Lemon is a citrus fruit that contains beneficial nutritional characteristics for the body, so it is usually included as part of the human diet to be used in many ways at the culinary level. Due to its multiple uses and the fact that it is very present in human food, on more than one occasion you have been able to give lemon to your dog without knowing if it is a suitable food for your health.
The bitterness of their skin and the acidic taste of the pulp are elements that are especially unpleasant for dogs, but there are other important aspects to consider about the convenience of dogs eating this food. To find out if dogs can eat lemon or not, in we recommend that you continue reading this article.
Can dogs eat lemon or not?
Lemon is a fruit included in the diet of people, being a frequent ingredient in drinks and meals. Despite the benefits it brings to human health, dogs cannot eat lemon or, at least, they should not. And it is that dogs can take citrus depending on the part ingested.
In addition, it is essential to observe whether or not your dog rejects lemon when eating it because, generally, its taste will be unpleasant. Lemon is a fruit that contains vitamin C and organic acids that have great antioxidant power. It also contains soluble fiber and beneficial phytonutrients such as limonoids.
However, there are several reasons why you should not feed lemon to your little furry. The same happens in the case of lime, it is not advisable for dogs either. Everything is focused on health, so it is important to know these reasons: in OneHowTo we help you discover them in the following section.
Here you can learn more about lemon: properties, benefits and contraindications for people.
Why lemon is not good for dogs
There are two main reasons not to give lemon to your dog: taste and toxicity:
Dogs don’t like the taste of lemon
The first reason why lemon is not good for dogs is because, in general, they find its taste very unpleasant. It is a food that they reject naturally because of its flavor, although there may always be a dog that likes it. Lemon has an acidic taste due to the presence of organic acids, such as malic acid, citric acid, formic acid and acetic acid. In addition, the skin has a strong bitter taste that is not pleasant for dogs either.
If you give it water with lemon or lemon juice, it will not affect it with adverse effects on your health, but you are likely to reject it because of its taste. Therefore, you should avoid offering any part of the lemon because, if you eat it, it will surely be an unpleasant experience for the dog.
Lemon can be toxic to dogs
Another factor why lemon is not good for dogs is that its skin contains essential oils and psoralens, resulting toxic for dogs. If they consume them, they can cause digestive problems, such as diarrhea and vomiting, dermatological reactions, and generic signs of anorexia and lethargy.
Psoralenes are photoactive plant substances, that is, they are activated by UV light. One of its consequences is that, when applying lemon externally on the skin or fur of the dog if it is then exposed to light, psoralens can cause skin redness, peeling, edema and burns.
The substances in lemon that are toxic to your furry are found in the skin. The rest of the fruit is edible and does not have to produce a picture of poisoning, but the benefits that this food brings to your body are not significant enough. Because of the toxic substances in certain parts of the lemon, the unpleasant taste that will result when tasting it and the few nutritional benefits it brings to your body, it is best to prevent your dog from eating lemon.
While it is true that lemon contains fiber and is a good source of vitamin C, there are other vegetables, such as pepper, with a doubled content of this vitamin and that is good for dogs. There is also a wide variety of fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apples or spinach whose fiber content is significantly higher than that of lemon and can be included in the diet of dogs.
What to do if my dog eats lemon
Knowing that your dog should not eat lemon, you should know what you can do in the event that he ingests one. First, check what part has been eaten: if you have only licked the pulp or have ingested a small amount of juice, it is normal that you do not suffer unwanted effects. Keep in mind that it is a food usually rejected by dogs for its flavor, so once they try it, the most normal thing is that they do not consume it again.
However, in the case that you have ingested the skin part of this fruit, pay attention to the possible appearance of adverse effects. The toxic substances in the skin can cause:
- Digestive problems, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
- Dermatitis.
- Other general signs, such as anorexia and lethargy or apathy.
Therefore, when your dog ingests a lemon, or at least a part, and you detect any of these clinical signs, go quickly to a veterinarian.
Now that you know that dogs cannot eat lemon, we recommend you know whether or not they can consume other fruits such as, for example, tangerines, which are also citrus, and avocado. Here you can discover the answers about Can dogs eat tangerine? and can dogs eat avocado?
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