Dog Ate Orange Peel – What To Do Now!

People love oranges for their high vitamin C content. However, a healthy dog ​​doesn’t really need it. Feel free to give it to your pets as an occasional treat though. Just make sure to remove the skins, pith, and seeds. If you don’t and your dog ate orange peel, it can cause a few problems such as indigestion, vomiting, and intestinal obstruction.

Here are a few things you need to remember regarding orange peels and canines.

Dog ate orange peel? – It can be poisonous

If your dog likes oranges, you need to be careful that it doesn’t eat the peels or seeds. Oranges as a fruit are technically harmless – unless your furry pal is suffering from diabetes, obesity, or a sensitive gastrointestinal (GI) system.

Canines that swallow orange peels could experience stomach upset, vomiting, or diarrhea. This is due to the oils present on the orange peel. In worst cases, it could lead to lead to dehydration or intestinal blockage.

Are there any dogs that are allergic to oranges?

An allergy cannot be completely ruled out when it comes to citrus fruits. Although this type of allergy is quite rare. A few symptoms include swelling in the throat and skin reactions. Unfortunately, the only way to find out is to let it eat the fruit (make sure to remove the peel and seeds). When there are no adverse reactions, then they’re going to be okay. If your pet will be eating it for the first time, do give only a tiny portion.

Pureed oranges for dogs

You might’ve heard of giving pureed oranges to your dog. This may not be such a good idea. For one, you’d be giving too much sugars to your pet. Another reason is that the fibers of the fruit cannot be easily broken down by the canid digestive system. Thus, your dog’s body won’t be able to properly utilize all the nutrients in the fruit anyway.

The effort of pureeing is hardly worth it. There isn’t a lot of fiber, plus there’d be too much acid and sugars in it. Not to mention that the nutritional value of oranges is significantly lower for dogs than for humans. But there’s nothing wrong with giving just a sip of orange juice.

Unripe oranges cause digestive problems in dogs

Like every other fruit, citrus ones also contain carbohydrates that are converted into sugar during the ripening process. The unripe fruit contains starch compounds that the dog cannot digest. So before giving your four-legged friend a few pieces of orange, it’s best to try them yourself beforehand. If it’s sweet, then it’s okay for your furry friend.

The nutrients in oranges

Oranges are vitamin bombs – for people. They contain a significant amount of vitamin C. However, healthy dogs make it themselves. So the vitamin C in an orange is irrelevant for them.

What remains are the beneficial vitamins E and B1. These are also present in a lot of other foods, such as mangoes and avocadoes. There’s a small amount of calcium in oranges too, that your dog can benefit from. But you can get this from feeding your pet dairy products or bones.

How about other citrus fruits?

Did your dog take a liking to citrus fruits? While you can’t feed it lemons, mandarins, tangerines, and clementines make great options as well. Just be aware of their high sugar and acid content. Let your pet eat a little every now and then as a treat. Remove all seeds, piths, and peels!

As always, watch out for symptoms like gas and diarrhea.

Dog food with oranges

Oranges are a relatively rare ingredient to find in ready-to-eat dog foods. However, there are treats or canned meals that have similar fruity tastes. The Pets Deli brand for instance, has put together an exclusive menu of duck, sweet potato, cranberries, and orange. The dry food variant is particularly suitable for dogs with allergies.

Oranges are a treat and NOT dog food!

Despite your furry friend’s cute, puppy eyes, don’t let it eat oranges on a regular basis. They are NOT recommended as an everyday fare. That’s because in order for canines to benefit from their nutritional content, dogs would have to consume so many oranges that the fruit acid would eventually cause problems.

If your dog dog ate orange peel by accident, call your vet immediately. For reliable sources of vitamin C, go for nutritional supplements that are suitable for sick, old, or sensitive dogs.