What Fruits Can German Shepherds Eat?
Fruits and vegetables are a great thing to share with your German Shepard.
There are many safe fruits that your German Shepard can eat and there are some that they need to avoid.
It is always best to give these fruits in small portions and look for any signs of GI discomfort before continuing to feed these fruits to your German Shephard.
What Fruits Can German Shepherds Eat?
German Shepherds can eat most fruits except for cherries, grapes, raisins, avocados, and unripe tomatoes, including:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Cantaloupe
- Oranges
- Kiwis
- Cranberries
- Pumpkin
- Strawberries
There are many great fruits that you can share with your German Shepard.
When giving your German Shephard, you should only add one fruit at a time and slowly introduce them to new foods.
Fruits can be high in natural sugars so giving your German Shephard a large number of fruits can also cause issues with your dog such as allowing them to get overweight and develop diabetes.
Bananas
A banana is a wonderful fruit for German Shepards to enjoy.
Bananas are high in potassium, vitamins, biotin, fiber, and copper.
While they do contain a lot of the daily needed vitamins and minerals, they also provide a high amount of sugar and should only be given in moderation.
Apples
Apples contain vitamin A and vitamin C which are needed in your German Shephard’s diet.
Apples are delicious low-fat tasty treats that you can also share with your German Shephard.
It is best to make sure to remove any seeds and steams before giving them to your German Shephard.
Blueberries
Blueberries contain a large number of antioxidants such as resveratrol.
Antioxidants are known to help prevent any damage to the cells in your German Shephard’s body.
They also have anti-cancer properties and help fight heart disease.
Tannins are found in large amounts in blueberries which will help with urinary tract infections that are seen in German Shepherds.
With all of these beneficial properties make blueberries an excellent treat for your German Shephard.
Blackberries
Blackberries are jam-packed full of many of the needed vitamins and minerals.
Blackberries also make a tasty treat that you can give your German Shephard.
Just like with most all fruit, it is best only to give your German Shephard a few at a time.
Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe is an excellent fruit to offer your German Shephard.
This fruit is extremely low in calories but also has a ton of added vitamins and minerals.
These tasty treats are also full of sugar and should only be given to your German Shepard as an occasional treat.
Oranges
Oranges are an excellent way for your German Shephard to get both vitamin C and potassium.
Not all German Shepherds like citrus fruits, but this is usually one that is very popular among German Shepherds and can be a favorite for many pets.
It is best to make sure that you remove the peel and seeds first as these cannot be easily digested by your German Shepherd.
Kiwis
Kiwis also contain lots of vitamin C and potassium just like oranges and are a great treat for your German Shepherd.
It is best that you remove the skin before you give this fruit to your German Shepherd.
Even though this fruit is small, you should never give your German Shephard a whole kiwi.
They can easily swallow this and cause an obstruction.
You should always remove the skin of the kiwi and cut it into small bite-size pieces for your German Shephard to enjoy.
Cranberries
Cranberries are a safe fruit that you can feed your German Shepherd.
You can also feed your dog dried cranberries with no added sugars.
This makes a quick and easy snack you and your German Shephard can share on a long road trip.
Cranberries are commonly used in bladder supplements to help with urinary tract infections or other urinary problems.
If your German Shephard has any urinary issues feeding them this fruit can also help manage their bladder issues.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a very popular fruit to give your German Shephard. Pumpkin is very high in vitamin A and fiber.
This is a great fruit to help German Shepherds who suffer from gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation.
Pumpkin is a also common fruit that is recommended use to help dogs who have issues expressing their anal glands on their own.
So if your dog is having GI issues, this is a fruit that you can share with your German Shepherd.
Strawberries
Strawberries are packed full of vitamin C and are a great snack to give your German Shephard.
These berries contain an enzyme that has been shown to make your German Shephard’s teeth whites.
If you give this fruit in moderation, strawberries can make for a tasty treat for your German Shephard.
What Fruits should I not feed my German Shephard?
There are a few fruits that you should never feed your German Shephard.
These include cherries, grapes, and tomatoes should.
These are known to cause many health issues when given to your German Shephard.
Cherries
Cherries should never be given to your German Shephard.
Cherries contain cyanide. This is a chemical that is toxic to dogs.
Cyanide will cause your German Shephard’s blood to not be able to carry oxygen to the body like it should be able to.
This causes your German Shephard to have trouble breathing and providing oxygen for cells to live.
If your German Shephard does eat cherries this can be a life-threatening emergency and you should take your German Shephard to the nearest vet as soon as possible.
Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and Raisins are toxic to German Shepherds.
While the exact cause of why they are toxic to German Shepherds is unknown, you should never share grapes or raisins with your dog.
Even if your German Shepherd just one grape, it can cause irreversible kidney damage and, in some cases, even death.
If your German Shepherd does get ahold of a grape or raisin, they should see your vet right away.
Tomatoes
While fully ripe tomatoes can be safe for your dog to eat.
Unripe tomatoes that are green or the green part of the tomato place contain a toxic substance called solanine.
Solanine will cause gastrointestinal and neurologic problems in your German Shepherd.
Tips for feeding fruit to German Shepherd.
When you are adding fruits to your German Shepherd’s diet, it is best to start off with just one type of fruit and a very small amount.
Slowly add another fruit and a little larger portion size. This will help you know which fruits your German Shepherd likes and how these fruits affect your German Shepherd’s body.
If the fruit that you are wanting to feed your German Shepherd has skin or seeds, it is best to remove these skins and the seeds.
The skins and seeds can get stuck in your German Shephard’s intestines causing them to need emergency surgery
It is best to limit the portion size of fruits you feed to just a small amount.
Most fruits contain natural sugars.
Any excessive sugar intake is not good for your German Shepherd and can cause your dog to become overweight and possibly even develop diabetes.
What are the benefits of feeding my German Shephard fruits?
All fruit will have some of the essential vitamins and minerals and are a tasty treat that you can share with your German Shephard.
Only giving your German Shephard a small amount of fruit at a time will help make sure that your German Shephard is not getting too much sugar and still getting all the needed vitamins and minerals.
Fruits are an excellent treat that you can add to your German Shephard’s daily feedings.
Final Thoughts
While there are some great fruits that you can feed your German Shephard, there are also some that should be avoided.
By following this list, you can share a tasty snack with your German Shephard and keep them healthy.
When adding fruits make sure to remove any skin and seeds.
This ensures that your dog can properly digest these fruits.
