Another thing that you should be watching out for when feeding your dog a banana is possible allergies.
Although bananas are healthy and can be eaten by dogs, it is not guaranteed to be good for every dog. Pay close attention to your poodle’s reaction to the banana, not just immediately after eating, but for some time after.
Some signs that you dog may have allergies to any food are:
- Problems with the skin. If your dog’s skin becomes itchy or they get ear or foot infections, it may be an allergy.
- Gastrointestinal problems: if your dog has diarrhea or vomiting soon after eating the banana, it may be an allergy.
The highest harm that could from your poodle eating a banana would come from giving the poodle too much.
Why Bananas are good for Poodles
As far as edible fruits go, the banana ranks as one of the best fruits for your poodle. In bananas, your poodle gets a natural source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and potassium. These nutrients are important:
- Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant. Without going into animal biology, Vitamin C basically helps your poodleOpens in a new tab. to maintain the heat and energy to keep his body running. Although poodles produce Vitamin C by themselves, unlike humans, levels of Vitamin C can decrease when poodles are stressed or sick. Old poodles also become less capable of producing Vitamin C by themselves in their twilight years. Therefore, a banana can literally reinvigorate your poodleOpens in a new tab. in these moments.
- Vitamin B6 helps your poodleOpens in a new tab. to synthesis protein which is required for proper growth. In addition, this nutrient helps to improve the mood of your poodle by increasing serotonin levels in his brain. Also, through melatonin, Vitamin B6 helps to regulate the sleeping habits of poodles.
- Vitamin B7, also known as Biotin, is a nutrient that maintains healthy skin and hair for poodles. Therefore, this nutrient will help your poodle to keep a healthy coat.
- Potassium helps to control your poodle’s nerve functioning, muscle activity, brain function, and heart function. Suffice to say, this nutrient is necessary for proper body functioning. Thankfully, bananas are a safe and cheap source of potassium.
In addition to the nutrients, bananas are good for poodles because they are easily digestible. Also, bananas are rich in fiber; which helps your poodle in maintaining regular bowel movements and treating constipation.
Now that we’ve determined that bananas can reinvigorate your poodle, improve his bodily functions, keep him looking fresh, and liven up his mood, are there some side effects of feeding bananas to your poodle? In some cases.
How Much Can I Feed my Poodle?
There are many options to how you could feed your poodle a banana.
You should never feed your poodle a full banana. The dog will eat it. But its system will not like the banana.
But, before we get into I would like to give some guidelines towards feeding your dog a banana.
Dog Size |
Banana per day |
Toy or Mini |
2 or 3 small pieces |
Standard |
Half a Banana at most |
Although this is not a strict rule made for feeding your poodle a banana, by following this guideline, your dog will be safe in eating a banana.
However, you should never feed your poodle a full banana. The dog will eat it. But its system will not like the banana.
A good rule to remember when feeding you dog a banana as a treat is the 90/10 rule.
This rule is that 90% of the food you give your dog should be their regular diet food. The other 10% can be reserved for treats for your dog.
With such a small amount of the banana given to your dog, it seems like a waste opening the banana right?
Wrong. The benefits of eating a banana are the same for you as they are for your dog.
How Can Poodles eat Bananas?
One way is to peel the banana and cut it into appropriate sizes for your poodle. You can also mash the banana in his food if the slices are intimidating.
Another way is to serve the bananas frozen. If you realize that your poodle is not into fresh bananas, this could be something to explore.
It will change the texture and temperature of this treat and might even seem like an entirely new treat to your poodle! Of course, the frozen banana treat is more suitable on hot days.
Banana Eating in Your Home
Now that you know that you can use bananas in your dog’s diet, there is a large number of options that are open to you.
Some of the most common uses of bananas in a dog’s diet are as follows:
- Stuffed inside your dog’s toy
- Mashed Bananas in regular food
- Banana Chips
- Mixed with peanut butter
- Frozen slices
- Treat recipes
My personal favorite uses of bananas in my dog’s diet are smearing the mushed up banana over its food.
Although my description may not have sounded extremely appealing, it gives more flavor and variety to your dog’s regular food.
For me, it feels like a mini gift.
If you find that your dog loves the taste of bananas, it may be a good option for you to use the banana to help them learn tricks.
The same rules apply to teaching them the tricks, however they will have more desire to obey when given a food that they love.
Of course there are many recipes of dog treats that you can make with bananas through recipes.
Have fun with your dog and reward them knowing that they are fine to eat bananas.
Final Thoughts
Bananas are good for poodles. These sugary treats will boost the health and mood of your poodle. Serve them with moderation though. Less than a banana may seem like a waste but it is well worth sparking your poodle’s taste buds once in a while.