Dogs can benefit from eating healthy fruits and vegetables, just like people. Often, fruits contain valuable minerals and vitamins essential for overall health. While some fruits can be dangerous for your dog to eat, mulberries are incredibly safe. Feel free to give your dog mulberries as an occasional tasty and healthy treat.
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Mulberries, along with other berries, have several associated health benefits. Their high fiber, iron, and vitamin C content can help give your dog valuable antioxidants to fight harmful free radicals in your pet’s body. Increased antioxidants can help combat inflammation and reduce cognitive aging in pets.
How Can I Feed My Dog Mulberries?
Mulberries are a versatile fruit that can be eaten in several ways – for humans and dogs both. Try experimenting with different preparations to see what your dog likes best. You can try:
Dried Mulberries
Drying the fruit helps preserve it longer, but it can increase the sugar content. Although dried mulberries are still safe for your dog to eat, consider only giving your pet dried mulberries sparingly. Once dried, the sugar content and caloric value drastically increase.
Cooked Mulberries
Simply cooking mulberries is perfectly safe for your dog, but use caution if you’ve mixed the fruit with additional ingredients. While the actual berry isn’t harmful to your dog, a mulberry mixed with flour, sugar, or other ingredients may not be dog-safe.
Fresh Mulberries
The easiest and safest way to feed your dog mulberries is simply to give your dog a berry straight from the bush. Eating raw mulberries right from the branch is safe for pets and humans. Of course, be sure to monitor just how much your pup eats. Dogs can have sensitive stomachs, which could be upset by too many berries. Five or six mulberries shouldn’t pose a significant digestive disturbance for a medium-sized dog.
Why Are Mulberries Beneficial For Dogs?
Although dogs routinely get their necessary nutrients from high-quality dog food, giving your dog berries, particularly mulberries, can help supplement your dog’s diet with beneficial nutritional value. Mulberries for dogs are not only tasty, and special treats for your dog but a healthy treat as well.
Mulberries are high in iron and vitamin C, both beneficial minerals for your dog’s overall health. Although many fruits are high in sugar content, mulberries tend to be easier than others on your pet’s general blood sugar level.
Related: Are Mulberries Safe for Humans to Eat?
What Does Vitamin C Do For Dogs?
Giving your dog vitamin C, in any form, is a fantastic way to help keep your dog healthy. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant in your dog’s body, which helps to eliminate potentially dangerous free radicals. By removing free radicals, you can help your dog reduce chronic inflammation or slow cognitive aging.
How Else Can I Give My Dog Vitamin C?
Including vitamin C in your dog’s diet is essential for overall health. Giving your dog the occasional mulberry is the perfect way to help boost and supplement vitamin C. Plenty of other fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, and some are just as healthy for your pup. If you want to augment your dog’s diet with additional vitamin C, consider giving your dog:
- Cantaloupe
- Kale
- Carrots
- Pumpkin
- Sweet Potatoes
- Blueberries
- Parsley
- Alfalfa
These foods can be given as a small treat, fresh and raw, or cooked and included as part of your dog’s kibble dog food. Of course, like mulberries, be sure to monitor the amount of fruit and vegetables you give your dog, and keep all good things in moderation.
Are There Downsides To Giving Dogs Mulberries?
The mulberry is an incredibly safe and largely beneficial fruit for your dog to eat in moderation. There are a few downsides to allowing your pup to eat this special, fresh treat, and most downsides are easily managed by moderating the number of mulberries your pet eats. The two main downsides to giving your dog mulberries include:
- Upset Stomach – Giving your dog too many mulberries, especially as a new food, could potentially upset your dog’s stomach leading to diarrhea or digestive distress. Further, mulberries are packed full of dietary fiber, which naturally helps your dog process food through its digestive tract. Increased bathroom breaks may be expected if your dog eats more berries than usual.
- Stained Fur – Mulberries have a rich dark color that can stain everything, including your dog’s fur. If you have a light-colored dog, the rich purple and red tones from the berry may seep into the hair around your dog’s mouth, staining it temporarily. Although this poses no health risk, it can be unsightly. Be careful feeding your dog mulberries over carpeting which could become stained if your dog drops a bite.
Are Other Berries Safe For Dogs?
Giving your dog fresh berries is a wonderful way to give your pet a tasty treat while also giving your pet valuable vitamins and minerals. Luckily, several other berries are safe for your pet. If your dog doesn’t like mulberries, you can also try giving your pet strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. These berries are soft, easy to chew, and don’t contain loads of seeds or toxic substances. Of course, be sure to moderate how many berries your dog consumes each day to avoid an upset stomach.
What Berries Are Toxic For Dogs?
Be aware that not every berry is safe for your dog to eat. Some berries can be incredibly hazardous to your pet’s health and potentially lead to severe medical complications. Toxic berries for dogs include:
- Holly Berries
- Cherries
- Baneberries
- Poke Berries
- Mistletoe Berries
- Juniper Berries
Make sure you also stay away from any fruit that contains a large pit. Ingesting a fruit pit can be lethal for a dog, leading to intestinal blockages and possible infection.
Wrap Up
Are mulberries safe for dogs? Yes!
Mulberries are a delicious fruit option that is perfectly safe to give your dog. Your dog can eat mulberries fresh, cooked, or even dried. Not only are mulberries a tasty treat for your pet, but they are healthy too. These berries contain high iron and vitamin C levels, which are potent antioxidants. Giving your dog mulberries in moderation can help slow cognitive aging and reduce chronic inflammation. Mulberries are harmless for your pet, but too many may cause digestive distress. Continuously monitor how many mulberries you give your dog, and use mulberries as an occasional treat.
Further Reading: Best States for Gardening