Can Dogs Eat Lychee?
Lychee is a small tropical fruit that is round, red, and with scaly skin. The fruit is native to most countries in Asia and is popularly used in making desserts, cocktails, and ice creams. While it is nutritional and safe for humans to consume, is it dog friendly?
Is Lychee Safe for Dogs?
Lychee is safe for dogs to consume, but only when prepared correctly. You can use the fruit as an occasional snack or treat when training your furry friend.
When you decide to share the fruit with your pooch, remove the outer skin, pit, and seed as they are harmful to dogs.
Nutritional Benefits of Lychee to Dogs
Lychee contains lots of healthy antioxidants and vitamins. Some of the expected benefits that your dog can get include:
1. Weight Management
The tropical fruit contains polyphenol known as oligonol. The compound is an antioxidant commonly used as a dietary supplement. Dogs who eat Lychee as a treat or snack do not gain weight quickly compared to dogs that consume store-bought or homemade dog snacks. Lychee is also low in calories making it the ideal fruit to offer to your canine if suffering from obesity.
2. Improved Digestive Health
Lychee is highly fibrous. Fiber assists dogs in various ways, including boosting gastrointestinal functions in the body.
Dogs with issues such as diabetes, anal sac diarrhea, and constipation have registered improvements in their overall health after consumption of meals rich in fiber.
3. Protects Against Chronic Diseases
The extracts from Lychee have anti-cancer properties. The fruit can reduce the cell growth rate caused by different types of cancer. Lychee is also known to protect the liver from toxins.
What Amount of Lychee is Safe for Dogs?
Despite its nutritional benefits, you should not make Lychee part of your dog’s daily diet. Though your dog can fall in love with Lychee when you introduce it, you should ensure that the treat does not surpass 10% of your canine’s daily calorie intake. The appropriate amount for your dog to eat is a few fruit bites.
Is Lychee Poisonous to Dogs?
While the fruit is generally safe to be consumed by canines, you should offer it in moderation. Lychee is very high in fiber, and excessive consumption can cause stomach problems. If you feed the fruit to your dog and it is too ripe, the sugar content can overwhelm them.
On the other hand, if your dog eats the fruit when unripe, it can drop its blood sugar levels leading to hypoglycemia, as it contains methylene cyclopropyl-glycine. In severe cases where there’s a significant drop in sugar levels, it can cause their brains to be dysfunctional.
A dog consuming the fruit unripe can cause serious health issues. Symptoms of poisoning that you will notice include;
- Muscle spasm
- Excessive Drooling
- Vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Dark urine
Treatment of Lychee Poisoning
Once you observe the symptoms of lychee poisoning after your dog consumes the fruit, contact your vet for first aid advice while you rush him to the clinic. The vet will administer the appropriate treatment to save your pooch’s life.
Metamucil helps your dog pass the fruit or seed in case of a blockage.
How to Prepare Lychee For Your Dog?
Dogs should only be fed ripe Lychee. When offering the fruit to them, remove the outer skin and pit. You will have to break the fruit’s flesh so that you can access the seed and remove it. Serve only the flesh to your canine, and in moderation.
What to Do If a Dog Eats a Lychee Seed?
If a small dog breed eats the fruit accidentally, they are likely to choke on the seed, causing a blockage in their throat. To be able to save your canine’s life, you will have to do a Heimlich maneuver. You can consult a vet if you do not know how to perform the lifesaving technique.
Can My Dog Be Allergic to Lychee?
When you want to introduce a new meal or snack to your furry friend, you should always bear in mind that there might be a possibility of an allergic reaction. While most dogs are tolerant to Lychee, allergies do exist.
If you notice that your dog has paw infections, is constantly itching, or has indigestion after eating Lychee, visit your vet as soon as possible.
Dog-friendly Lychee Substitutes
If your dog is in love with the fruit, but they negatively react to it, you can try these safe alternatives:
Final Thought
While opinions regarding the safety of the Lychee to dogs are conflicting, most experts claim it is dog friendly. When feeding the fruit to your dog, ensure that you prepare it the right way to avoid side effects such as hypoglycemia and choking.
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