Can Dogs Eat Kiwi? – All You Should Know

Written by: Bojana Radulovic
Dogs can eat more of human food each day. They are evolving that fast. However, it doesn't mean that you should let your canine eat everything and in unlimited amounts. The same goes for kiwi. Read on and learn if kiwi is safe for your dog.

Kiwi is an all-year-round fruit that’s loaded with vitamin C, many minerals, and other essential nutrients. In addition, it tastes good. But, can your dog snack on a kiwi? In general, dogs like kiwi, but there are few concerns that you should take into consideration before you make this fruit every day treat.

Can Dogs Eat Kiwi?

Long story short, yes. Your canine is welcome to taste this fruit and enjoy its benefits. However, bear in mind that it does not hold the same health benefits for canine’s that it does for people. Overall, kiwi should be given to dogs in small portions.

Don’t forget that fresh fruit and vegetable should make only 10% of the dog’s daily nutrition. Also, your dog should only eat the flesh of the kiwi, while the outer layer can be edible, but you should check about it with your veterinarian. In general, you should avoid outer layer, seeds, and giving your dog a whole kiwi. Although the outer layer is extremely hard, some dogs like it.

Is It Safe For Dogs To Eat Kiwi?

Serving your dog a kiwi is safe for your dog. Although the skin is safe to eat, it’s best to remove it before you serve kiwi to your canine. Also, kiwi won’t have the same benefits for dogs as it has for humans. But again, kiwi should be considered a treat.

What Are The Benefits For Your Dog Eating Kiwi?

Although there are a few benefits for dogs when it comes to eating kiwi, it is important to understand that dogs produce vitamin C on their own. Kiwi is extremely rich in vitamin C, and in general, they don’t need extra, and that’s the main reason why kiwi should be served as a treat and not as a whole meal.

However, kiwi has some anti-inflammatory benefits in fighting cancer and respiratory issues. In addition, it can also:

  • Regulate blood pressure
  • Fight cardiovascular diseases
  • Nourish skin
  • Promote digestive health
  • Help with fighting cardiovascular diseases

The Nutritional Benefits Of Kiwi For Your Dog

This small fruit comes with significant nutritional benefits. Humans call this fruit ‘super-food’ while your dog primarily likes the taste.

1. Kiwi Comes With An Impressive Amount Of Vitamin C

Kiwi has more vitamin C than oranges. When we put it in numbers, two kiwis have around 155% of Vitamin C. Again, dogs produce their own vitamin C, and they don’t need an additional amount of Vitamin C. However, giving your dog a food that’s rich in Vitamin C won’t hurt him.

A little extra of this vitamin can help with developing dog’s gums and teeth.

2. Kiwi Contains Potassium

Kiwi is a great source of potassium for your dog. Moreover, your dog’s diet should consist of at least 0.6% potassium. Potassium is a mineral that is crucial for proper body functioning. This applies both for humans and dogs.

Basically, if you want your dog to grow healthy it’s necessary for his potassium levels to be perfectly balanced. In order to reach that balance potassium should be taken on a daily level. Furthermore, potassium can be found in bananas, oranges, and broccoli.

3. Kiwi Is A Good Source Of Vitamin K

Kiwi is rich in vitamin K, that’s good for dogs due to its ability to prevent clotting of blood. Moreover, vitamin K helps with bone-growth, just like in humans. A 100g of kiwi contains around 50% vitamin K.

Interestingly, vitamin K is used in dogs to treat certain cases of poisoning, especially from the ingestion of anticoagulant rodent poisons.

4. Kiwi Contains Nice Amount Of Fibers

Kiwi is a great natural source of fiber. A healthy diet for dogs needs to be properly balanced, and in order to reach this balance, you should provide fiber for your dog in right quantities, next to high-quality meat protein, and all other vitamins that dogs need in order to thrive.

Also, if your dog is overweight your veterinarian might suggest a high-fiber diet. In addition,you can serve kiwi to your dog if he suffers from diarrhea and constipation.

5. Kiwi Is Rich In Antioxidants

Antioxidants are great when it comes to boosting the immunity, especially in pup’s immune system function. Just like in humans, it’s difficult to ward off any disease if your immune system is weak. That’s the main reason why its important to boost your dog’s immune system.

6. Kiwi Fights Cancer

Unfortunately, dogs are prone to cancer. Just like humans, they can get cancer either from environmental factors or from their genes. Moreover, there are some breeds that are more prone to cancer than others. Actually, cancer is extremely common in dogs, although it’s more seen in adult dogs. You can postpone this condition by treating your dog with healthy and nutritional meals, and when it comes to this fight kiwi is nice anti-cancer food.

7. Kiwi Has No Saturated Fats

If your canine is suffering from obesity, kiwi is a good choise for your dog’s diet, as it has no saturated fats. In addition, help your canine balance his weight by balancing his fat intake.

Moreover, kiwi can help with protection against oxidative cell damage, and therefore it can prevent breathing issues like asthma. Overall, kiwi is safe for dogs and offers a number of benefits. However, there are a few things that you should think about and pay additional attention.

Downsides Of Feeding Kiwi To Your Dog

In general, seeds are toxic to dogs, due to cyanide that they contain. That’s the main reason why grape is a big no-no for dogs. So, just like with any other seed fruit, kiwi should be served with no seeds. That being said, make sure that you take the seeds out. Simply cut the kiwi open and spoon out the seeds.

Once you do that, you can serve your dog a piece of kiwi. Make sure to remove the outer layer. If you want your dog to taste the outer layer, you can serve him some in small amount and make sure to monitor his reaction.

Also, if you have a small dog breed you should always cut kiwi to smaller pieces. Even if you have a large dog you should cut kiwi, because larger pieces can lead to blockage issues.

As mentioned before, serve kiwi to your dog as a treat and not as a main meal. Eating too much of kiwi can lead to gastrointestinal problems like constipation and diarrhea. In addition, eating the outer layer can lead to intestinal upset. So, when it comes to feeding your dog with kiwi practice moderation.

How To Serve Kiwi To Your Dog?

Before you think about 101 ways to serve your dog kiwi you should learn if your dog is found of kiwi at the first place and moreover, observe his reaction on kiwi. So, just like with any food that you are introducing for the first time, make sure that you start off small and see how your dog reacts.

Dogs are getting better each day with human food, but it doesn’t mean that they evolved enough to process human food without any issues. After all, there are some dogs that just don’t tolerate human food. So, make sure that your dogs don’t have any side effects when he is testing this green and small fruit.

Serving Your Dog Kiwi

There are a few things that you should keep in mind when it comes to feeding your dog with kiwi. That being said, make sure that you keep these things in mind:

      1. Always serve fresh kiwi – kiwi is great because it can stay ripe for a while. So, you can buy kiwi and have it for a week. But, bear in mind that just like any other fruit kiwi can spoil. Make sure that kiwi’s skin is not too soft and go for the kiwi with no discoloration.
      2. Cut kiwi in small pieces – regardless of your dog’s size, make sure to always cut the kiwi in smaller pieces to avoid potential choking. Therefore, the best way to serve it is to remove the skin first and dice it.
      3. Make it interesting – if you are giving kiwi to your dog on a regular basis and you want to mix it up a little bit, you can make a vegan chia pudding with kiwi. Chia can contribute in terms of a healthy coat. Also, you can serve it is a summer fruit salad with other fruit which is safe for your dog.
      4. Choose organic – if you can buy organic kiwi. The main difference between organic kiwi and regular kiwi in supermarkets is seen in antioxidant properties.
      5. Be aware of allergies – if you are giving your dog kiwi for the first time make sure that you keep an eye on potential allergies. In humans, allergies are seen once we consume too much of it. It might be the same case for your canine.

    Also, just like with any other canned food avoid buying canned kiwis, as they contain lots of sugar that can be extremely harmful to your dog. Moreover, the carbohydrate content of canned kiwi is almost double the ones of the fresh and frozen ones.

    Kiwi As A Dog Treat

    Kiwi is a great addition to your dogs recall training cycle. If he likes the fruit, of course. Dogs should have just a small amount of fresh fruit and vegetable on a daily level, and it should never go beyond 10% of their total daily diet.

    So, make sure that you give your dog kiwi as a treat and a reward when he does something good. In addition, giving kiwi to your dog as a treat is a great way to mix up with daily nutrition and make it more interesting. Again, feeding your dog kiwi should be considered a treat, and not a substitute for food. And also, always consult your veterinarian if you have any doubts about giving kiwi to your canine.

    Can Dogs Eat Kiwi – Key Takeaways

    So, can dogs eat kiwi? Absolutely, yes. However, there is some fruit like oranges, nectarines and even kiwi that is safe for your dog but comes with no health benefits. Also, there might be potential issues with kiwi that don’t occur with other fruits. The most common issues are linked with seeds and outer layers, as dogs should avoid seeds in general, while the outer layer might be harsh for dogs.

    Luckily, the worst scenario that can come from your dog eating kiwi, is for your canine to get diarrhea or similar stomach ache. So, if your dog likes kiwi make sure that your serve him always fresh kiwi, cut in small pieces and never as a whole fruit. At the same time, there are many other sweet fruits with more benefits and less risk.