You may have heard about grapes and raisins being toxic for dogs and then wondered – can dogs eat cranberries?
In this article, we will take a closer look at cranberries to find out if they are a safe treat for our dogs, and if so, what the health benefits are and how we can incorporate them into our dogs’ diets.
In this article, we will discuss:
- Are cranberries safe for dogs to eat?
- What are the health benefits of cranberries for dogs?
- Can dogs eat dried cranberries?
- Can dogs eat cranberry sauce?
- Can dogs drink cranberry juice?
- How to feed cranberries to dogs
Yes, dogs can eat cranberries.
Blueberries are a excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins, and more. Blueberries are a healthy treat for dogs, and most puppies love them.
Are Cranberries Safe For Dogs To Eat?
It is essential to know which berry-like fruits are safe to feed to dogs and which should be avoided like the plague.
Grapes, of course, are toxic for dogs, most savvy dog owners know this, but what about similar fruits and berries like cranberries?
The short answer is yes – you can safely offer cranberries to your dog without having to worry about poisoning or other life-threatening symptoms, not to mention hefty vet bills and eternal guilt.
See Also: Can dogs eat blueberries?
Cranberries are not toxic. Instead, they provide a wide variety of nutrients. They are delicious, and come very conveniently as the perfect size for a dog treat!
What Are The Health Benefits Of Cranberries For Dogs?
Cranberries are not only tasty, but they also offer your dog a host of health benefits, which is more than you can ask for when it comes to dog treats that are usually detrimental to their health, causing weight gain and other diet problems.
Cranberries contain very high dosages of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, all of which are welcome health benefits for your dog.
Related Topic: Can dogs eat blackberries?
They also help to fight inflammation, and they are a very low-calorie treat, which makes them far superior to the treats that you will buy for your dog in the local pet shop online.
It’s always so much better to feed fresh, natural whole foods to your dog, rather than the highly processed dog biscuits you find in pet stores that contain a vast amount of ingredients that your dog doesn’t need.
What’s more, experts have stated that cranberries reduce tartar and plaque build-up, which is heavenly news for those of you who have dogs that won’t tolerate a toothbrush!
Cranberries can also improve the health of your dog’s bladder, which isn’t surprising as it is always suggested for humans to drink cranberry juice to help with the unpleasant symptoms of cystitis. They also lower the risk of gastrointestinal diseases.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Cranberries?
If you are cautious about feeding dried cranberries to your dog because you are aware that raisins are toxic to dogs, you are probably right to be careful.
Not because dried cranberries are also toxic to dogs because they are not, they are perfectly safe to feed as treats to your dog, but they do look suspiciously similar to raisins and sultanas, and this is where the problem lies.
It would be devastating to mix up your dried fruits and not be able to tell the difference between a raisin and a cranberry without first biting into it!
If you want to feed dried cranberries to your dog as occasional treats, be very careful not to mix them up with your raisins and sultanas.
Can Dogs Eat Cranberries?
A safer option might be to purchase a packet of dried cranberries separately and store them in a clearly labeled airtight container so that the whole family can differentiate them.
You should avoid feeding your dog cranberries out of a mixed bag of fruit and nuts, just in case you do make a mistake, or you are not concentrating.
Sometimes it is a good idea to have a special jar for all of your dog’s treats, into which you can add a handful of dried cranberries.
The jar should very obviously be the dog treats jar, and the rule of the house should be that any treats offered to the dog must come strictly out of the dog treat jar, to avoid all accidents.
Can Dogs Eat Cransberries?
This is also an excellent way to keep on top of how many treats your dog is consuming over time so that you can keep an eye on your dog’s weight.
You should keep in mind that there is high sugar content in dried fruits, and even though these are often natural sugars, there is still such a thing as overindulging.
So be careful not to overfeed your dog. Cranberries, in all forms, should only be offered as an occasional treat and not a regular one.
If you feed large amounts of cranberries to your dog every day, there is a high chance that they could develop calcium oxalate stones in their bladder.
Can Dogs Eat Cranberry Sauce?
Cranberry sauce is what we love to enjoy with our turkey at Christmas. A nice dollop of cranberry sauce is the perfect accompaniment to such bland meat.
If you have ever tasted cranberry sauce, you will know that just like jams, cranberry sauce is incredibly sticky and sweet.
Anything sticky and sweet probably isn’t an excellent option for your dog as it is going to stick to their teeth and stay there.
This is especially a problem if you don’t brush your dog’s teeth regularly, which you should do, but many dog owners don’t because most dogs hate it.
Cranberry sauce contains a variety of added ingredients that are not healthy for your dog, including sugar and preservatives.
So if you want to feed cranberries to your dog, you should opt for fresh cranberries to avoid the unhealthy elements and stick to the health benefits instead.
Can Dogs Drink Cranberry Juice?
If your dog has a Urinary tract infections (UTI), you may be tempted to think that feeding your dog cranberries or even feeding them cranberry juice might help. You would be wrong, though. Please don’t do it.
The idea is that because cranberries contain a substance that helps to prevent E. Coli bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall that it can help in this instance.
The fact is that E. Coli causes not all infections. You could be doing your dog more harm than good by overfeeding cranberries.
As mentioned above, calcium oxalate stones can form in the bladder if you regularly overfeed cranberries over time.
When it comes to offering your dog anything to drink, you should always stick to pure water. This is what they need to keep hydrated. Anything else is unnecessary.
How To Feed Cranberries To Dogs
Providing your dog with variety when it comes to their diet is always a good thing, provided that you do your research to make sure that you know the facts about the foods you want to offer.
Cranberries are best supplied to your dog fresh as occasional treats, and not as a regular addition to your dog’s meals.
Cranberries are the perfect size for dog treats, and depending on the size of your dog, you can safely feed them a small handful as an occasional treat and health boost.
You might want to take some cranberries out with you to feed to your dog as a treat during his walk, but carrying fresh cranberries might not be convenient due to the risk of them getting squashed and making a mess.
Dried cranberries may be a good alternative for you, but you should be careful not to go for the sugary kind, and be sure to allow your dog access to some water in case he feels thirsty afterward, as the moisture has been removed from dried cranberries.
If you are feeling creative, you can add cranberries to your favorite dog biscuit recipes to boost the nutritional value and yum factor!
Making homemade dog biscuits is a fab way to stay in control of what your dog is eating because you get to choose all of the ingredients that go into making your dog treats.
You can include other ingredients that will help to boost the nutritional content of your dog biscuits, too, for example, coconut oil!
Summary
Feeding your dog a few cranberries is sure to be a very welcome treat. Most dogs love to try new things, and what’s not to love about a cranberry?
It can feel good to know that you are doing everything you can to boost your dog’s health and give them the best life you can. I hope this article was helpful in learning can dogs eat cranberries. You may also be interested in can dogs eat dried apricots?.
