Can German Shepherds Eat Apples?

We love giving our dogs healthy treats. You might be wondering can German Shepherds eat apples. Many pet owners are shifting from traditional kibble or incorporating raw human foods into their favorite GSD food. Knowing whether the food is safe for eating is very important.

Your GSD can get tired of eating the same dog food and treats all the time, and you wonder what to feed them. 

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Can German Shepherds Eat Apples?

The answer is YES, and this is why. Some foods are highly nutritious and beneficial to dogs. These often include fruits and green leafy vegetables.

You need to be mindful that the food you want to feed your dog is safe for them to eat. Just because a food is nutritional and safe for you to eat, doesn’t mean a dog can eat it.

Benefits of Feeding Apples to Dogs

Apples provide virtually the same nutritional benefits to dogs as they do to humans. According to research, they are rich in fiber, polyphenols, and vitamin c.

a) Fibre (I.e Soluble and Insoluble)

A fiber-rich diet will benefit your German Shepherd’s general health. Both soluble and insoluble fibers are abundant in apples. While soluble fibers help with nutritional absorption, insoluble fibers are essential for gut health and help maintain a healthy digestive system.

B) Vitamin C

Apples are high in vitamin C, which helps your GSD’s immune system battle allergies, germs, and poisons. It also promotes wound healing and healthy aging.

C) Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals such as catechins, quercetins, anthocyanins, and chlorogenic acid are abundant in apples. Although phytochemicals are rarely considered when making a food suggestion for German Shepherds, apart from boosting the immune system, they also promote healthy aging, prevent cancer, eye, and cardiovascular diseases.

D) Dental Hygiene

Cleaning your German Shepherd’s teeth and preventing bad breath can both be accomplished by chewing on apple slices. Just don’t count on it to be your dog’s only source of dental treatment.

How to Feed Your Dog Apples

Step 1: Wash the Apple

Thoroughly wash the apple. Unless you choose organic, there’s no way of knowing the type of residues and chemicals left on the apple’s skin. 

Step 2: Take out the core and the seeds

Apples have cyanide residues in their cores and seeds. While a tiny amount is unlikely to hurt your German Shepherd, it’s better to be safe and avoid it completely.

Step 3: Slice the Apple

Only feed your GSD apple slices that have been chopped into small pieces. Overly big slices cause your dog to choke. However, cutting it into tiny pieces can reduce its dental benefits.

Step 4: Quantity control

Large amounts of apples may be complex for your German Shepherd to digest due to their high fiber content. Giving them tiny pieces throughout the day is preferable to giving them a whole apple at once.

Can German Shepherds eat Apple with its Peel?

Eating an apple with its skin poses no harm but peeling the skin does decrease the nutrients available to your dog.

The skin of an apple contains the majority of its medicinal value; therefore, it’s ideal to keep it on. Therefore, peeling is not advised.

What German Shepherds Should Not Eat?

We adore our pets and may find it difficult to ignore their pleading eyes. Nevertheless, some food items are harmful, deadly, or unhealthy and must never be fed to your German Shepherd. Below are the foods you should keep out of your dog’s reach.

1. Cocoa products

Methylxanthines are found in cocoa products such as chocolate, tea, coffee, etc. They can cause serious health issues like nausea, vomiting, polydipsia (excessive drinking), irregular heartbeat, convulsion, and death.

2. Xylitol

Sugar-free gums, sweets, and some peanut butter contain the artificial sweetener Xylitol. Xylitol raises insulin levels, resulting in low blood sugar, vomiting, and tiredness. Toxicity can lead to seizures and liver failure in a matter of days.

3. Nuts ( I.e macadamia nut, walnut)

All nuts are heavy in lipids, which can cause gastrointestinal difficulties in German Shepherds and possibly pancreatitis.

Your dog may accept small amounts of some nuts but should avoid walnuts and macadamia nuts. Certain chemicals found in these nuts have been linked to seizures and other neurological issues.

4. Grapes and raisins

Even in tiny amounts, fruits like grapes and raisins are harmful to dogs and can result in kidney failure, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration, etc. The fruits are perfectly safe, but the seeds are cyanide-laced which can be hazardous if the seeds or peels are consumed.

5. Avocado

Avocado contains a toxin known as persin. A large dog, such as a GSD, is less vulnerable to Persin, but avocado’s lipid content and the huge interior seed make it extremely dangerous.

If your GSD swallows these seeds, it can clog the intestine, posing a life-threatening situation.

Avocados’ lipid content puts your pup at risk of pancreatitis, a life-threatening disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed and shuts down digestion.

You might observe that avocado is included in some dog meals, but you should only do this with your veterinarian’s permission. For all of the reasons outlined above, you should never feed raw avocado to your dog.

6. Certain vegetables

According to research, garlic, onions, leeks, and chives, to name a few, are all poisonous to dogs, especially German Shepherds.

It is imperative to know that dogs can be harmed by raw plants and even the dry, powder, liquid, boiled, or frozen varieties of the same vegetables.

The side effects include pale gums, increased heartbeat, bloating, stomach discomfort, pinkish urine, shaky balance, and collapse.

Therefore, you should keep these herbs or vegetables out of reach of your dog. Similarly, you should never serve your dog any food that contains these herbs.

7. Mushrooms

The most prevalent cause of lethal poisoning in dogs is wild mushrooms that grow in the yard. Although not every mushroom is harmful to dogs, those that are can be fatal very quickly.

Your German Shepherd may be drawn to the strange looks of the mushrooms or their fishy odor and consume them before you notice it.

Even if you’re unsure if the mushrooms you see are dangerous, it is advisable to take a walk around your yard and get rid of them all.

Also, be wary of allowing your GSD to go about in grassland where wild mushrooms might be present.

8. Boiled bones

The cooking process will neutralize any leftover bacteria or poisons; therefore, boiled bones may appear safer than raw ones. On the other hand, it is far more harmful since they splinter easily.

The heat weakens the bone’s structure, which means it could shatter into fragments if your dog eats it boiled.

However, if your dog consumes the fragments, it can result in choking, fatal perforations, puncturing his gums, and cracking his teeth.

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