Whenever I am in the kitchen my dog is certain to be around, eagerly snagging up any food accidentally dropped or mercifully thrown his way. I soon discovered that my dog had quite the appetite for veggies, especially celery, but I worried if these snacks were actually any good for him. I decided to do some research of my own to decide if I could continue giving my dog celery treats(http://www.mybonesandbiscuits.com/can-dogs-eat-celery).

Verdict: Celery is a welcome addition to any dog’s diet!

Celery is a low calorie, heart healthy snack that can provide numerous benefits to both you and your canine. Buy fresh, organic celery for the best nutrition benefits and always remove the leaves and wash before enjoying.

Benefits

Full of vitamins and minerals

Celery is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, B6, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. Celery also contains substantial amounts of the minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium. The feature vitamins, A and C, are antioxidants that will help keep your dog young and healthy. Pantothenic acid also works with vitamin C to help improve skin conditions.

Phosphorus, a mineral normally found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables, works with calcium to promote healthy teeth and bones. Magnesium is vital in several chemical reactions that affect muscle as well as nerve function, and will help ensure your dog’s entire body operates smoothly.

Heart healthy

Celery has no cholesterol, a low calorie count, high water content, high fiber, and is fat free. In other words, celery is extremely heart healthy. Celery has been cited in several recent studies for its ability to lower blood pressure. Phthalides, a phytochemical in celery, relaxes the tissues of the artery walls, effectively increasing blood flow and reducing blood pressure.

Cancer fighter

A compound found in celery, apigenin, has been shown in research funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and America’s National Cancer Institute to significantly inhibit cancer cell growth.

In a study in peer-reviewed journal Molecular Cancer, apigenin was shown to inhibit pancreatic cancer cell growth, and scientists at the University of Missouri found that apigenin had the ability to shrink breast cancer tumors as well.

Apigenin can be found in parsley as well as many other fruits and vegetables, but is especially abundant in celery.

A great treat or toy

Simply remove roughage, then wash and cut the celery into small, bite size pieces in order to create a nutrient dense treat for your dog. Carry some around with you in a baggy so you can reward your dog’s good behavior on the go. Praising a dog’s good behavior or restraint from a bad one with a treat is always a more effective training tool than punishment.

Celery can also make for an inexpensive chew toy for your dog. Simply clean a stalk and leave the rest to your pup, the chewy vegetable will keep them busy for a while.

An entire stalk of celery is only around seven calories, so even two or three stalks a day will not affect your dog’s diet greatly. Although, if you have a small puppy or a dog with choking concerns, you may want to stick with chopping the celery into bite size pieces.

In addition to its great health benefits, Celery has been shown to help improve your dog’s breath as well!

Things to consider

Buy fresh, organic celery

Your dog will get the most nutrition if fed fresh, organic celery; pre-packaged or frozen celery is often absent of many of the nutrients that make celery such a great snack in the first place. Celery is also one of the vegetables hit the most by pesticides, so it is best to buy organic produce in order to avoid feeding your dog harmful chemicals.

Introduce new food gradually

Be aware that every dog’s stomach is unique, and just like humans’, are susceptible to a variety of food allergies and intolerances. When adding new treats or food to your dog’s diet, it is recommended to begin with a small amount, then to wait and see if your dog has any unpleasant reactions before continuing consumption.

Remember that moderation is key, and that treats should never be given to the amount where they make a substantial difference in your dog’s diet. Daily treats are fine, but they should not make up more than ten percent of your dog’s diet. Lastly, always consult your veterinarian before making changes to your dog’s diet. Get ready to enjoy the benefits of celery!  

Summer is officially upon us, which means tropical fruits are finally in season. I look forward to this time of year as I get to enjoy one of my favorite snacks, mangoes! Being accompanied by my trusty canine companion in most endeavors, I often wonder if it is acceptable to share some of my beloved fruit with my dog.

Rather than give my dog a little and try the ‘wait and see’ method, I decided to conduct some research and decide for myself if mango is a safe treat for my dog.

Verdict: Raw mango, in moderation, is a welcome addition to any dog’s diet!

When given in moderation, raw mango can provide numerous health benefits to your dog. The only prerequisite for canine consumption is a thorough washing and a removal of the pit. The skin is non-toxic, and therefore a non-issue.

Benefits

Lots of vitamins and minerals

In addition to being absolutely delicious, mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins C, A, B6, E, and K. Mangoes are also rich in minerals potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Cancer prevention

Mangoes contain loads of polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds with antioxidant properties hailed for their cancer-fighting abilities.

In 2014, scientists at Texas A&M researched if the polyphenols in mangoes were effective against fighting breast cancer cells, with positive results. The scientists discovered that mango polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Flavonoids alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, naturally occurring botanical compounds found in mangoes, also attribute to the fruit’s cancer fighting ability.

Eye and skin health

Vitamin A is essential to bone, eye, and skin health. Mangoes, rich in vitamin A, can assist in curing skin conditions, as well as improving your dog’s coat.

Vitamin A deficiency can lead to poor vision and muscle weakness. Check your dog food’s ingredients to see if vitamin A is being supplemented. If not, mangoes may provide an excellent source of vitamin A.

Brain health

Vitamin B6, along with glutamine acid, are nutrients provided by mangoes that help improve neurotransmitter function in the brain, which will in turn help improve your dog’s memory and concentration.

High fiber, healthy heart

Mangoes’ high fiber content may lead one to believe that it promotes regular bowel movements and a healthy digestive system. While that is true, regular fiber intake also leads to a healthy heart.

Fiber has the ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as to protect against heart diseases, strokes, and diabetes. Mangoes can assist in maintaining healthy heart functions and also a healthy weight.

Antioxidants

Mangoes are packed with antioxidants, which help keep diseases away by boosting your dog’s immune functions. Antioxidants provide numerous other benefits to the overall health of your dog, and even assist in the cancer fight previously discussed.

Things to consider

Natural fructose

Mangoes have a high concentration of natural fructose, an organic sugar much healthier than the highly processed sugars that lead to rapid weight gain and diabetes. Regardless, dog’s systems are not engineered to digest large quantities of sugar, so large consumption could lead to an upset stomach or diarrhea.

A good practice is to begin by only giving your pup a slice or two of mango, then to wait and see if it has any negative reactions before continuing consumption. Medium and large dogs may be able to digest a whole mango or even two without any stomach discomfort, while smaller breeds should most likely be limited to only a few slices.

Frozen or fresh?

Always purchase fresh mango to provide the most nutrients to your dog, and organic if possible in order to avoid feeding your dog any dangerous pesticides.

Frozen and other pre-packaged forms of mango are often absent of many of the nutrients that make mango such a great snack in the first place. They are also often given added sugar and packaged with sugary syrup that tend not to agree with dogs’ stomachs.

Toxic pit

All mangoes contain a pit in the center that should always be removed before allowing your dog to snack on any part of the fruit. The pit can become a serious choking hazard or intestinal blockage. The mango pit also contains a small amount of cyanide, which is probably not enough to prove toxic to your dog, but is still an added threat.

If your dog ingests a mango pit, the pit of another fruit, or any substance that you believe may be toxic, contact your vet immediately to decide the best course of action to take.

It is officially summertime, and one of my favorite summer treats are pineapples. While snacking on pineapples I am often compelled to share a slice or two with my furry companion, but hesitate in fear that he may not be able to stomach it, for one reason or another. I decided to conduct a little research, and to decide once and for all if pineapples are safe for canine consumption.

So is it safe to feed my canine pineapple (Ananas comosus)?

Raw pineapple, in moderation, is a welcome addition to any dog’s diet!(http://www.mybonesandbiscuits.com/can-dogs-eat-pineapple)  Simply take a raw pineapple (organic, if at all possible in order to avoid nasty pesticides), remove the spiky exterior as well as the core, and then slice the rest into bite size pieces. Given in moderation, pineapple can be used as a tool to provide several invaluable benefits to your pet, so lets dive in to some of the best reasons to give your dog pineapple.

Benefits

A coprophagia deterrent

We’ve all, at one point or another, had dogs that dined on their own or another animals feces, and wondered what exactly the appeal was. The eating of a dog’s own or another’s excrements is actually a documented condition known as coprophagia.

There are many different causes of coprophagia, which may be health related or behavioral. When addressing coprophagia, it is always good to consult your vet first in order to rule out any health concerns associated with dining on doggie-doo.

If your dog’s coprophagia is a behavioral issue, and not health related, then pineapple can be used as an excellent tool to help rid your pup of the nasty habit. Giving your dog a slice or two in their food or around mealtime will cause their excrement to smell unattractive, and effectively deter their interest in consuming it.

A bromelain supplement

Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes found in pineapples, and is hailed by many as a natural cure to inflammation, arthritis, and even cancer. Bromelain has an added importance to your dog, as it will also help increase their protein absorption, a vital process for all dogs.

Bromelain is lost in the pineapple canning process, so be sure to always give your pup fresh, raw pineapple in order to receive the full nutritional benefits.

A training treat

Pineapple’s delicious nature makes it a perfect reward to your dog for a job well done. Keep on hand a bag of small, bite size pieces to give your dog when they obey a command or to promote good behaviors.

Praise is always a more powerful learning tool than punishment, and your dog will absolutely love the sweet snacks!

A nutritious snack

A few slices of pineapple can be given to your dog each day simply because it is a nutritious addition to their diet. Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C, B6, thiamin, and folate. The snack is also a good source of minerals manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium, and iron.

Pineapple is cholesterol free, and high in fiber. In other words, pineapple is a nutrient dense snack that will assist in improving digestion, immune functions, and in turn the overall health of both you and your dog!

Things to consider

Natural fructose

Pineapple has a high concentration of sugar, which is something to keep in mind, even though it is natural fructose and not the processed sugars that lead to rampant weight gain and diabetes. Dog’s digestive tracts have issues processing large amounts of sugar, so more than a few slices of pineapple a day could lead to cases of diarrhea.

Raw, frozen, or canned?

Pineapple should always be enjoyed raw and ripe in order to realize its full nutritional benefits. If frozen (an extremely refreshing summer treat) or refrigerated, pineapple slices retain their full nutritional value for around six to seven days.

Avoid canned or store-bought frozen pineapple, as the bromelain along with many other nutrients are absent. Canned pineapple is often packaged with sugary syrup that will not agree well with your dog’s stomach, so stick to fresh.

Introduce new food gradually

Always keep in mind that every dog’s stomach is different and, like humans, can be susceptible to an assortment of food allergies and sensitivities. When trying any new foods, it is best to start with a small amount and to wait and see if there are any unpleasant reactions before continuing consumption.

Remember that moderation is paramount to the enjoyment of any nutritious snack, and to always consult your veterinarian before making dramatic changes to your dogs’ diet. Cheers to you and your dog’s pineapple filled summer!