Bananas not only taste delicious, they are also full of nutrients. Their valuable vitamins and minerals are not only good for us two-legged friends.
The vitamin C, magnesium and potassium contained in bananas also benefit furry paws, they are allowed to eat bananas.
While humans discovered the diversity of bananas a long time ago and eat them raw, cooked, baked or grilled, dogs have to rely on the fact that the banana given to them by their master or mistress is also digestible for them.
This article therefore deals explicitly with the following questions: Are dogs allowed to eat bananas at all? And if so, how much is healthy and what needs to be taken into account when feeding them?
First of all: dogs are allowed to eat bananas.
However, it depends on the correct dosage. In addition, there are some points that should be taken into account. You will learn more about this later.
The guide is rounded off with a recipe for tasty banana treats, of which there can be just one more.
Do dogs even like bananas?
Yes, at least most of them do. If we leave out the nagging specimens, bananas are generally very popular in the realm of dogs.
No wonder, because the crooked fruit tastes particularly sweet and also has a surprising consistency.
Formerly known as figs of paradise, the fruit is now a high-sugar energy source that is often eaten as a snack between meals. The same applies to dogs.
Here, however, it depends on the quantity. Surely you know the saying “the dose makes the poison”?
This clearly applies here: banana snacks given in moderation are healthy, but too much can be harmful for the animal.
How much banana can my dog eat?
To give you a rough guide, you can orientate yourself on the size of your dog.
- small dog breeds a few pieces
- large dog breeds half a banana every two to three days
- Be aware of potassium oversupply
Similar to vaccination or medication, the weight or size of the animal plays a decisive role. If you have a larger breed of dog, you can feed half a banana every two to three days.
If you have a smaller breed of dog, only small pieces can be given.
And again, you should not feed every day. The simple reason for this is that bananas are rich in potassium. If there is an oversupply of potassium in the dog’s organism, this can have a negative effect on the heart muscle and, in the worst case, even damage it.
Does the degree of ripeness of the banana play a role?
Yes, it is extremely important and should definitely be taken into account. The following applies: The riper the banana, the more digestible it is for the animal. A particularly ripe banana contains very little starch. This is a multiple sugar, which influences the dog’s blood sugar level.
And this also has an effect on the weight of the four-legged friend.
If your dog is already carrying around a few extra pounds, you should make sure that he is fed very little banana in order to save unnecessary calories.
Every treat will otherwise be deposited on the hips.
Is it advisable to give bananas for diarrhoea?
Bananas contain a lot of pectin, which can help with diarrhoea. Pectins are water-binding dietary fibres that have a constipating effect.
This property can help the unwanted diarrhoea to subside more quickly. This also applies to apples. They also contain a lot of pectin and are a proven home remedy when your dog has diarrhoea.
My dog has eaten banana peel: what now?
If you have caught your four-legged friend eating banana peel, you can rest assured: The peel itself is not poisonous for the animal.
However, you should make sure that this does not happen repeatedly, as the peels can be contaminated with fungicides or pesticides. Just as with us humans, these can cause stomach upsets, nausea or vomiting.
The banana recipe – only the best for your pet
Does your dog love bananas so much that you want to make treats out of them? Then you can do so with the following recipe. You will need:
- 2 carrots
- 1 banana
- 200 g flour
- 100 fine oat flakes
- 50 ml sunflower oil
And this is how it is done:
First, peel the carrots with a peeler and then grate them finely. Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork. Now add the oat flakes, flour and oil. Work everything into a dough in a bowl. If the dough is too tough, you can add a little water to make it more kneadable.
In the second step, preheat your oven to 180 degrees and cover the baking tray with baking paper.
Now you can spread some flour on your work surface to roll out the dough.
Tip: If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a bottle.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of about one centimetre. Now you can let your creativity run free and either cut out some shapes yourself or use biscuit cutters to make individual biscuits.
Place them on the tray and bake for about 25 minutes. Turn off the oven at the end of this time and leave the biscuits to dry overnight.
You can then store the banana treats for about three weeks in a container that is not too tight.
Note: If you have cut out particularly large motifs, limit the number of treats to one per day. If you have chosen small shapes, you can give your pooch an extra biscuit every now and then.
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Conclusion: Can dogs eat bananas?
The banana is a real treat for your dog. For large dogs, you can feed half a banana every two to three days.
As there is a lot of potassium in the banana, you need to give little banana even to small dogs.
With a few exceptions, dogs love to eat bananas and would love to eat the peel as well. But it’s better to get rid of the peel.
If you feed bananas, it is advisable to give ripe bananas, as they do not contain as much starch.
When training, you can also use banana treats, the instructions for which can be found above.