Avocado is a fruit that is a natural as well as nutritious food. This fruit contains about 20 vitamins and minerals. Avocado is fairly large in size with a greenish green fruit with a pit and soft skin. Ripe, green avocados contain many nutrients that can keep dogs healthy. It is also used in the production of certain types of dog food available in the market.
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Nutritional Values of Avocados
They are an excellent source of fats and vitamins. It contains Vitamin B, C and E. Avocados are more fibrous than other fruits. It also contains a number of useful minerals such as copper, iron, and potassium, as well as B vitamins and folate.
Health Benefits
The following benefits are common to humans and dogs too.
Avocados are made of fiber. They are also high in insoluble fiber, which helps your dog’s body master the digestive process. Also, fiber can prevent constipation. Avocados are rich in potassium. It lowers the sodium level in your dog’s blood and relieving the tension in blood vessel walls. Therefore, potassium helps in lowering your dog’s blood pressure.
Health Impacts
One of the biggest risks to dogs from eating avocado is the physical harm that can result from swallowing the large seeds it contains. Since dogs try to eat anything, they can also try to eat the seed in the avocado fruit. So, make sure not to feed the seed to them. Also stem and the skin of avocado are also not good for dogs.
Avocados are high in fat, which increases the risk of obesity or pancreatic cancer. So be sure to give avocados to your dog in small quantities.
There is a toxic called persin is contained in avocado fruit. Below discussed the health impacts of persin.
Is Persin in Avocados Harmful to Dogs?
Avocados contain a toxic substance called persin. Persin is found mostly in the leaves of the avocado tree, and to some extent in the fruit. But persin is poisonous only to certain animals. Unfortunately, sometimes dogs also not suitable to have persin. It can be harmful to certain parts of the dog’s heart. In most cases, dogs that eat small amounts of avocado will not be poisoned by this persin. Also, by eating well-ripened avocados, a dog is extremely less likely to have persin poisoning.
How to Feed Avocados to Your Dog?
Take a well-ripened avocado. Peel the skin well and remove the seed. Feed it to your dog without mixing it with anything else (e.g., sugar). Even it likes avocado, don’t feed it too much.
Watch the following video.
How to Know if My Dog Likes Avocado?
Try treating your dog to a few peeled and seedless avocados first. If the dog eats it after checking, you can conclude that your dog likes avocados. Also, if the dog reacts to the avocado, you should avoid giving it to him. However, it can secretly find avocado and eat it. For example, if you have an avocado tree in your backyard, your dog can go there and eat it. So, stay tuned for that.
Conclusion
So, avocados are relatively safe for dogs to eat, and it is best to give them only a small amount of fruit. If you are concerned about fruits, vegetables, and other foods that your pet can eat without harm, be sure to consult your veterinarian first to avoid accidental poisoning or gastrointestinal problems. This is because the type of food your dog can eat varies according to your dog’s size, breed and other factors.
I work as a veterinarian and am a passionate animal lover. My love for animals led me to become a veterinarian, and my goal is to disseminate animal health and welfare through internet information and support, similar to what I'm doing at whatmydogeats.com.
