Dogs can eat a wide variety of fruits, and they may even find some types exceptionally enjoyable. However, not all fruits are safe for dogs to eat, and some may even be toxic to dogs. However, what about Guava? Can dogs eat guava?
The good news is guava is safe for your dog to eat in moderation, but we’ll go into more detail in a moment. However, it would be better if you didn’t give guava to your dog daily or even once or twice a week. As an occasional treat, however, if your dog appears to enjoy the taste of guava, it is perfectly safe to feed it to your dog.
In this article:
What Is Guava?
Let’s start with a brief explanation of guava itself. It’s a tropical fruit that comes from the Myrtaceae family of flowering plants.
Although guavas typically have green skin and pink flesh, there are different varieties of guavas where some have green flesh.
What Types of Guava are Safe for Your Dog?
There are several types of guava:
- Thai guava: Thai guava can have smooth or quite rough skin, and the flesh is always white.
- Red guava: This guava has green skin and a lovely pink colored flesh.
- White guava: This variety of guava has white flesh that is creamy in consistency and resembles an apple or pear in appearance. This guava variety may become your dog’s favorite if they enjoy sweet fruit.
- Pineapple guava: The oval-shaped green fruit tastes vaguely of pineapple and mint flavor, hence the name. The flesh of the fruit is a pale yellow color.
- Apple guava: Apple guava is common guava that resembles a pear in appearance.
All of the above guava types are safe to feed to your dog, but only in limited amounts; that includes fresh or dried pieces; remember, dried fruits contain more concentrated levels of sugar.
Is Guava Good For Dogs?
Guava is packed with nutrients that are good for both dogs and people. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Vitamins A, C, and K are particularly abundant in guava. Vitamin C content in guava is 228.3 mg per 100-gram serving, and your dog’s immune system gets a good boost with this vitamin, which is also an antioxidant. Additionally, guava is a good source of vitamin A and vitamin K. These vitamins can help maintain the health of your dog’s vision, skin, haemoglobin, and bones.
Guavas contain 5.4 grams of fiber per 100 grams. Fiber is an essential part of your dog’s diet, as it aids digestion and reduces the risk of them developing either constipation or diarrhea.
Magnesium and potassium are also found in guava. As well as assisting the body’s absorption of other nutrients, magnesium also aids in the health and well-being of your dog. Potassium is essential for your dog’s healthy bones and teeth, as well as their internal organs.
What Is Bad About Guava For Your Dog?
Is there anything wrong with guava that would prevent us from feeding it to our dogs daily?
Well, there is, and that’s carbohydrates and sugar. Guava has a lot of carbohydrates and sugars in it; grain and sugar content per 100 grams of guava is 14.32 grams and 8.92 grams, respectively. Like humans, feeding dogs too much sugar is a significant cause of obesity and diabetes.
If your dog isn’t used to eating guava, giving them too much could upset their stomach, leading to vomiting or diarrhea as their digestive system tries to cope with the new food.
Best Way To Feed Your Dog Guava
Before feeding your dog the juicy insides of guava, it’s a good idea to remove the skin. However, if your dog likes the skin, there’s no reason why you can’t leave it on the skin. Either way, skin on or off, you should cut up guava into smallish chunks. Dogs love to chew on bones and toys but tend to gulp their food, so large pieces of guava can quite easily get stuck in the dog’s throat.
Trace amounts of cyanide are in the seeds, so some dog owners prefer to remove them. If consumed in large quantities, they can also result in diarrhea. In addition, dogs seem to have an issue with seeds and can often cause an intestinal blockage, so remove all seeds to be on the safe side.
Watch your dog for 24 hours after giving them a small amount of guava to see if they react negatively or positively. If there’s no cause for concern, continue to feed them guava, but it’s best kept to no more than 100 grams per week which is a good recommendation.
Remember, 100 grams is a guideline; if you have a small dog, you might want to cut that down to, say, 50 grams each week. Be sure to keep your eye on your dog for a few hours after they’ve eaten some guava.
It would probably be a good idea if you kept guava as a special treat now and again.
Can a Dog Be Allergic to Guava?
Introducing guava with a small amount makes sense because the fruit can cause allergic reactions.
Plenty of humans have discovered they have an allergy to guava. Although we don’t know how common this allergy is in the dog population, dogs can develop allergies, even if they’ve never had issues previously. The first time you give your dog guava, it’s best to monitor your dog for the next twenty-four hours to be on the safe side if there are any adverse reactions.
Is there a way to tell if your dog has an allergy? Symptoms can include hives, itching, and skin infections in the paws and ears. In addition to those symptoms, dogs might experience facial swelling and digestive issues.
Your dog should be able to eat guava allergy-free without experiencing any of the above symptoms.
Can Dogs Eat Guava Leaves?
There are no apparent health benefits for your dog to eat guava leaves, and they will probably not taste too good to your dog. The dog probably won’t want to eat the leaves anyway. Some people boil the leaves to make a kind of tea; while there are many health benefits for humans to drink guava leaf tea, there’s no health benefit in feeding your dog any type of tea.
Can Dogs Eat Guava Rind?
Is the guava rind safe for dogs to eat? Dogs can eat the green skin, which is the outer layer of the fruit. In that respect, it is very similar to an apple.
Dogs are more sensitive to fiber than humans, and guava has more dietary fiber (5.4 gm fibre per 100 gm of fruit) than many other fruits, so watch for any tummy upset. It’s a good idea to feed your dog the skin because there’s more vitamin C present than the rest of the fruit.
Can Dogs Eat Guava Paste?
Guava paste contains high sugar levels, so it’s not a good treat for your dog. There are a lot better natural products that you can offer instead.
Can Dogs Eat Guava Yogurt
Guava yoghurt should be okay for your dog unless there is added sugar and your dog is allergic to dairy. But assuming there’s neither, then small amounts will not harm your dog.
Final Thoughts
Let’s go back over what we’ve discovered about guavas and how whether your dog is okay to eat the fruit.
All guava varieties are safe for dogs to eat, and there are several that you can choose. Guavas are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals for dogs because they are packed with nutrients.
However, you should only feed guavas to dogs in moderation due to their high sugar content.
So, feel free to give your dog a piece of your next guava fruit. Just watch out for overindulging dogs. Guava can be a healthy and delicious addition to your dog’s diet if consumed in moderation!
