The vast majority of dogs today eat a diet based on dog food, and it is a common belief among dog owners that dog food is dog food, and that dog food can meet all of a dog's nutritional needs.
But is this really true? Dog food can really meet all the nutritional needs of the dog? If there is really dog food that can do well enough, then you can guarantee that you buy the brand of dog food? And do you really have confidence in the varying quality of dog food today? Under this series of questions, are you also beginning to become hesitant? Have you found that you do not know anything about dog food, and trust it because of the dog food with a "dog" word?
In fact, if we open our eyes a little more, we will find that there are many natural foods that can be added to the dog's diet. Before there was a dog food industry, dogs did not also rely on these natural foods to survive?
In fact, there are many fruits and vegetables that are worth including in your dog's diet. But at the same time, you should also exclude some fruits such as grapes that could be harmful to your dog.
As dog owners, we may often wonder, "Can dogs eat bananas? Bananas are soft and tasty, but is it suitable for dogs?"
Dogs can eat bananas. Bananas contain a variety of vitamins, trace elements, and dietary fiber in their composition, and also have the effect of clearing heat and moistening intestines and promoting intestinal peristalsis. However, bananas are rich in potassium may lead to high potassium blood in dogs, do not let dogs consume too many bananas when eating. 3 months of age before the puppy's organs are not fully developed, do not feed bananas. But you still need to know something about bananas before you feed them to your dog. This knowledge will tell you why you should feed bananas to your dog. You need to know that feeding bananas are not a choice you make on a whim, but an action you take intentionally.
In this article, we will tell you about the benefits and disadvantages of bananas for dogs, and then we will show you how to feed bananas to your dog properly.

I. The benefits bananas can bring to dogs

Our goal in adding bananas to your dog's diet is simple: to give your dog a healthier body and a richer taste experience.
To convince you to feed your dog bananas, we've summarized six benefits that bananas can bring to your dog, and hope that these benefits serve as motivation for you to get started.
Bananas can help dogs maintain normal blood pressure. Bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin B6, two nutrients that help dogs regulate their blood flow. Normal blood pressure contributes to a healthy heart.
Bananas can strengthen your dog's muscles. Huh? Did you hear that right? Fruits can also strengthen muscles? That's right! Bananas are rich in magnesium, which plays a very important role in maintaining muscle health. Especially for those dogs who love to exercise, bananas can help them maintain strong muscles.
Bananas can strengthen your dog's bones. The potassium in bananas can reduce the loss of calcium from the bones. Also, bananas contain magnesium to promote healthy bone growth.
Bananas can improve your dog's brain function. You can keep your dog's mind agile by feeding them bananas. Vitamin B6 can also promote cognitive function in dogs while maintaining a healthy heart.
Bananas can boost your dog's immune system. Bananas are rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that boosts your dog's resistance to disease.
Bananas can promote the intestinal health of dogs. A medium-sized banana contains 2.6 grams of dietary fiber, which promotes intestinal motility in dogs.
The taste of bananas is cool and sweet, with a very good taste, and bananas are rich in vitamins and minerals, so bananas for dogs can be supplemented with vitamins and trace elements. At the same time, bananas contain water-soluble pectin and insoluble fiber two kinds of dietary fiber, that can enhance the function of the gastrointestinal tract, and promote intestinal peristalsis, dog consumption of bananas can play a good laxative effect. In the dog constipation or poor appetite when the dog's appropriate consumption of bananas can play a regulatory role.

Bananas are rich in vitamin B, which can promote the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates and regulate the nutrient level of the dog's body, and can better convert the sugar in bananas into calories. The sugar in bananas is fructose, which is not harmful to the dog's body, but it should not be eaten too much and should be fed in moderation.

II. Things to keep in mind when dogs eat bananas

Now that you know that bananas can bring so many benefits to dogs, then you should also understand the bad things they may bring to dogs, otherwise, we should worry that you are not feeding bananas to dogs in moderation.
If you feed your dog a lot of bananas, you are making a bad thing out of a good thing and will end up harming your dog.
Bananas contain a lot of sugar and also contain some starch. A medium-sized banana contains 14 grams of sugar and about 6 grams of starch. Although bananas are good for your dog's health, you should not feed them too much, but rather judge them according to the size of your dog. Different dogs have different sensitivities to the food they ingest. Some dogs with more sensitive intestinal tracts will have an imbalance in their intestinal flora and may have soft stools after ingesting bananas, and dogs should be more observant after ingesting bananas. To relieve dog constipation, you can't just feed bananas. The potassium and sugar in bananas are not good for the dog's health. Large amounts of potassium ions are not good for the dog's kidney metabolism and may also increase the burden on the dog's kidney function. It is possible for adult dogs to develop hyperkalemia if they consume large amounts of bananas, and it can be fatal for some older dogs. Bananas are high in sugar and also contain high levels of energy, and overfeeding can lead to obesity in dogs, and obesity can trigger a host of problems in dogs.

This is why some people would urge people not to feed bananas to their dogs. Because the sugar in bananas is really high, people worry that too much sugar and starch will be bad for the dog's health.
Do not give bananas to puppies. The function of the organs of the puppy is fragile, so giving the puppy bananas too early may cause irritation to its stomach and intestines, and may lead to indigestion in the puppy. After the dog reaches 3 months of age, the gastrointestinal digestive function gradually becomes stronger, so you can feed moderate amounts of bananas.
Weight gain can be a potential problem. Just like people, dogs can become obese when they consume too much starch and sugar.
Although the dietary fiber contained in bananas helps dogs digest them, overfeeding them can turn the dog's stomach.
After feeding a dog a large number of bananas, the dog may experience vomiting and diarrhea.

Three: Don't let your dog eat banana peels

Banana peels are not toxic, but they are not suitable for dogs to eat. The high amount of fiber contained in banana peels may cause vomiting or diarrhea in dogs. To avoid dogs flipping through the trash and eating banana peels, it is best to use a trash can with a lid. We don't think the vast majority of people would think about feeding banana peels to their dogs unless you have a novel brain.
In fact, banana peels are not toxic to dogs, but they are really hard to chew and they are very difficult to digest in the dog's gastrointestinal tract.
If your dog eats a banana peel, he may get sick. Indigestion and vomiting are the more common symptoms.

Fourth, how many bananas is the right amount for a dog to eat?

The amount of food depends on many factors, such as how big your dog is, how healthy he is, whether he has any obesity problems, etc.
For an adult dog of normal size and good health, we give the following recommendations for the amount of food to be fed.
Medium and large dogs should be fed bananas at one time in an amount the size of half a normal banana.
Small dogs and miniature dogs should get 2 to 3 slices of banana at a time, and the thickness of the banana slices should be about 5 to 6 mm.
Because of the high sugar content of bananas, bananas should only be offered to dogs as a snack or small meal. In general, bananas should not provide your dog with more than 10% of its daily calorie needs.