Is lychee safe for dogs?
Yes, dogs can eat lychee, but as a dog parent you should be very careful about the quantity and take precautions. Well, many veterinarians suggest that you can freely give lychee as a treat to your dog but, some says NO. According to us, it all depends upon your dog if they are allergic to it or not. This tropical fruit has a number of health benefits not just for humans, but for dogs as well.
What is lychee?
Lychee is a tropical fruit which has its origin in china. It has number of good nutrients and fiber which are beneficial for the health of both humans and dogs. For humans, lychee act as a natural diuretic and it is usually assumed for dogs too. A lychee tree is less than 15- 28m tall. The shape of the fruit varies from circle to oval to heart-shaped. It is differently spelled in different places i.e. Lychee, Lichi and Litchi.
What are the nutritional contents in lychee?
Lychee contains 82% water, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 and C and minerals such as: Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Phosphorus, Zinc and Sodium.
How much lychee can a dog eat?
There has been no study that says that lychee has toxic ingredients which can make a dog sick, but to be on a safe side try to introduce lychee to your dog in small amount and see how he responds to it. You can gradually increase the days (once in a few days or alternative days) but try to keep quantity less as we can’t say for sure, how your dog’s body will respond to it.
What precautions can I take while feeding lychee to my dog?
The outer skin of lychee is inedible and very rough. Make sure that you remove it well before feeding it to your dog. Lychee also has pit, which can choke your dog if consumed. The pit is big enough to block the respiratory passage and can cause difficulty in breathing, in some cases death. Therefore, we recommend you to pay attention on what are you feeding your dog. Also, be careful to throw the waste into the dustbin after removing the pit and the skin because if you will leave it on floor within dog’s reach, he might eat it and get him in trouble.
What to do if my dog accidentally ate lychee?
You don’t need to worry if your dog ate lychee by accident because it doesn’t contain any toxic ingredient. In worst scenario he might get upset stomach but nothing more. If he consumed the pit, take him to a veterinarian immediately as your pet might choke.
Keep your eyes on the dog and try observing him for a day or two, to be sure if he is okay. If you notice any symptoms like vomiting or loose stool, contact a vet.
What to do if I forgot to remove the pit before feeding lychee to my dog?
If your dog seems fine, you have nothing to worry about. Be extra careful in future, as he / she might not get lucky all the time. Pit and lychee skin has a potential to cause choking in dogs especially those who are less than 1 years of age.
How do I know if my dog is choking?
The signs of choking includes: Coughing, difficulty in breathing, difficulty in barking/ struggling, losing its calm, pawing at head or at its mouth, loosing consciousness, unresponsive behavior.
Therefore, you can feed your dog lychee if he /she like to eat it. Make sure you remove the inedible part to be sure it won’t cause any trouble for your dog.
Leave a Reply