Dogs can eat many fruits, such as apples, bananas, oranges, mango and watermelon, and that’s great, since they are healthy natural snacks we can safely share with them. Nevertheless, this is not the case for all fruits. There are some of them that are extremely toxic for dogs, such as grapes. That’s why it’s extremely important to always do some research before sharing new food with our pup.
The fruit that brings us here today are cucumbers. Is this fruit going to be listed on the safe or prohibited list?
As a matter of fact, cucumbers are absolutely safe for dogs to eat. So, if you have ever thought about sharing a little piece of this refreshing fruit with your pooch whenever you’re eating it, then you can go ahead.
But, there are some things you should definitely keep in mind before feeding cucumbers to your dog.
Are cucumbers good for dogs?
One thing is saying cucumbers are safe for dogs and they will do them no harm, but saying that they are good for their health and can provide many benefits is a completely different thing.
So, which one is it? Do cucumbers actually have any health benefits for dogs?
The answer is yes, they 100% do.
One of the best health benefits cucumbers have for dogs is acting as a low-carb snack. One-half cup of cucumber slices has no more than 8 calories. This is especially helpful for overweight pups that still want to enjoy the pleasure of receiving occasional treats without contributing to their health-threatening condition.
Hey, don’t think that because they are healthy they will not be delicious. Most dogs tend to absolutely love cucumbers because of their sweetness and crunchiness. So if you’re looking for some extra low-carb treats for your pup, cucumber slices are the ones for you.
What is more, cucumbers are high in potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and K, and low in sodium and fat, making them a health booster snack for your dog.
Another great benefit of this delicious fruit for dogs is the fact that cucumbers are approximately 96% water. This contributes to the fact that they are a great snack for pups that need to lose some weight, and it also makes them an amazing treat for summer! They are extremely refreshing and will help your pup cool down during extreme temperatures.
How can you feed cucumbers to your dog?
Now that we have established that cucumbers are not only safe for dogs, but also good for them, we can dive into the next question you might be asking yourself: but how can I feed cucumbers to my dog?
There are many different creative ways you can feed cucumbers to your dog, you just have to find the one your pooch likes the most.
- Canapé: create healthy gourmet canapes for your dog with small slices of cucumber topped with a teaspoon of cream cheese on top.
- Fruit salad: create a dog-friendly fruit salad with small slices of cucumber, celery, cantaloupe, watermelon and apple. They will love this refreshing treat. Pro tip: add their daily Mokai vitamins to the salad to make it extra healthy.
- Frozen cucumber: this treat is especially great for summer, it will help your dog cool down when they are feeling hot. You will just have to slice the cucumber in and put it in the freezer. After a few hours you’ll have delicious frozen treats for your dog to chew.
- Slices: this one of the simplest ways of feeding cucumbers to your dog. Just cut it in small slices and feed it to your pooch.
- Dehydrated slices: if you have a dehydrator at home, you can create this amazing dog treat. They are great for training, since you can cut them in any size you need and have them in your pocket.
- Topping: you can get creative and also use small pieces of cucumber as a topping for their regular food.
How much cucumber can dogs eat?
As you probably know by now, dogs can eat many human foods, but the key to all of them is moderation. The best way to figure out how much of anything your dog can eat is following the 90-10 rule.
90% of a dog’s diet must be made of their food, whether you feed them kibbles, a raw diet or whatever food they consume on a daily basis. Only 10% of what they eat should be treats. And yes, small pieces of human food count as treats.
So if you want to share some delish cucumber slices with your poop, make sure to keep the 90-10 rule in mind.
Are cucumbers bad for dogs?
We have already established that cucumbers are great healthy snacks for dogs but since everything tends to have a side effect, you might wonder if cucumbers do too. As a matter of fact, they do.
There are some risks of feeding cucumbers to your dog, more specifically, there are three possible risks.
The first one is that your dog loves them too much. As healthy and low-carb as cucumbers might be, they can still lead to being overweight if you don’t respect the 90-10 rule. Overfeeding any type of treat to your dog can have severe health issues.
The second risk of feeding cucumbers to your dog is choking. If you give your pooch a whole cucumber or pieces too big for them, they can experience an awful choking episode. This is why it’s so important to serve cucumbers to your dog in a way that suits them the most.
Last but not least, there is also a risk of your dog having digestive problems. Some pups cannot digest seeds and peel very well (you can just remove them). What is more, as it happens with any new food, you should start with a small quantity of cucumbers to check if your dog has any unwanted reaction to eat.
