If given in moderation, bananas are actually a great, healthy, low-calorie treat for dogs!
Bananas are good sources of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, fibre, magnesium, and manganese (whilst also low in sodium and cholesterol). This can help if your dog is having gastrointestinal problems, promotes bone growth, and helps the body produce protein and absorb vitamins. In fact, veterinarians sometimes recommend bananas as a healthy alternative to salty, fatty treats!
The high fibre content of bananas can also help with dog diarrhoea! The pectins found in bananas draw water out of faeces and put it back in the body, resulting in firmer stools.
However, like with any food item, you should only feed your dog bananas in moderation, especially since they contain a lot of sugar. The high sugar content of bananas can also cause your dog to have an upset stomach, so it’s important to not give more than half of a banana to a large dog per day. For small dogs, only feed them a couple of small slices each day to avoid any digestive upset.
Dogs can not eat banana peels, so you have to be careful with them. Although banana peels are not toxic to your dog, they don't easily digest because of their high fibre content. Feeding your dog unpeeled bananas may cause a blockage in the digestive tract.
In addition to giving your dog a piece of a regular banana, here are some other ways they can enjoy the tasty snack:
• Mash it up with their food.
• Mix it into a little dog-safe peanut butter.
• Put the banana into a stuffable dog toy and freeze it.
• Freeze the whole banana, peel it, and slice it.
