Dogs, as lively, cute, and understanding animals, are entering more and more families at an incredible speed. Whether accompanying the elderly or playing with children, they are invaluable companions. Because of this, owners take meticulous care of them. People new to raising pet dogs may wonder if dogs who don’t eat fruit might become malnourished, and if it is okay to feed them some fruits like apples?

First of all, dogs do not need to eat apples to supplement their nutrition. Apples are a fruit rich in various vitamins and trace elements, and have a warm nature; they are widely accepted by the general public, and are very suitable for human consumption. But dogs do not need them because the regular dog food they eat already contains sufficient nutrition that is easy for dogs to absorb. Furthermore, dogs cannot absorb the nutrients from apples because their stomachs cannot break down apples. In addition, after eating meat, dogs can convert certain components in the meat into vitamins, so they do not need to rely on fruit to supplement vitamins.

Apples contain a very high amount of sugar; one apple contains as much sugar as a sugar cube. Sugar is exactly what is least needed for a dog’s development. Excessive sugar will burden the dog’s kidneys and may cause diabetes, which is very difficult to cure for dogs. Moreover, eating apples can cause dogs to gain weight, which can trigger many chronic diseases. Since dogs only live for about a decade or so, having chronic diseases is very painful for them.

If a dog really likes eating apples, you might as well give them cooked apples. After cooking, the composition changes and produces pectin, which can help dogs with digestive issues absorb water, can treat diarrhea, and cooked apples are easier to digest. They can be used as an after-meal snack.

In summary, as much as possible, do not feed dogs apples. If they really love them, cook the apples before feeding, as mentioned above. Everything should be based on their health as the priority.