Can Dogs Eat Lemons?
Although some dogs will eat just about anything, that doesn’t mean they should — especially acidic foods. Your pup’s diet should be an alkaline-based plan or one with a neutral pH. To help achieve this, dog food manufacturers often add foods to promote an alkaline diet such as alfalfa, apples, celery, beans, bananas, potatoes, and even broccoli.
But when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right? After all, lemons are the primary ingredient in a freshly squeezed glass. However, they’re also the number one reason why your dogs should avoid lemonade. Lemons contain citric acid which is a primary offender to your dog’s digestive tract.
Like humans, dogs experience acid reflux. Acid reflux is a medical condition in which gastric acid is regurgitated upwards into their esophagus creating heartburn like experience. And as any sufferer of acid reflux knows, this condition is painful and uncomfortable.
And it’s also worse for dogs.
Dogs’ GI tracts are keenly sensitive when it comes to acidic foods. Dogs will naturally avoid these foods on their own. However, some dogs will ultimately disregard their instincts if fed acidic foods by their master in the hopes of appeasing them. And you’ll begin to notice the effects almost immediately.
Your dog will most likely display a negative initial reaction based on the tartness of the food. You’ll see them curl up their lips and often start licking uncontrollably. While this may look funny, we can assure you it’s not. Your dog knows something is wrong.
And although this is a short-term side effect, it can have lasting repercussions. Some dogs will develop food aversions and even begin to distrust the food you are feeding them. But aside from that, they may experience other symptoms such as vomiting, fever, and general discomfort from acid reflux.
If fed an acidic diet over longer periods, your dog may experience much more serious conditions like increased cellular degeneration and minimizing the effectiveness in their red blood cells and the delivery of oxygen throughout their bodies.
It’s not just the acid in the lemonade you need to be careful of — it’s the sugar as well.
To overcome the acidity of the lemons, there’s normally a ton of sugar inside of a good lemonade.
A dog’s blood sugar level is much more volatile to control than that of a person’s, making them extremely susceptible to diabetes and other sugar-related issues.
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Why do dogs have a strong reaction to lemons?
“Dogs can taste bitter and they don’t like it. While dogs can also taste sour, it’s not always a negative. For them, bitter is generally always a negative,” Purina Senior Nutritionist Jan Dempsey explains. Often foods that are poisonous or rancid taste bitter to dogs. So, they learned to avoid these tastes. It was a good way to survive.
Today, dogs don’t eat lemons for good reason. “All citrus fruits contain essential oils and a chemical compound that are toxic to dogs. These are found in the plants, tree parts, the skin, and the pithy white parts,” Dempsey explains.
Caffeine
Caffeine is also dangerous for dogs, as it can cause seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, and possibly death. Coffee or black tea has the component methylxanthine, which is a toxic ingredient for canines. Keep all caffeine products away from your pup.
Can Dogs Drink Lemonade. What can happen if the dogs drink lemonade? diseases of lemonade/Lance Dog.
Since hydration is so important for dogs, you may worry about whether your pup is getting enough water. If you’ve seen your canine forgetting to drink out of their water bowl, you may wonder if there are any other drinks for dogs. What can dogs drink besides water?
You might find that your pup can drink unsalted meat broths, fruit juice, coconut water, and more. In this guide, we go into detail about the type of beverages a dog can drink besides regular water from the faucet. Now, keep reading to learn all about it!