Yes, dogs can eat dates occasionally. They are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Dates are also cholesterol-free, making them a healthy option for your dog. However, dates have natural sugar and dietary fiber, which can cause harm to your dog. Therefore, consult a vet before providing dates to your dog.
Table of Contents
What Are Dates?
The binomial name of the dates is Phoenix Dactylifera. The term Dactylifera comes from a Latin word meaning ‘date-bearing.’ The term Dactylifera has come from the loanword Dactylus in Latin, which in Greek is Dactylos. It also implies a finger due to the elongated shape of dates. It is believed that dates were grown in Mesopotamia and Egypt, making them native to the Middle East. However, they are now primarily grown in North Africa and South Asia.
Are Dates Safe For Dogs?
Yes, dates are safe for dogs sparingly. However, here is why they can become unsafe for your dog:
Natural sugar: Dates are concentrated with natural sugar, which can trigger dogs’ range of health issues. The most common one is diabetes.
Dietary fiber: Although dietary fiber is helpful for dogs, dietary fiber from dates is unnecessary as they benefit from dietary fiber through other food sources. Excess of the same can cause health concerns.
Pit: The pit of dates is dangerous as they might choke your dog if swallowed.
Sulfite: It is a compound that is added as preservatives and can cause harm to your dog’s gut.
Why Are Dates Good For Dogs?
Dates are good for dogs due to the presence of essential vitamins and minerals, namely:
Vitamin A: Vitamin A helps your dog’s vision and skin health and heals wounds quickly. It also aids in bone growth, reproduction, and the overall immune system.
B Vitamins: Vitamin B complex is a coenzyme. It promotes metabolic activities that convert carbohydrates to glucose, giving energy and stamina. In addition, it is required to digest protein and fat in a dog’s diet.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C serves as a powerful antioxidant. It can help prevent inflammation and cognitive aging by scavenging free radicals that damage the body’s functioning. Although dogs’ livers can generate vitamin C on their own, supplementation may provide health advantages in some situations.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D aids in the regulation, retention, and balance of calcium and phosphorus in dogs. Vitamin D also helps in bone development in dogs.
Vitamin K: Vitamin K is a fat – soluble substance required to coagulate proteins necessary for clotting blood. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone), which is generated in plants and can be ingested through food or supplements, is the most common dietary source of Vitamin K.
Dietary fiber: Fiber is an excellent source of nutrients for a dog’s digestive system. The healthy bacteria usually found in your dog’s colon digest fiber into fatty acids. This fatty acid then aids in the recovery of the colon by preventing the expansion of any harmful bacteria.\
Iron: Iron is required to accomplish critical processes, including carrying oxygen throughout the body in the hemoglobin of red blood cells so that the cells can generate energy. Iron is also required to function various enzymes in the body properly.
Potassium: Potassium is an electrolyte essential for your dog’s health. It helps electrical charges in the heart and the proper functioning of nerves and muscles. If your dog lacks this vital mineral, you may notice that they are constantly fatigued, abnormal, or have no desire to eat.
Magnesium: At the cellular level, magnesium is involved in energy generation. Magnesium is required to allow the passage of energy whenever your pet moves a muscle, has a heartbeat or thinks.
Manganese: Manganese is required to produce energy, metabolize protein and carbs, and form fatty acids in dogs. Manganese is a component of many enzymes and aids in the health and preservation of bone and cartilage in joints.
Zinc: Zinc is a mineral found in numerous things in the dog’s body, including enzymes, proteins, and hormones. Zinc is also necessary for the immune system and thyroid function. Therefore, zinc insufficiency can cause various issues in dogs, including incapability of infection protection.
Calcium: Calcium is an essential dietary component for your dog’s health. It is required for bone and tooth development, nerve impulse transmission, cell communication, muscle contraction, and blood coagulation.
Copper: Copper is necessary for producing bones, tendons and ligaments, collagen, and myelin in dogs. Copper also aids in absorbing iron, making it an essential component of red blood cell activity.
Thiamin: Beneficial for carbohydrate metabolism required for the proper functioning of the brain and other high-energy organs.
Flavonoids: It helps in reducing inflammations and cardiovascular disease.
Why Are Dates Bad For Dogs?
Dates, however, are good for dogs to consume; they can be bad for them if not fed in proper quantity. Here’s why they can cause harm to your dog:
Natural Sugar: Dates are tightly packed with natural sugar. Excessive sugar can cause health concerns in a dog, namely:
Diabetes
Weight gain
Obesity
Fat
Cardiovascular issues
Joint pains
Hyperactivity
Restlessness
Loss of vision
Weaker jaw
Strengthlessness
Fatigues
Lethargy
Dietary Fiber: High amount of fiber is unhealthy for dogs. They can cause:
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Gas
Bloat
Abdominal pain
Bad breath
Loss of appetite
Pits: Date pits are harmful to your dog. Your dog might swallow a pit which can result in:
Choking
Distress in breathing
Internal organ injury
Esophagus blockage
Intestinal blockage
Coughing
Whining
Sulfite: Sulfites are added in date to increase their shelf life. It, hence, acts as a preservative. Consuming this may cause:
Stomach upset
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Burping
Drooling
Lethargy
Straining during bowel movements
Bloating
Loss of appetite
How Many Dates To Feed My Dog?
Dates are concentrated with natural sugar; therefore, offering dates occasionally is the best option. In addition, halves of the dates can be provided during the training procedures. However, before giving dates to your dog, consult a veterinarian.
How To Serve Dates To My Dog?
Here are a few ways you can serve dates to your dog:
Cut dates into halves, add peanut butter, and serve during training sessions.
Chop the dates and add them as toppings to your dog’s food.
What If My Dog Ate Dates?
If your dog accidentally ate an excessive date, give him ample water to drink and provide a bland diet for a few days. Also, your dog might have consumed the pit. There are high chances your dog will display discomforts like:
Coughing
Whining
Breathing issues
Restlessness
Take him to the vet immediately to resolve his health and follow as the vet prescribes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can puppies eat dates?
No puppies cannot eat human food until they grow. Therefore, their stomach is vulnerable to dealing with any discomfort caused by the dates.
Can dogs with diabetes eat dates?
No. Dogs with diabetes should not eat dates as they have a higher concentration of natural sugar which can trigger diabetes.
Final Thoughts
We close the article by saying that dates are good for dogs in moderation. They have essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Moderation is the key to good health! Remember, dogs with obesity, kidney issues, and diabetes must avoid dates. The downsides of dates can trigger the health issues present in dogs. The natural sugar content is harmful to dogs while consuming dates. Ensure a healthy and happy life for your dog.
