Can Dogs Eat Banana Peels? (A Complete Guide)

Can Dogs Eat Banana Peels? (A Complete Guide)

Dogs shouldn't be fed banana peels. While bananas are rich in potassium and vitamins (B6 and C) and recommended by veterinarians sometimes as healthy snack alternatives, they should be peeled.

According to the AKC (American Kennel Club), banana peels are difficult to digest and capable of causing blockages in your dog's digestive system.

Can Dogs Eat Banana Peels

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Is It Safe For Dogs To Eat A Banana Peel?

No. While banana peels aren't toxic to dogs, they have a very high fiber content, which is hard for dogs to digest. Banana peels are known to cause stomach upsets and blockages in dogs.

Are Banana Peels Toxic To Dogs?

No! In fact, banana peels are packed with nutrients like essential vitamins (B6 & B12), potassium and magnesium. They don't have any toxins in them. However, they shouldn't be consumed by dogs because a dog's digestive system wasn't designed to consume banana peels.

Banana peels are generally lethal to dogs because they are tough, sticky and packed with fiber which increases the risk of choking your dog and blocking their digestive system.

Large dogs can eat and poop banana peels with ease. Their large digestive tracts won't likely be choked or blocked by banana peels. However, small dogs are prone to choking and digestive system blockage. While dogs shouldn't be eating banana peels, you should worry more if you have a small dog.

Will Banana Peels Hurt Dogs?

When an adult dog eats a fresh banana peel, he/she may experience a stomach upset. Most adult dogs will vomit banana peels after consuming them. When this happens, their stomach upset can clear without the need for any treatment.

However, banana peels can be lethal when eaten by small dogs and puppies. If your puppy doesn’t vomit the banana peel they have eaten, you may be required to visit your vet.

Puppies are more susceptible to stomach blockages from banana peels compared to their older counterparts. If the peel isn’t removed immediately, it can prevent your pup from taking a poop resulting in other serious complications.

Can Banana Peels Kill Dogs?

Yes! While death is uncommon, according to some studies, it is a possibility. There is scanty data on risk factors of choking and dogs as well as the long-term outcome of choking (Esophageal foreign body obstruction).

However, it’s easy to see how choking can kill dogs, especially small ones. The same is true for abdominal obstruction. If banana peels block your dog’s digestive system for a prolonged time, there are obvious risks that could lead to death. The fruit itself is generally safe. Canines like dogs rarely react to tropical fruits like bananas. However, the peels aren’t meant for consumption by canines.

However, there is still a risk of life-threatening allergic reactions. An anaphylactic reaction is a potentially fatal risk that can be triggered by anything foreign in a dog's body, including banana peels. The presence of banana peels in your dog's system can cause their immune system to create IgE or immunoglobulin E, which can bind on mast cells resulting in hives, swelling and/or redness.

However, this reaction will usually be risky after your dog has consumed banana peels before. Repeated consumption sensitizes mass cells to react to the peels as a foreign substance resulting in reactions like extreme swelling.

Other factors like a dog's size can also determine the risks of death when a dog eats banana peels. Smaller dogs face more risk of severe outcomes like death from choking or intestinal blockage than their larger counterparts for obvious reasons. A large dog can pass banana peels easily in and out of its system without choking or suffering from intestinal blockage and potentially lethal effects.

Can Dogs Chew Banana Peels?

Yes. Dogs can chew banana peels. However, their toughness and stickiness make chewing difficult compared to other foods. Dogs can chew on anything really. However, they would rather be chewing on banana flesh instead of peels which they can chock on easily and get a stomach upset.

To ensure your dog doesn’t chew on bananas, make sure they are well feed at all times. It also helps to keep bananas out of sight. If you must treat your dog, ensure you remove the peel before you feed banana to your dog.

What Happens When My Dog Eats A Banana Peel?

If your dog is considered large (over 55 pounds), the banana peels may not affect him/her. As mentioned above, banana peels aren't toxic, but they introduce choking, and intestinal blockage risks mostly among small dogs.

Your dog may also suffer allergic reactions like an anaphylactic reaction which is caused by your dog’s immune system reacting violently to the presence of a foreign substance in the body.

So, expect nothing if you have a large dog or some symptoms if you have a small dog. However, large dogs can also chock or suffer from stomach upset if they consume a lot of banana peels at once or frequently.

Generally, dogs that consume banana peels frequently suffer from gastrointestinal and related problems ranging from obstruction to tract conditions. If the peels are expelled through poop or vomiting, your dog should be fine and may not exhibit any health problems.

Why Does My Dog Like Banana Peels?

Dogs like bananas. However, they love the flesh, not the peels. Since they can't peel bananas by themselves, they end up eating all, most or some peels alongside the flesh.

Dogs will generally be interested in eating anything that resembles or smells like food due to their heightened sense of smell.

Are Banana Peels Digestible?

No. Banana peels may be highly nutritious. However, they have too much fiber to be easily digested by dogs. Unless the banana peels are chopped or mashed up into very small digestible pieces, dogs will have a hard time digesting them.

Besides, dogs will have a hard time swallowing banana peels as they are. In most cases, the peels will cause bowel obstruction.

How Can You Tell If Your Dog Has Eaten Banana Peels?

You can search for evidence of banana peel remnants or missing bananas to start with. Stomach upsets or blockages caused by banana peels are easy to tell. Your dog:

i. Will vomit immediately or a few hours after eating banana peels

ii. Will show visible signs of abdominal discomfort

iii. Will be sedentary and/or restless for hours after eating. This sign indicates a blockage that must be attended to by a vet.

Symptoms To Look Out For

If your dog eats banana peels and isn't large enough to swallow them and poop them without difficulty, expect some symptoms.

First and foremost, check for common signs of choking since banana peels are tough and packed with fiber, likely to get stuck in the throat. Look out for obvious choking signs like your dog trying to vomit something. Other signs of choking in dogs include excessive gagging, retching, salivation, pawing the mouth, distress, and coughing.

Diarrhea is also a common sign of an intestinal blockage in dogs whose cause can be linked to many things, including banana peels. Your dog could also become lethargic when they are normally playful. If the banana peels trigger an anaphylactic reaction, check for common signs like itching, swollen muzzle, excessive drooling, diarrhea and vomiting. Anaphylactic reactions can also be accompanied by breathing difficulties and color changes in the gums and tongue.

What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Banana Peels?

If you observe any symptoms above or more, take action immediately. It is recommendable to see a vet immediately.

The effects of choking on bananas or digestive system blockage can kill a dog, as stated above. If you can't call your veterinarian or see him/her immediately, you can find a pet helpline and ask for emergency help and directions to the nearest emergency pet clinic.

If the symptoms aren’t that severe and you have established that your dog ate banana peels, monitor your dog closely.

You shouldn’t feed your dog anything to allow their digestive system to rest for 12 to 16 hours. Some water can be given after 12 hours to gauge how the digestive system responds. Your dog should have expelled the peels by this time and gotten better. If not, find a vet.

How Do You Stop Your Dog From Eating Banana Peels?

While most dogs will eat almost everything they come across, there are some precautions you can take to keep your dog away from banana peels. The most obvious is keeping bananas out of sight and reach. It would help if you also disposed of peels securely in an inaccessible trash can.

Keeping your dog full will also go a long way. Hungry dogs are more likely to eat anything that comes their way.

If you must feed your dog bananas, peel them. Dogs eat bananas. You can make many dog treats with peeled bananas. According to the AKC, dogs love a blended mixture of peeled bananas, peanut butter, and mild cheese.

Tasty Dog Banana Treat Recipes

1. Banana Peanut Butter And Cheese

Dogs enjoy sweet and fatty treats. For this dog treat, you’ll need a ripe banana, a slice of cheese (mild) and a scoop of xylitol-free peanut butter.

Blend the mixture and serve in a bowl or a fillable toy. You can smear the mixture over the fillable toy and freeze before serving. Ensure the mixture has a smooth consistency before serving.

2. Frozen Banana And Peanut Butter Popsicle

For this recipe, you need a ripe banana. Alternatively, you can use banana baby food. You’ll also need some peanut butter, a tablespoon of honey and some low-fat yogurt. Whip your ingredients up and freeze to make banana pops. You may want to keep one tasty popsicle for yourself.

Dogs can eat banana peels, but it's dangerous! Feed them peeled bananas instead or the tasty banana dog treats above and they won't have any good reasons to eat the peel.

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The information on this page is not a substitute for veterinary help. Please contact a vet for help with any dog food concerns that you have.

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