should still check with your vet for an amount specifically tailored for your dog
How do I know if my dog is having a reaction to pineapple?
While rare, if your dog has a reaction to pineapple they may present with
- excessive drooling: if you’ve ever eaten a lot of pineapples then you know that sometimes it can cause your tongue to burn this is due to, you guessed it, the bromelain
- gastrointestinal signs: nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Constipation: if your dog gets too much fiber from pineapples they could become constipated
- Obesity: If you are giving your dog too much pineapple they may eventually become obese and diabetic due to the high sugar content
- Swelling: If your dog is going into anaphylactic shock due to eating pineapple you may notice some swelling of the face or body
- Difficulty Breathing and Fainting: If your dog is severely allergic to pineapples they may go into anaphylactic shock and pass out or faint due to the inability to breathe properly
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my dog stink after eating pineapple? Some owners may notice some unwanted smells coming from their dog after eating pineapple and it is usually caused by excess gas due to the high fiber content in the fruit.
Can dogs have dried pineapple? Yes, dogs can have dried pineapple as long as there are no additives or sugar. You can even buy a dehydrator and make your own dried pineapple jerky
Can my dog drink pineapple juice? No, dogs should not have pineapple juice. There is already a lot of sugar in pineapple and since most of the pulp and fiber are stripped away in juice they can’t counteract the insulin spike that the sugar will cause, so refrain from giving your dog pineapple juice
Things to remember when feeding your dog pineapple
- Your dog’s digestive system isn’t built for handling a large amount of fruit and sugar, so feed it sparingly and in moderation or you may have to clean up a lot of unwanted messes
- When feeding your dog raw pineapple make sure to only give him or her the flesh
- Dogs that have diabetes, are obese or on blood thinners should not have pineapple
References
