Fruits are great for humans because they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Fruits are delicious too. Your dog can also take advantage of the vitamins and minerals in fruits as some of them are safe for your pet to consume. Can dogs eat chikoo?
Chikoo or sapodilla is an oval-shaped fruit with a fuzzy and brown skin. It comes with an indelible skin. The chikoo’s flesh however comes with a sweet flavor because of its high levels of sucrose and fructose. The flavor and texture of chikoo is similar to pears.
The flesh of this fruit is a cavity which contains two to three black seeds. The seeds are inedible.
The chikoo fruit is rich in dietary fiber. Its flesh contains natural tannins which are great antioxidants. They also have anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-viral effects. This fruit also has anti-inflammatory benefits.
How to Feed Chikoo to Dogs
Chikoo when fed in the right manner is basically safe for dogs. You can feed your dog chikoo in much the same way you would eat the fruit – without the seeds and skin. Thoroughly wash the chikoo to remove any residual chemicals and dirt before anything else.
To feed your dog chikoo, divide the fruit in half and remove the seeds. Scoop the flesh from the chikoo skin. Feed only fresh chikoo to your dog. Chikoos ripen after they are picked from the tree making them highly perishable and must be eaten within one week.
Cut the flesh of the chikoo into small bits. If this is the first time your dog is going to eat chikoo, offer him only a very small piece. Should your dog develop any stomach upset, be extremely thirsty, do some intense scratching or have any digestive issues, immediately call your vet as he may be allergic to chikoos.
Your dog will love the delicious taste of chikoo but you must be careful that he does not swallow the seeds of this fruit. If he swallows a whole seed, he may have digestive problems but the seed may come out when he poops. It can however be toxic if he chews on the seeds as he may be poisoned by its cyanide content.
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Chikoo is rich in fructose and sucrose and you should therefore only feed small amounts of this fruit to your dog to avoid raising his blood sugar levels.
Most fruits, just like chikoo are basically safe for your dogs. Giving dogs fruits allow them to benefit from the antioxidants, vitamins and mineral content of fruits. Some fruits however are toxic for dogs and should be totally avoided.
If you notice that your dog loves chikoos you can make it a part of his diet while the fruit is in season instead of giving it just as a treat.
Can dogs eat chikoo? Of course they can as long as the fruit is fed in the right manner – without the skin and seeds and in moderate amounts. It is also important to note that when you have a dog, never leave chikoo seeds loitering around. Your dog may chew the seeds and develop cyanide poisoning.