Dogs are lovely animals that bring joy to our mundane lives. Sharing the same home with a dog is a unique experience because they can easily change the environment by just standing and walking around. But this situation also brings new responsibilities and challenges.
When it comes to their feeding routine, you need to put extra effort into providing a healthy feeding schedule. This is because they can be affected by the foods, and this would cause problems in their gastrointestinal system. Therefore, you should use their daily routine foods, snacks, and treats.
They love to discover new foods, and you may want to let them taste them but aren’t sure whether it is good or not.
How should your lovely companion eat it – raw, fried, boiled, or cooked? Let’s find out together.
What Is Plantain?
The first time you see it, it’s normal that you confuse it with bananas. It looks exactly like bananas because they’re in the same family, also known as “cooking bananas.” It’s an exotic fruit popular in South and Central America, Africa, and the Caribbean Islands.
Sometimes, they can be confused with other spices and types. So be careful and do not purchase them; they don’t have similarities. But precautions are not bad because some types would be toxic.
They shouldn’t be given raw. Generally, they need to be cooked just like vegetables.
Can Dogs Eat Plantain?
Dogs would love to watch you eat, especially when you’re with them on a picnic, on holiday, the balcony and garden, etc. So it’s quite normal that you can’t resist the looks of your lovely companion. They are mostly like that – they can make you decide just by looking at you in seconds.
The short answer is yes. It benefits their health, and there is nothing bad about letting them taste some. But still, you need to be careful about the quantities. This is not only important for this fruit but also for other foods.
It contains fiber and other components that will mention in this article. It would also be suitable for the digestive system, but you should be careful about quantities.
How Many Plantains Can Dogs Eat?
It depends on the breed, size, and diet. Each is different, and some dogs need a special diet or feeding hours that may affect the feeding routine.
They shouldn’t be on their regular feeding schedule, but dogs can taste them as a snack and treat. They can’t digest the fruits in general, so you should give a little amount. 2-3 little slices would be suitable for the beginning.
Since it is rich in fiber, sugar, and other minerals and vitamins will mention, it won’t be good to let them eat it regularly. This may cause digestion problems later.
Some dislike it, and it’s okay. Nothing to worry about if your dog doesn’t choose this fruit. It’s not must have fruit in a regular feeding schedule.
Can Dogs Eat Raw Plantain?
They’re called cooking bananas. You may think that it’s only fruit like a banana. You can eat a banana raw, but how about this fruit?
It’s rough and hard to chew, so they would smell and try to take a bite, but then will decide to leave anyway. Trying to chew them may cause harm to their teeth, especially if they’re little breed or have some issues with dental health.
It’s not true that they are not toxic. But they’re too hard to chew and digest, which would cause problems in dogs’ gastrointestinal systems. So, they mustn’t taste them as raw.
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Plantain?
Yes, dogs can eat it without having problems. So this would be a safe option for them. Still, they should taste it in moderate amounts.
When it comes to food, serving it as cooked is essential. But when it comes to fruit, it’s mostly considered to be served raw. But this doesn’t apply to all fruits.
Serving as cooked would provide nutritional benefits for dogs’ health. However, you should not add herbs, spices, salt, sugar, vegetable powders, oils, or aromas. They would cause an upset stomach and may be highly likely toxic. Therefore, you need to check before serving whether it has other things like these or not.
Can Dogs Eat Boiled Plantain?
Yes, dogs can eat this fruit as boiled. It would be a safe choice since boiling would help adjust the amount of the fibers. However, too much fiber would lead to an upset stomach, which is why fruits containing lots of fiber are not recommended.
Chewing dog food, wet food, snacks, or treats may be hard for some breeds, especially the little ones. Or, if your companion has some dental problems, they will struggle with chewing and swallowing.
Boiling will help soften the fruit, so dogs can chew and swallow it easily. Also, it will help to slice this fruit easily.
Can Dogs Eat Fried Plantain?
Since fried foods and fruits have fat, it’s not recommended to serve this fruit as fried. Likewise, you should avoid giving fried foods to dogs.
The fat may lead to weight problems such as obesity. This will lead to severe problems, especially if your little friend is old. Also, you shouldn’t give fried foods if them is on a special diet.
If your lovely friend is healthy and has some eyes on your fried fruit, you may have let them taste a little – 1 bite or something – but no more.
If them has problems with digestion, avoid fried and spicy fruits.
Can Dogs Eat Sweet Plantain?
When you see the “sweet” in the title, you may ask how you can give something sweet to dogs. Sugar should never give in to dog food, treat, or snacks form. Sweet foods such as
- Chocolate
- Candies
- Sweet chip
- Biscuits
- Cake
And more should never be given to dogs, too. Checking the ingredients before giving would be good.
When it comes to this fruit, the short answer is yes. When it has not reached maturity, it would have a bitter taste but becomes sweet when it reaches maturity.
Therefore, it would have natural sweetness. So don’t add additional sugar or artificial sweeteners to it.
Is Plantain Chips Good for Dogs?
You may wonder whether you can offer this fruit as a chip. The short answer is yes—dogs like some fruits in chip form rather than eating directly.
Still, you need to be careful not to give 1-2 chips at once. More may cause problems with digestion, and dogs would feel tired when they have digestion problems.
Also, never add onion and onion powder or garlic and garlic powder. These are popular but highly toxic. Avoid adding sugar, salt, sugar, and spices.
If you are making homemade chips, avoid using them. Market types mostly have these, so handmade chips would be healthier.
Benefits
When given in moderation, this fruit has some benefits for dogs. It’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Moreover, have vitamins and minerals such as:
- Fiber provides easy digestion in the gastrointestinal system and helps create balanced pH in the intestines while supporting balanced blood sugar.
- Potassium is high in this fruit, which would help with fluid regulation in your little friend’s body.
- Magnesium helps create a healthier environment in your little friend’s body and helps maintain muscle health and movements.
- Vitamin C boosts the immune system since it’s an effective antioxidant and decreases inflammation risk. Moreover, Vitamin A and B6 have the same functions as Vitamin C.
Potential Problems
First of all, if you’re worried about whether this fruit may be poisonous or not, the answer is no. There is nothing toxic about this fruit. However, it may cause some problems. So let’s take a look at potential issues that may happen.
Always be careful about quantities. For example, giving more fruit than normal will cause problems.
- Diarrhea can happen when you give too much of this fruit. This is because it’s high in fiber, and some dogs are sensitive to fiber.
- The choking hazard exists, especially since you offer this fruit raw. You never offer it as raw, anyways. It may be hard to chew, especially for the small breeds. Dogs should always eat this fruit in a sliced and peeled form. You can cut it into middle-sized pieces.
- Vomiting can happen when you give too much of it, and this would lead to dehydration. So always keep fresh water for dogs in their bowl.
Conclusion
In conclusion, plantain is edible, non-toxic, and safe for dogs, but there are some points that you should be careful about.
Don’t let dogs eat this fruit as raw and fried. These will cause different problems, from diarrhea to vomiting, and can affect the immune system. Instead, offering this fruit as cooked, boiled, steamed, or chips would be healthier and safer. Still, don’t let dogs eat more than 2-3 chips and 1-2 slices simultaneously.
There is no obligation to add this to a dog’s feeding schedule, but there is no harm in letting them eat once a month to offer different types of food. And if they dislike it, don’t force them. It’s normal not to choose this fruit over other snacks.
I hope this helps!
