Getting a few prunes for snacks is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients for a healthy lifestyle. Prunes help you get hydrated and help you supply dietary fiber that is best for keeping your gut healthy. A few pieces of prunes are great for keeping your organs healthy.
Prunes are healthy for humans. Others would recommend a few servings of prunes because is it helps you feel okay when you are experiencing constipation. Prunes are also good in helping people who have osteoporosis and can help them get their recommended amount of vitamin and mineral intake.
If you are looking for a rich energy source, the snack helps you control and maintain blood sugar levels. A few pieces of great-tasting prunes are an ideal snack for you. But can you give your dog a few treats? Is it good for them? Can dogs eat prunes? Let us find out and get the best information on how to keep our dogs healthy.
Can dogs eat prunes?
Dog health experts do not condone giving a few pieces of prunes as dog treats. It is not safe for them. Although it is not toxic like grapes and raisins do, dogs find prunes hard to digest and would cause digestive problems, and would make your dog feel inconvenient and sloppy.
Dogs do not benefit in any way when they consume and ingest a few pieces of prunes. Prunes cause so many stomach upsets on dogs. It leads dogs to experience vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and inappetence. We don’t want those kinds of things, do we? We get bothered when our dog does not feel alright.
Prunes contain lots of sugar. Sugar and dogs don’t mix well. We have covered a lot of topics that explain thoroughly the ill effects of consuming too much sugar. But to make a point, the sugar content of prunes is quite high, and getting your dog to munch on prune treats is not exactly an excellent idea.
Fruits like apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, and prunes contain a natural toxin called cyanogenic glycoside. This chemical can transform into hydrogen cyanide, which is poisonous to both humans and dogs. A content of 0.5 to 3.0 milligrams per body weight is a lethal dose, and dog consuming it is pretty devastating on them.
Prunes, per se, is not toxic to dogs, but the pits, leaves, and stem contain traces of cyanide that are life-threatening for dogs when it accidentally ingests them. Your dog’s system can handle well a prune or two and can usually turn out fine. On a much lighter note, prunes have lesser toxicity compared to chocolates and other nuts.
My dog ingested some prunes. What should I do?
You need to monitor your dog if you suspect him of ingesting a few treats of prunes. Try to check if your dog is experiencing abdominal pains, vomiting, and diarrhea. Usually, these symptoms would pass in a couple of days, but you still need to give your vet a few calls. If your dog’s symptoms persist for a few more days, take him to your vet.
When you notice your dog is getting lethargic and has lost so much liquid because of vomiting, it would be better for him to be taken to the vet. After days of constant vomiting, dehydration is already creeping in. You need to think and act fast because your dog’s health is already in jeopardy when it loses lots of liquid from vomiting.
What is in prunes that is dangerous for dogs?
Cyanide that is produced by prune pits is dangerous for dogs. A plum’s stone is hard, sharp, and undigestible. That is where the cyanide is from. One piece of plum stone cyanide content is not very dangerous to dogs, but lots of it can be dangerous for Fido.
When a plum’s stone enters your dog’s stomach, it is not digested and will create many problems in your dog’s stomach. The rough surface scratches your dog’s stomach lining, and it will cause diarrhea, discomfort, and, worse, bleeding. A plum’s stone stuck on a small dog’s stomach can lead to gastrointestinal blockage and are fatal.
So the thing is, please be very careful. Gastrointestinal blockages are dangerous when untreated. When you have noticed that your dog has this issue, please seek immediate medical attention. You need to give the correct figures on how many stones your dog has ingested for an accurate assessment and proper medical intervention.
Can dogs eat cooked prunes?
No matter what the preparation is, prunes are not to be given to dogs. Please do not give your dog canned prunes or anything of its equivalent. It is not safe for them. It is better to be safe rather than be sorry. Humans may include prunes as part of their diet, but it is a big NO for dogs. A few slices of apple or a bit of banana are more advisable.
If you need to get your dog some vegetable or fruit treats, it is more advisable to give them a slice of good things. We have also discussed a few food items that are good for them when given in small and moderate amounts. We need to understand that dogs are more of a meat-eater rather than fruit or vegetable consumer.
A few bits of uncooked or unseasoned chicken are more recommended for your dog’s nutritional intake. Do not give your dogs processed foods like prunes in cans because sugar and other things that go with it are dangerous and toxic for them.
Just to set everything straight, a few servings of prunes are for humans. We can share many food items with our dogs but sad to say, a few serving of prunes is not one of them. We understand that whatever you are eating, you also want to have your dog taste it. But it simply can not be. Dogs are not little humans.
Their guts are just not like ours.
