Dog owners are usually concerned about the food they give to their dogs. Can pooches eat cereals? Also, it is important to know which beverages dogs can drink and which are toxic to dogs, because dogs tend to drink everything in front of them, whether it is safe for them or not. Many beverages contain harmful chemicals that dog can not digest well.
Water is the most important beverage for dogs, but some of them also enjoy drinking orange juice. We all know which are the health benefits of orange juice for humans. But what will happen if you give orange juice to your dog? Can orange juice be harmful to your dog? Below you will find answers to these and other questions related to orange juice and its use for dogs.
More About Orange Juice
Orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of the orange tree. Orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and other nutrients. Thanks to its antioxidant properties, orange juice can boost our immune system and it can fight free radicals. That way, orange juice can reduce the risk of many diseases. This juice is very beneficial for us, but can dogs benefit by drinking this juice? We are not really sure about that fact.
Is Orange Juice Good For Dogs?
At first, we have to know that dogs’ nutritional requirements differ from ours, so their diet is mostly based on their dog food and fresh water. Orange juice is not the supplement which is necessary for dogs’ diet, because the water is all they need for hydration of their bodies. Because of that, you can give orange juice to your dog only as an addition to his normal diet. Orange juice should not substitute dog food or water because this juice won’t give a dog all the necessary nutrients. Orange juice is not toxic to dogs but it will not boost their immune system, so we can say that orange juice is practically useless for dogs.
Which Amount of Orange Juice Can be Given to Dogs?
Although dogs don’t need orange juice in their diet, some dogs really enjoy drinking orange juice. You should not be worried about that. You just have to try not to give orange juice to your dog on a regular basis. A few sips of orange juice twice or three times a week are more than enough for dogs.
Side Effects of Drinking Orange Juice
Although orange juice is not beneficial to dogs, you don’t have to panic if your dog drinks a little of this juice. It is true that orange juice contains citric acid and sugar, but those substances are not that harmful to dogs. The only side effects that can happen are diarrhea, vomiting or stomach upset in dogs. The citric acid in orange juice can give dogs a burning sensation while they poo and it can make their stool acidic.
Also, if your dog drinks orange juice regularly, he can get chronic stomach problems and he can also lose some tooth enamel. To avoid these problems, it is recommended not to give orange juice to your dog.
Final Thoughts
As you have seen, orange juice has many health benefits for people, but that is not the case with dogs. Dog owners should know that water is always better choice than orange juice and that there is no point in giving orange juice to your dog.
However, there are dog owners who think that drinking water every day can be boring for dogs. But the truth is that dogs don’t need any additional beverages besides water.
