What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word dog? A lively, vibrant presence. dogs are most loved all around the globe. With over 300 species, there is a large variety of them that represents different breeds of colorful, lively animals. One of the most interesting reasons that dogs are so loved is their ability to imitate. This comes from their natural behavior of survival against predators to protect themselves. dogs can copy the sounds of a bell ringing in a domestic environment, a vacuum cleaner buzzing, water running from a tap, the microwave beeping, and many other sounds. Mostly they are fun to watch when they imitate human speech. With these many reasons for adopting dogs as pets, it is a well-established fact that dogs remain the most popular pet bird in the world. But, a dog has its needs, just like any other living animal. One of the most important needs is undoubtedly the diet you offer to the dog. What are you offering the dog?
Let us make a wild guess, you went fruit shopping and upon coming across the red fruit thought of your dog, but you weren’t sure whether it would be suitable for the bird and so here you are! Don’t worry, we understand your love and adoration for the lucky fellow, that’s what being a parent is all about. Or perhaps, you were going to dig into a bowl of fresh pomegranate when your bird peeked in with those puppy dogs, you just can’t resist them, right? So obviously, you had to check whether the fruit would bring your dog any good. Either way, you have arrived at the right place!
We’re going to let you know everything that you should know not only regarding the delicious fruit but also your bird’s appetite. So, if you’re a new parent or are simply curious, we’ve got you covered.
The Ideal Dietary Regime of a dog
dogs, amongst all other birds, are the most adventurous when it comes to trying new foods and cuisines. They have absolutely no care in the world as to whether it’s beneficial for them or the opposite. Therefore, the entire responsibility of being the bigger person and the better judge falls on your shoulder.
Fortunately, you may delight your dog with anything that you like as long as it is within a set of given perimeters. Ideally, a dogs’ diet should be a balanced composition of;
- Nuts
- Fruits
- Seeds/dog food (comparatively more than the rest)
- Insects
- Flowers (selected ones)
Tip; Before you feed your birdie anything out of the ordinary, take some time out to research if the food is safe and healthful. Several human foods can be extremely injurious to the health of birds; hence it is always better to be on the safe side.
Can dogs eat pomegranate?
With these many reasons for adopting dogs as pets, it is a well-established fact that dogs remain the most popular pet bird in the world. But, a dog has its needs, just like any other living animal. One of the most important needs is undoubtedly the diet you offer to the dog. What are you offering the dog? And while we are on the subject, let us reiterate the question, can dogs eat pomegranate? Without beating about the bush, we can confirm to you here that yes, your dog can eat pomegranate safely. But that is the short answer. There are things to be considered, so stay with us a little longer!
Yes. A hundred times, yes. Pomegranate can be a marvelous treat to serve to your bird on a hot Sunday. Your dog will probably like it far more than any other treat you serve it. For several species of dogs such as the African grey, pomegranates are an absolute delight. Cartoons got the thing about dogs and their love affair with pomegranates just right! So, what are you waiting for? Get that fruit and go surprise your best bud for being such a good boy.
How Should dogs Be Fed Pomegranates?
In this regard, it is necessary for you to always remember that fruits, in total, should constitute about 20% of the total diet of your dog. Furthermore, pomegranates should also not be the only fruit that takes up the entire quotient. Every fruit (that is suitable for a bird) brings within itself countless benefits, each of which is equally necessary. Picking and choosing one fruit instead of incorporating them all in a balanced manner might unnecessarily deprive your bird of favorable supplements and minerals.
Having discussed all of this, to put it to a conclusion, your feathery fruit should be served pomegranate in moderation. As long as the reddish flavor fruit isn’t acting as a substitute for your dogs’ day-to-day meals, there is no worrying thought for you to occupy yourself with.
Aside from what is mentioned above, there are no restrictions upon you when it comes to how the fruit should be fed.
What Are the Health Benefits Associated with Feeding a dog Pomegranate?
Hmm, where do we begin? It wouldn’t be wrong to consider pomegranates a jumbo pack of minerals and vitamins, both for you and your bird. To begin with, the sweet-savory fruit has almost negligible fat content (roughly 1%) making it fit for the consumption of dogs. This is owing to the reason that dogs are unable to digest fats and an excess of these can turn into sickness for your fragile little bird.
In addition to this, several minerals and vitamins that make up the fruit are;
- Potassium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Folate
- Fiber
- Proteins
If you still aren’t convinced enough to let your bird relish the fruity goodness, let us talk about the wonders of folate. It is the supplement that runs and aids some of the most important bodily functions of a dog. To illustrate the idea, folate is responsible for the production of red and white blood cells in the bone marrow. Had this not been the case and the dog was folate compromised, it would be prone to several grave health-related issues. Moreover, folate is also the reason behind your feathery fellow being vibrant and upbeat throughout the day as it rapidly converts carbohydrates into energy. What more could a pet parent possibly ask for?
Several other benefits of pomegranate include; keeping blood pressure in check, helping the dog stay hydrated and retain water, strengthening bones, aiding the process of metabolism, fighting illnesses and diseases by strengthening the immune system, and creating antibodies.
Lastly, despite your constant efforts to protect your beloved pet from the harshness of the world, it is bound to come across several health risks in its day-to-day life. Nonetheless, this is the part where the pomegranate enters the story as a hero and a savior. The already much appreciated and favored fruit comes wrapped in antioxidants. These antioxidants will prevent the dog from falling prey to diseases that tend to secretly creep in!
How healthy is pomegranate?
Pomegranate seeds have many beneficial health benefits, such as their antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-tumor properties. As far as their vitamin composition is concerned, they are widely known for being very good sources of vitamins, especially vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E, as well as folic acid. Arils are the name that pomegranate seeds are known by, and are found in hundreds of numbers inside the fruit. These seeds are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive plant compounds, and they also contain a good source of sugar. Besides these nutrients, pomegranate has additional anti-bacterial and anti-fungal benefits, as it has been shown to help fight harmful microorganisms. For example, they have been proved useful against some types of bacterial infections.
Are There Any Downsides to Pomegranates?
Unfortunately, yes. The world-famous proverb excess of everything is bad applies to pomegranates too. An overdose of the fruit over a stretched period might be the ultimate cause of your dog developing diabetes in the long run. Granted that pomegranates are not officially processed, but they still are sweet. And there are only so many (even if natural) sugary food items your dog is capable of handling and digesting. At the same time, if you keep up to the rule of feeding your dog pomegranate in moderation, diabetes would be the least of your worries!
We wish you and your dog a healthy, happy, and pomegranate-filled journey together!
Serving the fruit
An interesting fact about dogs is that the feet of dogs are like the hands of a human. This means that they use them to grasp objects among many other functions like walking or perching on them. The grasping skill of a dog’s feet is so good that they can easily pick up different objects, including food with them, and bring them up to their mouths for eating them. This means that if one decides to keep a dog and pays attention to its eating behavior, they can offer them pomegranate seeds in that preferred foot to encourage eating it.
But, how do we offer pomegranates to dogs? The answer is similar to feeding them basic vegetables and seeds. Firstly, thorough washing of the fruit is necessary to remove all dirt and contamination, which may harm the animal. Secondly, one must carefully peel off the pomegranate’s tough skin to reveal the hundreds of beautiful, bright red pomegranate seeds that are full of taste and healthy nutrients. Then after removing any kinds of covering or fruit skin that might still be present, make sure to give the dog the seeds in small portions. Start with one seed at a time, and please, oh please, do check the response of your pet!
Mix up stuff!
It is always a good idea to mix different kinds of foods so that the animal receives a good variety of important minerals and vitamins. Some other seeds such as flaxseeds, safflower seeds can also be added. Vegetable options, such as bell peppers, parsley, spinach, kale, and roasted seeds, can also be mixed to design a dog’s wholesome diet. Pomegranate seeds are removed by their beaks when they attack a pomegranate tree, looking for their food of choice.
Wild dogs eat pretty much everything!
The wild environment is considerably different, so it is expected of wild dogs to have a diet that varies in terms of the kinds of food they like to eat. It usually includes fruit and fruit seeds, nuts, flowers, and corn, and they eat it from wherever they can find it. A fun fact about this diet is that it is not different from what needs to be fed to a pet dog because they need to have this kind of variety in their feed.
Some kinds of food they eat are seeds, fruits, pellets, and some staple food. Many vegetables are good sources of vitamins, fiber, protein, calcium, and other beneficial nutrients. When dogs are offered vegetables that are fresh and washed, they gobble up these happily! Some of these leafy green vegetables include kale, collard greens, and Swiss chard. Bell peppers, squashes (e.g., pumpkins, butternut, roasted seeds), parsley, sweet potatoes, spinach, green beans, and carrots. All these options are great for them. Common seeds that are typical for bird food and consequently for dogs are seed mixes, including safflower seeds, sunflower seeds, millet seed, canary seed, hemp seed, thistle seed, and more.
Conclusion
Well, folks, it is time for us to wrap up this debate. Ah, the cruel limitations of time and space! But anyways. It is no surprise that the vibrant and bright personality that is often associated with a dog matches the kinds of fruits they eat, such as a bright, beautiful red pomegranate. With so many health benefits identified, it is evident that pomegranates’ consumption is not only safe but healthy. dogs have not only eaten pomegranate seeds before but have shown love for their taste. It is safe to say that for dogs, it PomeGREAT!