Pineapple makes a sweet, juicy, and healthy treat for dogs — that is, as long as it’s given in moderation, peeled, and cut into bite-sized chunks.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about pineapple for dogs — including health benefits, serving suggestions, appropriate portion sizes, and cases when it’s not safe to give your pup pineapple. Read on to dive into these topics and more.
Is Pineapple Good for Dogs?
Pineapple can provide your pup with many nutritional benefits. First of all, it’s 82-86% water — making it a great treat to help keep your dog hydrated, especially on hot days.
Pineapple is also high in fiber to support healthy digestion. And, it contains antioxidants — which fight free radicals and assist in repairing damaged cells.
Furthermore, pineapples are high in vitamin C — a multitasking vitamin that supports your dog’s immune system, acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, helps absorb other vitamins and minerals, lowers cholesterol, helps prevent heart disease, and regenerates tissues. Wow, that’s a lot!
The vitamin B6 in pineapple helps support healthy brain and body functions. It also regulates hormones, promotes a healthy heart, produces red blood cells, and can improve your dog's mood. Vitamin B6 is especially important for growing puppies.
There are also trace amounts of calcium, phosphorus and zinc in pineapple. These essential nutrients help boost your dog's immune system, and are great for digestion.
Like we said, the nutritional benefits of pineapple are many. But before you start feeding your dog pineapple, there are a few safety considerations to keep in mind. We’ll go over them in the following section.
Is Pineapple Safe For Dogs?
It’s safe to feed your pup fresh or frozen pineapple that’s been peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces. In fact, it makes an excellent, healthy snack! However, due to the high sugar content in pineapple, you should only feed your pup this fruit in moderation. Too much pineapple can cause your dog to get an upset stomach or diarrhea, and you wouldn’t want that!
Speaking of tummy troubles, you’ll want to avoid feeding your pup canned pineapple in syrup, or any other pineapple that’s been sweetened. These sugary foods aren’t only bad for your dog’s health, but can cause gastrointestinal issues.
If your dog doesn’t like pineapple, there are plenty of other fruits that are also safe for them to eat. Check out this article to learn more.
How Much Pineapple Can a Dog Eat?
Even though pineapple is a healthy treat for dogs, it should only be given in small portions. In fact, treats of any kind should make up no more than 10% of your dog's overall diet — the other 90% should come from a well-balanced dog food.
Here are some general feeding guidelines around pineapple for dogs, based on your pup’s weight. Keep in mind that the pineapple should always be peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces about 1 inch x 1 inch x ¼-inch thick:
- Extra-small dog (2-20 lbs.) = 1-2 pieces of pineapple. Examples: Yorkies, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Pugs.
- Small dog (21-30 lbs.) = 2-3 pieces of pineapple. Examples: Basenjis, Beagles, Mini Australian Shepherds.
- Medium-size dog (31-50 lbs.) = 5-6 pieces of pineapple. Examples: Basset Hounds, Border Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs.
- Large dog (51-90 lbs.) = handful of pineapple pieces. Examples: Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Australian Shepherds
- Extra-large dog (91+ lbs.) = large handful of pineapple pieces. Examples: Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, St. Bernards, Great Pyrenees.
Serving Suggestions
There are many tasty ways to serve pineapple for dogs. Here are a few of our favorites (as mentioned earlier in this article, be sure to remove the pineapple skin and core before making any of these recipes):
- Fresh pineapple: Cut it into bite-sized pieces and serve.
- Frozen pineapple: Cut fresh pineapple into bite-sized pieces and freeze for a cooling treat.
- Dried pineapple: Cut raw pineapple into ¼-inch thick pieces and dry it with a dehydrator at home (avoid store-bought dried pineapple, which may contain added sugar and preservatives).
- Fruit smoothie: Blend pineapple with other dog-safe fruits like strawberries, bananas, and blueberries. Top off your pup’s food with the mixture, or freeze it in ice cube trays for a refreshing snack.
Can Too Much Pineapple Be Bad for Dogs?
Although pineapple is a healthy snack, it is possible for your pup to overeat it and get sick. For one thing, pineapples are high in fiber — which is great for the digestive tract, but too much fiber can cause an upset stomach.
Pineapple also has a high sugar content, which can cause gastrointestinal troubles like diarrhea. Over time, too much sugar can also lead to other health problems like dental issues, obesity, and diabetes. Follow the feeding guidelines in the previous section, and be sure to only feed your pup pineapple in moderation.
If your dog has eaten too much pineapple, keep an eye out for the following symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Decreased appetite or loss of appetite
- Flatulence
If you notice any of these symptoms in your pup, then contact your vet.
FAQs
Can Dogs Have Canned Pineapple?
Although canned pineapple isn’t toxic for dogs, it’s not good for them either. Canned pineapple usually comes in a syrup that has very high sugar content — and too much sugar can give your pup an upset stomach or diarrhea. So, it’s best to avoid it.
Can Dogs Eat Pineapple Core?
When feeding your dog pineapple, it's crucial to always remove the core, stem, leaves, and skin. All of these things are choking hazards for your dog, and can cause an intestinal blockage if ingested.
Be sure to only give your pup the flesh of the pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces. And if your dog does eat the core of a pineapple, contact your vet immediately.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Pineapple?
Dogs can eat dried pineapple — provided that it has no added sugar or preservatives, which many store-bought versions do. Store-bought dried pineapple may also contain xylitol, which is toxic for dogs. For these reasons, it’s safest to dehydrate the pineapple yourself at home.
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Pineapple?
Yes, dogs can eat cooked pineapple, as long as it’s not mixed in with other ingredients that are toxic for them, like garlic and onion. Make sure the cooked pineapple is plain, and not at such a hot temperature that it might burn your pup’s mouth!
Can Dogs Eat Pineapple Cake?
Think twice before sharing some pineapple cake with your pup. While pineapples are healthy for dogs, all of the sugar in cake is not. Plus, depending on the ingredients, there may be something in the cake that’s toxic for your canine companion — like nutmeg or xylitol. If your dog does eat pineapple cake, contact your vet immediately.
Can Pineapple Stop a Dog From Eating Poop?
There's a wild legend that many dog owners believe — and it’s that pineapple stops a dog from eating poop. The idea is that the antioxidant bromelain, which is found in pineapple, will make your dog's poop taste bad to them, and therefore stop them from eating their own feces.
However, there's no hard evidence proving this theory. If your dog does persist with this unfortunate habit, talk with your vet to rule out any underlying health issues that may be causing your pup to eat poop.
At Jinx, we're here to upgrade the way you care for your dog by providing holistic nutrition made with thoughtful formulation, real ingredients, and a whole lot of love.