When it comes to feeding our best friend – nutritious, real food can be so much better than buying highly processed kibble. Here at Underdog, we advocate nourishing our four-legged-friends with real food, using only human-grade ingredients to not just satisfy your dog’s hunger – but improve his health, and longevity too!

Why Fruit?

There are more and more cases of dogs failing to thrive on a highly processed diet, with skin problems, ear infections, and anal gland problems all becoming commonplace.

Heart problems, arthritis, and cancer are also robbing our beloved pets of valuable years that could be spent taking long walks together.

While fruit alone isn’t going to cure these illnesses if they’re already there, it’s widely known in the human and canine medical arenas that a diet containing fruits and veggies will be of great benefit to the patient’s health and wellbeing. And best of all – reduce their risk of developing these life-threatening conditions.

Here’s 5 of Our Favourite Fruits for Dogs

Apples

An apple a day might keep the Doctor away, probably because of the fibre, potassium, flavonoids, phytonutrients and Vitamin C – but, don’t give your dog a whole apple.

The cyanide in apple seeds is lethal for dogs; there is enough cyanide in one apple to kill a dog the size of a Yorkshire Terrier. Of course, they would have to chew the pips to get to the cyanide but do you want to take the risk?

Chop up some apple pieces and mix them in with Fido’s food.

Blueberries

The Queen of Super-fruit! Blueberries contain Vitamins C and E, manganese and fibre. As well as being chock-full of antioxidants that actively reduce inflammation and inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

A study (conducted by Dunlap, Reynold, and Duffy in 2006) was carried out to see if blueberries could help to eliminate oxidants in sled dogs. The results showed that dogs whose diet included blueberries had much higher antioxidant content in their blood, and it was therefore concluded that blueberries do increase antioxidant level – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16520073

They’re not just full of antioxidants, they’ve also been shown to be good for the brain.

As long ago as 1999 James Joseph et al. conducted a study on older lab rats which showed that these rats, fed a diet high in blueberries actually grew neurons. This means blueberries may even help reverse age-related short-term memory loss and improve coordination and balance. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10479711

It looks like if you want to teach your old dog new tricks, you’d better start feeding him blueberries.

Blackberries

These berries are loaded with anthocyanins, not to mention vitamins and fibre. The humble blackberry can boost your dog’s defenses against various sources of free radicals, including disease, stress, and pollution.

A surprising treat for your canine companion – blend a few blackberries with a raw egg, half a teaspoon of coconut oil and some broccoli for a delicious, healthy take on a puppuccino!

Raspberries

Although raspberries do contain a small amount of Xylitol, which is highly toxic for dogs causing dangerously low blood sugar, you can feed them up to a half cup serving, but moderation with everything in life is the key. We prefer them as a small but valuable addition to their food.

Great for dogs with joint issues as these have anti-inflammatory properties, they also provide a great source of dietary fibre. Fresh or frozen, a great treat to share with your pooch, we love freezing a small handful and throwing them into Fido’s water bowl to encourage him to drink more on a hot day.

Watermelons

As the name suggests, watermelons are jam-packed full of water, an ideal choice for rehydrating on a hot day. Full of Vitamins A, K, selenium, magnesium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus… and just lots of water!

These are great to serve fresh in bite-sized pieces but remember to remove the seeds and rind as they can cause internal blockages and may be toxic.

Fruits to Avoid

There are absolutely masses of studies showing that fruit is a great addition to a dog’s balanced diet, but watch out – you do have to be careful because there are some fruits that can be harmful and even fatal to your four-legged friend. A great resource is the Pet Poison Helpline, and if you’re not 100% sure about something – check before you feed it to your dog.

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/