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We can share a lot of our food items with our dogs, permitting we know the safety and nutritional quality. After all, our dogs are omnivorous just like us. However, when it comes to sweet treats and heavily processed goods, it’s always best to err on the side of caution.
Apples are a delightful fruit that dogs can certainly enjoy. They can be a wonderful addition and a healthy little snack, providing a crunch of nutrients and flavor. However, sweet apple pies are a different story, and dogs shouldn’t eat apple pie because of the additional ingredients in the pie.
Why Shouldn’t Dogs Eat Apple Pie?
Virtually everything about apple pie is bad for your dog. Even the nutritional quality of the apples degrades as the apples cook in the oven. Add in the preservatives, potentially toxic additives, and heavy sugar content, and you get a low-quality, harmful snack.
That is not to say that if your dog accidentally got a bite of your apple pie, their world is over. Unless your dog had quite a large helping of apple pie, it is unlikely to do any real damage. But here are some points to consider about the overall health and safety of apple pie.
Apple Pie Is Full of Bad Ingredients
Apple pie is chock full of different ingredients your dog shouldn’t have. From the high amounts of sugar to the potentially toxic additives such as nutmeg, apple pie is all around just something your dog should not have in their food bowl.
If they have snatched a bite off your plate or they were given a sample by a family friend, it’s unlikely to do any real damage. However, don’t make it a habit. If you do, you might have to deal with your dog having nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or a laundry list of other things due to tummy upset.
Dangers of Feeding Apple Pie to Dogs
If we were being honest with ourselves, we would know that apple pie really isn’t even good for people. It contains a bunch of unnecessary things our bodies certainly do not need, and neither do our dogs.
However, it’s different because humans aren’t necessarily affected the same way by certain spices as our dogs.
1. Dangerous Spices
Everyone has their own famous apple pie recipe. Depending on the individual recipe, there is very likely to be potentially toxic ingredients like nutmeg or allspice, both of which are toxic to dogs in large amounts.
2. Sugar
Your dog does not need any added sugar in their diet. Too many sugary treats can cause a tummy upset, and if fed regularly can contribute to bigger issues, like obesity and metabolic disease.
3. Fat Content
Apple pie is stuffed full of unnecessary fat content. Too much fat content can cause digestive issues, pancreatitis and contribute to the development of obesity.
4. Calories
The high sugar and fat content, and lack of nutritional value means that apple pie is full of empty calories for your dog.
Apples Are a Great Standalone Snack
Even though apple pie really isn’t the best selection for your dog, apples can be a fantastic fruit to give your pup as an occasional treat. Granted, everything is best in moderation, so make sure you’re not overfeeding apples to your dog.
However, if you give them a slice of apple as a snack or use them as a reward during training, they can be a nutritionally beneficial fruit for your pup. Just make sure not to feed them the core or any pieces containing seeds, because these parts are toxic to your dog due to containing a chemical that converts to cyanide during digestion.
Health Benefits of Apples for Dogs
Here are some of the primary vitamins and minerals in apples and how they can benefit your dog’s body.
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A benefits eyesight, bones, teeth, immunity, skin, and fur.
2. Vitamin C
Unlike humans, dogs’ bodies produce their own vitamin C, but having a little extra in the diet can still be beneficial. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and can help boost immunity, aiding in the production of white blood cells and helping to improve immune cell function.
3. Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber can aid in gut health and digestion, helping to regulate the digestive tract.
How to Serve Your Dog Apples
Because the seeds of apples can be toxic, we highly recommend giving your dog cut up apples that are easy to chew. Remove the core and seeds completely. Since apples are pretty hard, you don’t want your dog to vacuum up several pieces of it and choke, so always make sure to cut the apple into small pieces they can eat easily and are appropriate for your dog’s size.
Conclusion
Now you understand that feeding your dog apple pie is a no-no. No matter how much they beg, it’s simply not a good idea to start giving them people food in general, especially when it can contain potentially toxic ingredients. Instead, you can give your dog a few slices of fresh apple. It can be a great snack and provide nutrients that will give your dog a little boost.
Featured Image Credit: Irina_kukuts, Pixabay
