Lime, when mix with water and a little bit of sugar and honey would be a nice treat. When you put in some ice, lime juice can quench thirst easily especially during these hot days. It’s not a concern until your dog ingests some of it. But can dogs eat limes? Lime and other citruses are known to cause trouble with the dog’s system when ingested. We will be going to examine the ill-effects of lime when eaten and ingested by dogs.
There are things that we can feed to our dogs and we won’t have to fear that it might cause any repercussions. Feeding something to our dogs can make or break them. There are food items and food products that are deemed harmful for them and should not be given to them at any cost. What seems alright for human consumption may cause harm and sickness to our dogs.
We should always exercise caution when we give some treats to our dogs. For example, when we unwrap a piece of chocolate bar and pop it in straight in our mouths, we are only concern with tooth decay when after eating it we don’t brush our teeth. A little more chocolate may cause us to lose some sleep because it helps us keep awake, what I am trying to say is, we won’t be facing serious consequences when we eat it.
Can dogs eat limes?
A dog fully trusts his master in all circumstances, even if its gut feeling tells him it’s not good for him, your dog out of that trust would taste or eat a lime that you would feed it. During a normal circumstance, when no human intervention would take place, can dogs eat limes? Your dog with its heightened sense of danger and alertness would not in any way eat a lime. For your dog, a lime’s taste is just unbearable and despicable.
Lime and other citruses are just something that your dog’s system having a hard time tolerating especially in large quantities. Lime can cause digestive problems in dogs. And besides, there are no health benefits on the dog’s part of consuming lime in any form. The citric acid that is in lime can cause problems in dogs. The dog’s tolerance would depend on the quantity, his size, and if the dog’s stomach is sensitive to it or not.
Why do dogs despise lime and other citruses?
The dog can taste bitter and sad to say, dogs don’t like. They can also taste sour but it doesn’t always have a negative connotation as far as your dog is concerned. Dogs tend to avoid a taste that does not suit them for survival. For them, it’s either it tastes favorable or it’s not. There is no such thing as “borderline okay and not okay kind of thing” for dogs. It is always “okay” and “not okay” for them, no in-between.
Lime and other citruses contain essential oils and chemical compounds that are toxic to dogs. These toxic chemical compounds can be found in plants, tree parts, skins, and pithy white parts of limes and citrus plants. Bitter-tasting food items and rancid taste are bitter to a dog’s tongue, once they tasted it, they would avoid it for survival reasons. Most animals have that kind of reaction.
How about lime juice? It is now diluted with water and is partly sweetened with sugar, can I make my dog drink it?
We understand that at some point some dog owners are persistent with their feelings towards their animals. It wouldn’t going to be a nice feeling when you are eating something, and enjoy it very much and you cannot give it to your dog. A glass of cold, sweet, and refreshing lime juice is very good, it quenches your thirst on a hot summer day and instantly cools you off some steam.
You might have a pitcher of ice-cold lime juice sweetened with a bit of honey or sugar, you are seeing your dog gulps down its saliva when it sees you take a large glass and slide it down your throat nice and easy. Putting some lime juice on your dog’s bowl might take off some steam out of him and would make him feel comfortable you might think but sad to say it’s not.
First, lime is a big no-no for dogs, lime and dog don’t mix and match. Sugar is not good for your dog also, sugar can make your dog gain weight and would lead to several health issues. An excessive amount of citric acid (from lime) and sugar can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Better give them water and nothing else, it would quench them of thirst would not harm them in any way.
Is there any safe citrus that I can feed my dog?
There are fruits that you can feed your dog and you won’t have to worry about a thing. Sadly, limes and other citruses are in no way good for them. Forget the lime and other citruses it may be good for you but not for your dogs. Your dog doesn’t need lime and other citruses. You can choose to feed them with apples just don’t include the seeds. A small amount of banana and strawberries may do.
Fruit consumption should be given as treats and not as a food substitute. Fruit should be at all times be given in moderation. Remember to stay away from lime and other citruses. You need also to keep grapefruit away from your dog as it is also not good for them to consume it. Even if you say it is just a little amount, grapefruit, like citrus is not advisable and not safe for your dogs.
How much fruit does your dog need? It depends on a lot of factors, like for example, your dog’s size would determine how much fruit is advisable for them. The 10% treat rule should be your guide in giving them fruits as treats. It says that fruits and other treats should make up no more than 10% of their total caloric intake for the day. It simply means fruits and other treats should be given in small and in few pieces each day.
If I cannot feed them lime and other citruses what am I going to give them?
We just love to spoil our dogs with treats and lots of goodies. We just love to give them anything which is on our table. For example, if we ate a steak, we love to spare them a piece and let them chew it. As humans, we tend to share a love for our canines that is also being reciprocated by them. It is normal for us to feel that our dogs should also be getting the nice things we are eating.
Some of the food we are eating is fit for dog consumption. Our dogs digest differently as we do. Allowing them to feed on some wrong choice of food may lead to long-term health problems and worse, even death. We need to consider one simple truth, dogs are designed by nature for carnivores, naturally, foods like vegetables and fruits are not really part of their natural diet.
An occasional fruit and vegetables treat may do, but as I said, they are not carnivores by nature. Their guts are not even designed to digest grains and other plant-based foods. They are meat-eaters long before they are domesticated. If you look at their body construction, they have sharp fangs and sharp claws. Those fangs and claws are meant to cut, mince, and tear chunks of meats rather than picking an apple on top of a tree.
But since you feel a strong urge to give them some fruit treats, an apple can be an excellent choice of fruit for your dog. An apple can be a source of vitamins A and C. It also provides a dose of fiber for your dog. It has a low protein content and fat. But you need to patiently remove all the seeds because apple seeds have traces of cyanide which can cause toxicity problems in dogs.
Bananas and blueberries can also be treats. Bananas have few calories and are nice for your dogs. It has high potassium, vitamins, biotin, fiber, and copper which are beneficial nutrients for your dogs. Since bananas contain sugar, you need to control their intake of bananas and should be given only as treats. On the other hand, blueberries are foods rich in antioxidants. It helps prevent cell damage in humans and canines.
If you want to teach your dogs to catch some treats, you may use blueberries to teach them how to catch them in the air. You will be going to love it and your dog would also love it as well. It can be a good bonding moment for both of you. Blueberries are good treats provided you give them in moderation. You also need to watch your dog’s water intake you need to keep track of their hydration. Remember at all times, moderation is the key.
So the answer to the question “Can dogs eat limes?” is no. It is not good for your dog!