We all are dog lovers here. Like many dog enthusiasts, you may also prefer to share your food with your dog—be it fresh fruit, dry, or something brought from the store, such as caramel, chocolate, Hot Cheetos, etc. But the question is, whether all kinds of food are safe for your furry friend to eat?
What about apricots? Can dogs eat apricots? Are they good—or bad—for your dog? Let’s dive into the details below.
Can Dogs Eat Apricots?
Yes, dogs can safely eat apricots. Apricots are super-delicious for your pup to eat if the seed is removed, but they should be fed in a moderate amount. This juicy and fleshy fruit is full of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants.
The harmful parts of apricots are stem, seeds, and leaves as they contain cyanide—an element harmful to both pups and adult dogs because it can cause cyanide poisoning.
Benefits of Apricots for Dogs
Apricots are a powerhouse of nutrients for your furry friend as they include vitamin C that helps improve your doggy’s immune system, supports healthy aging, reduces harmful free radicals in your pup’s body, and reduces inflammation.
Apricots also contain a decent amount of vitamin A that helps improve the vision of dogs, including night vision. Besides, Vitamin A also maintains the skin’s health of dogs.
Moreover, apricots also have potassium which is a vital element for your dog’s health. Potassium helps in increasing the functioning of electrical charges in the heart, nerves, and muscles. Potassium is essential for your pup because if a dog lacks this element, it may feel tired day and night, lacking the desire for food.
Beta-carotene and fiber are also present in apricots. Beta-carotene helps in modulating the immune system of dogs, while fiber helps in increasing bulk and absorb the excess of water that helps produce firm stools.
Apricot Poisoning in Dogs
As we discussed earlier, apricots are safe for dogs only if eaten in a reasonable amount. Note that when we say apricots are safe for your dog, we refer to the flesh of apricots and not seeds, leaves, and stems. If your pup has eaten too many apricots, you should keep an eye on him and contact your veterinarian if you notice any of the following signs:
1. Shock
2. Panting
3. Difficulty breathing
4. Dilated pupils
2. Bright red gums
3. Lethargy
4. Weakness
5. Fatigue
Some other symptoms that you can quickly notice from your pup’s body language are:
1. Lack of focus
2. Sweaty paws
3. Whale eye
4. Lips pushed forward
5. Raspy panting
Five Ways to Add Apricots to Your Dog’s Diet
You can’t control everything in your dog’s life, but you can control what you put into his body. Following are five different ways in which you can give apricots to your dog.
1. Sliced
If your dog loves eating apricots, try slicing them into small pieces that are easily chewable for your pup.
2. Added in Dog Food
You can also add apricot slices or dices to dog food to add a different taste to it. Your puppy will, we assume, fall in love with this new flavor.
3. Frozen
Cut the apricots into cubes and keep them in the freezer for a few hours. Once frozen, give them to your dog.
4. Baked Treats
You can also make baked treats that include apricots in them, like apricot muffins that dogs usually love to eat.
5. Pureed
Try pureeing the apricots and serve them to your dog or mix it with other food. It will be a very healthy food for a senior dog whose teeth are not strong enough to eat a fresh apricot.
How Many Apricots Can Dogs Eat?
There’s no definite number of apricots that a dog can reliably eat. The amount of apricot a dog can eat depends on the dog’s size, breed, physical activities, and health. A big dog can safely eat an apricot a day, cut into slices or dices, and its seed separated, whereas a pup should eat a half apricot, again cut into slices or dices, and seed removed.
The 10% rule should be followed while giving fruits to your dogs to eat. It means that the calories in treats, including apricots, provided to your puppy must not exceed 10% of the total recommended daily calories. Balanced meals contain 90% of the calorie intake of your doggy.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Apricots?
Fresh apricots are the tastiest ones, but dried apricots are healthier for dogs as they contain more potassium, iron, and sugar than fresh ones.
Dogs can eat dried apricots but in a smaller amount than fresh apricots because the nutrients that an apricot contains are more concentrated in dried apricots. If a dog takes dried apricots in higher amounts, it will increase the sugar level in his body. In fact, the smaller the amount, the better it is for your pup. Seeds must be removed from dried apricots as well.
Can Dogs Eat Apricots? The Takeaway
While you can feed apricots to your canine companion, making it their habit is not a great idea. As for its toxicity is concerned, apricots are entirely safe for your dogs, but the seeds, leaves, or stems must not be given to the dog as it can cause apricot poisoning. One apricot a day will be safe for a big dog, and for a pup, not more than a half apricot a day will be safe. If your dog swallowed apricots’ seeds or has eaten too many apricots, you must contact a veterinarian immediately.