Blackberries are fruits rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and natural pigments that do not contain any substance that is toxic to dogs. That is why we can offer them to our pets without this entailing any danger to their he alth. However, they should be included in your diet occasionally, as a reward, and a series of considerations should be taken into account to avoid any unwanted effects.
If you're wondering if dogs can eat blackberries,don't miss the next article on our site where we explain what benefits they have for dogs and how you should offer them.
Are blackberries good for dogs?
Blackberries are fruits rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and natural pigments with antioxidant effects. Dogs can consume them and benefit from their nutritional contribution since they do not contain any substance that is toxic for their body. However, like the rest of the fruits suitable for dogs, they should be offered in moderation. You can include them in your dog's diet as a reward, occasionally, but they should not be a regular food in his diet.
Discover more about Fiber for dogs: importance, food and supplements in this other article that we recommend.
Benefits of blackberries for dogs
Although they are known by the same name, there are two types of blackberries: blackberries that come from a tree (mulberry) and blackberries or blackberries from a thorny bush (the bramble). Mulberry berries are somewhat larger and sweeter than blackberries, although their nutritional properties are very similar.
Below, we list the main benefits of blackberries for dogs:
- They are low-calorie foods: so they can be offered as low-calorie treats to those animals that require a low-energy diet, such as overweight dogs.
- They are a good source of fiber: Although the dog's digestive system cannot digest fiber, it is an essential nutrient in your diet. In other things, fiber adds volume to the ration, creates a feeling of satiety, contributes to the maintenance of the intestinal microbiota, regulates intestinal transit and stool consistency.
- They are rich in vitamin C and E: vitamin C helps reduce oxidative stress, encourages collagen production and participates in the formation of the bony skeleton. For its part, vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells against free radicals and is involved in the metabolism of fats and in the formation of cell membranes. Here you can find more information about Vitamin C for dogs and Vitamin E for dogs.
- They provide a good dose of minerals: such as calcium, iron and potassium that contribute to he althy bones, brain and heart heart. Read this other article to learn more Calcium-containing foods for dogs.
- They contain large amounts of natural pigments (anthocyanosides and carotenoids): these pigments have great antioxidant power by preventing the production of free radicals and strengthen the immune system.
- They contain a substance called pterostilbene: reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. In addition, it has been shown to be capable of lowering glucose levels and increasing blood insulin levels, thus helping in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus.
How to give blackberries to a dog?
When you decide to offer blackberries to your dog, you must take into account a series of considerations:
- Blackberries should be offered as a reward, occasionally The amount of blackberries you can give your dog will depend mainly on its size. In the case of small breed dogs you can offer 2 or 3 blackberries, and in large breed dogs you can offer up to 6 o 7 In any case, remember that whenever you add a new food to your dog's diet, you should do so in moderation and paying special attention to the appearance of any unwanted effects.
- Before offering the blackberries to your dog, you should wash them with plenty of water to remove any contaminant or pesticide that may be present on its surface.
- If you collect the mulberry (tree) or bramble (bush) berries yourself, you should dispose of those that are near roads or highways, since they will have a high content of contaminants. Remember that brambles are bushes with thorns, so you should never allow your dog to consume berries directly from the bramble as he could accidentally injure himself or ingest a thorn. When you pick the berries from a bramble, do it carefully to avoid hidden thorns among the fruits that can cause damage to your dog.
- As we have explained, dogs can eat blackberries as they do not contain any component that is harmful to their body. However, there are other fruits of the forest such as currants that are highly toxic to dogs. Therefore, when you decide to offer blackberries to your dog, make sure that they are not mixed with any other fruit that could be harmful to their he alth.
- Of course, never we should offer blackberries in the form of jam, compote or similar, since they are preparations with a high amount of sugar. In addition, these products may contain substances that can be toxic to dogs, such as xylitol.
Read this other article on our site to discover more Prohibited Fruits and Vegetables for Dogs that you may not have known about.
Contraindications of blackberries in dogs
Although blackberries are suitable fruits for dogs, there are some cases in which their administration may be inappropriate:
- Dogs with food allergies: in general, these dogs must follow strict diets based on feed with hydrolyzed proteins, so they must be avoid offering any food outside of their usual diet. Learn more about Food Allergy in Dogs, symptoms and treatment, here.
- Dogs with food intolerances or with a particularly sensitive digestive systemto feeding changes.
- Dogs with chronic digestive diseases: such as inflammatory bowel disease.
We leave you these other posts about Dry food for dogs with food intolerance or Digestive problems in dogs, their causes, symptoms and treatments so you can learn more about the subject.
