Can Dogs Eat Oranges? Safety Guidelines

Yes. Dogs can have this fleshy, healthy fruit. In fact, it is an energy booster for your dog.

Vitamin C in orange will boost your dog’s immune system. A healthy dog can naturally produce vitamin C in its body.

But, orange can be a great treat for it and a special treat for highly active or anxious dogs. Active dogs that undergo training may need enough vitamin C and orange proves beneficial to them.

Orange also contains a lot of fiber, potassium, and iron. Let’s look at the other health benefits of oranges to canines.

Health Benefits of Oranges to Your Dog

• Oranges contain low sodium content and are high in vital nutrients that can act as healthy treats.
• Orange acts as snacks for dogs because they love the taste of oranges and it is very healthy when they eat a moderate amount.
• Feeding your dogs with small pieces of oranges is the best way to give oranges to your dogs.
• Sometimes the owner doesn’t have time to feed your dog, at that time a few slices of oranges will boost your dog until you serve a perfect meal.

Orange contains citric acid, but it is not harmful or toxic to dogs. But, other factors can impact the benefits of oranges to your dog. Such factors include

Your dog’s weight 

Oranges have a lot of natural sugar. As the sugar content will be converted into calories, the orange intake will lead to weight gain in obese dogs.

So, dogs that are overweight or obese should avoid this fruit.

Diabetes or other illness in your pooch

Sugar content in oranges can raise insulin levels and hence not suitable for diabetic dogs. So, these dogs shouldn’t even eat an orange slice.

Dog’s Size

Orange can cause digestive issues in small dog breeds due to the high sugar content in it. Feeding too many orange slices or even a whole orange to these dogs can make the dog’s stomach upset due to too much sugar content in it.

Toxic Parts of an Orange

The following parts of an orange can be dangerous to dogs as they are not only toxic but also can cause a choking hazard in canines.

So, never feed these parts to your dog!

• Seeds
• Rind
• Orange leaves
• Stems of the orange

Oranges are beneficial to dogs only if given in moderation. So, a slice or two a day is more than enough to keep your pup happy and healthy! Any more than that can lead to obesity or loose stools in dogs.

Dog owners should also ensure that orange treats can make up only 10% of your dog’s total calories for the day. In case, if you are beginning to introduce oranges to your puppy’s diet, give them no more than one segment a day.

It will be safe for your puppy without upsetting its digestive system. In case if you notice diarrhea, vomiting, or any unusual behavior in your puppy after giving them oranges, stop feeding them at once.

But, how much orange you should feed your dog will depend on your dog’s size. Small dogs can eat one-third of moderate-sized orange, whereas bigger sized dogs can eat an orange as a whole when served in small amounts.

It is recommended to consult the veterinarian to know how much orange you can feed your dog. You can also be aware of your dog’s medical condition after having a discussion with the vet.

Oranges won’t cause any predominant health issues in dogs. But, some dogs will get an upset stomach even if they eat the soft parts of orange.

Although your dog won’t suffer from any long-term consequences, it may feel uncomfortable until the orange is out of their system.

So, if you suspect that your dog is not feeling well after it eats an orange or in huge amount, closely monitor your dog and watch out for the below symptoms.

Signs of orange toxicity in dogs

Your dog may exhibit any of the following signs as a symptom of orange toxicity in it.

• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting

Sometimes, these signs will give you a clear indication that your dog might have eaten too many oranges. But, you don’t need to be panic as most of these symptoms will pass on their own.

In such cases, stop feeding oranges to your dog straight away and make your dog hydrated enough to recover from illness.

But, dog owners should contact the vet if their dogs have any underlying health issues or if the symptoms get worse over time.

As orange can make your dog’s stomach upset, it is essential to feed it with proper and safe preparation. Generally, most dogs don’t like citrus fruits as they have a bitter flavor.

Also, you should always remove the orange peels and seeds even though they are not toxic to dogs. Your dog may also feel difficult to digest the orange seeds and peels.

So, it is vital for the dog owners to know about how to prepare oranges for their dogs. Also, they should be precautious about a few things before feeding oranges to their dogs.

How to prepare an orange for my dog?

Some parts of orange can make your dog sick. So, the following instructions or tips will help you to easily prepare orange for your doggy.

You can follow the below steps if you want to share a slice of orange to your dog in a safe manner.

1. Remove the orange leaves or stem while you prepare the fruit for your dog.
2. Peel off the orange rind from the fruit.
3. Clean the white skin of the orange thoroughly.
4. Split the fruit and remove any white stringy bits.
5. Carefully, cut the thinnest part of the slice.
6. Gently squeeze the orange slice and pop the seeds out.
7. Set aside one or two orange slices for your dog and cut them into smaller pieces.
8. You can also freeze the orange slices if you want before serving them to your dog!

Precautions Before You Feed Oranges To Your Dog

As orange is a citrus fruit, it may cause diarrhea or vomiting in dogs. So, you need to be precautious before feeding the orange slices that you have prepared for your pooch.

• Certain dog breeds do not like the tart taste of oranges. So, act cautiously.
• Always ration the portions to avoid stomach upset in dogs.
• Limit your feeding as per requirement.
• Avoid feeding oranges to obese or diabetic dogs.

It is always advisable to offer your dog one or two small-sized orange slices till your dog is able to tolerate this fruit.

If you don’t see signs of any side effects in your pooch, offer some more slices. But, be sure not to overfeed your dog. Likewise, stop feeding oranges to your pooch if it shows signs of stomach upset.

No! You should never feed orange juice to your dog.

Orange juice even prepared at home sometimes, has a concentrated source of citric acid and sugar. As dogs don’t need vitamin C supplements from oranges, there’s really no reason to offer orange juice to your dog to stay healthy.

Dogs should not also drink commercially produced orange juice due to the high quantities of sugar (natural or artificial) present in it. The high amount of sugar may trigger health problems or worsen existing health conditions in canines.

Orange juice may also lead to a reduction in the enamel of your dog’s teeth. And, your dog may expose to high amounts of citric acid if fed orange juice. Too much of citric acid can trigger stomach ache or make your dog experience a burning sensation when defecating.

So, it’s best to not to offer an orange juice to your dog.

You can prepare a few dogs treats at home with orange. This recipe will be yummy for your dog!

Ingredients

• Baking Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Baking Soda – ¼ teaspoon
• Butter – ½ cup
• Orange  – 1 quantity
• Dried Cranberries – ½ cup
• Egg  – 1 no.
• Honey –  ¼ cup
• Whole Wheat Flour – 3 cups

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix the wheat flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Warm the butter to room temperature and mix it with egg and honey.
4. Beat the butter mix gradually with the flour mixture that was set aside to prepare the dough.
5. Stir orange and dried cranberries with the dough.
6. Knead the dough now into balls.
7. Place balls onto a lightly greased baking sheet and flatten.
8. Bake the balls in the oven for 7 to 11 minutes.
9. Cool and refrigerate.

Now, the orange dog biscuit is ready to serve!

1. What types of oranges can dogs eat? 

Different varieties of oranges are available such as navel, blood, mandarin, clementines, etc. Clementines, blood, and navel oranges are suitable among them for your dog. Navel oranges are even available as a seedless variety.

But, make sure to take note of any behavioral changes in your dog after sharing these oranges to it.

2. Are orange peels good for dogs?

No! It’s advisable for the dog owners to remove the peels before offering oranges to their dogs.

Although orange peel (or the rind) is not toxic to your dog, your dog may find the peel hard to digest.  It will also lead to a gastrointestinal upset in your pooch when you feed oranges to your dog along with the peels.

So, don’t feed dogs orange peels to your dog.

3. Can dogs eat mandarin oranges?

Of course, yes. Mandarin orange is not a major concern for canines although it contains citric acid.

But, just remember to remove the peels and seeds before feeding it your dog. Also, feed them initially in small quantities and thereafter increase the amount gradually.

4. Is the pith of orange safe for dogs to eat?

Yes. The stringy, whitish, web-like pith of orange is basically a dog-friendly part. In fact, it is rich in fiber and is less acidic.

So, it is healthy for your dog and you can share this part with your dog.

5. Can orange treat constipation in dogs?

No! Although oranges are rich in fiber, some dog owners will look for this fruit to relieve constipation in their dogs.

But, no major research has been found yet to support this theory. In addition, if your dog has a sensitive digestive system, orange is not a good choice.

So, experts recommend for vegetables such as pumpkin to relieve constipation in dogs.