Can Dogs Eat Bananas | Health Benefits of Bananas for Pets, Dogs, Cats and Us

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Raising Your Pets, Dogs and Cats Naturally

Healthy Foods for Pets, Dogs, Cats and Us

Health Benefits of Bananas for Pets, Dogs, Cats and Us

Can dogs and cats eat bananas? Learn some of the health benefits of bananas for your pets and you. #raisingyourpetsnaturally
Dogs, cats and bananas

Bananas aren’t just for monkeys! Bananas are one of my favorite foods, and my dog, Dexter, loves his daily banana treats. You see, Dexter The Dog and I have an afternoon routine of sitting on the sofa and sharing a healthy, organic banana. He’s a little dog, so I give him about 4 bites.

My personal favorite thing about the banana is their ease of eating. I know that may sound strange, but I tend to be on the go, sitting at the computer, or traveling with Dexter. I find eating a banana is the easiest way for me to have a healthy snack full of vitamins and nutrients.

But just what makes a banana so healthy? Let me show you the way. Bananas have a nice amount of fiber called pectin, which makes you feel full, but they contain no fat, making them a healthy snack for someone on a diet or watching their weight.

Bananas for Pets, Dogs, Cats
Dexter The Dog’s Daily Banana Treat

Bananas are a heart-healthy food. Bananas contain both potassium and magnesium, which are important for good heart health. Potassium also controls blood pressure and aids in muscle health. This helps lead to a healthy kidney function and normal muscle functions. Bananas also have antioxidants, so this healthy snack is a great choice.

If you look at bananas through the eyes of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, the banana has even more benefits. In TCM, food is looked at as medicine, as it plays a huge role in our and our pets’ health and behavior.

In TCM, everything has an internal temperature: ourselves, food, the environment. Things are classified as cooling, neutral, or warming. Bananas are a cooling food and help cool our internal heat. For example, if you have a dog who is a hot dog (pants a lot, always seeks coolness, overreacts), you would want to feed that dog cooler foods to help ease his fire. Bananas may be a great choice for him, especially for a healthy dog treat.

Some of the healing properties of a banana include nourishing the intestines and adding moisture to the body, particularly the lungs and skin. But, like with anything, there are some precautions when eating bananas. Because bananas do contain carbohydrates, people and pets with diabetes should speak with their doctor or holistic veterinarian, because they will need to be counted in a diabetic meal plan.

Dexter The Dog and I love our daily banana treat and it is by far my favorite healthy road food snack.


Has your dog or cat enjoyed a healthy banana treat? Tell me in the comments.

 

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Can dogs and cats eat bananas? Learn some of the health benefits of bananas for your pets and you. #raisingyourpetsnaturally
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46 thoughts on “Can Dogs Eat Bananas | Health Benefits of Bananas for Pets, Dogs, Cats and Us

  1. We cannot crack a banana open in this house without Edie knowing! She can smell them a mile away. We always have to leave a little at the end for her to enjoy. Now the cats – nope! They won’t go near them or have anything to do with them.

    1. LOL Edie. I haven’t tried with my cats either, unless in a cooked meal. I will have to see.

    1. Thanks. Dexter had to “warm” up to them. Tiny bites at first, now he will eat right off the banana.

  2. Mommy studied some TCM in massage school in her eastern massage classes. She love reading about it here, and never thought of applying it to animals. She has tried to give us bananas, but neither one of us like them.

    1. So cool. Mommy might need to revisit her studies. Huge in our house for behavior and medicine.

  3. OMG my dogs LOVE bananas. Especially my St Bernard/Mastiff mix. Great to know its a “cooling food” and maybe I should start giving my guy a banana per day because he is always looking for a way to get cooler in this hot hot state of Arizona! Thanks for the info!

  4. My dogs LOVE bananas – especially frozen during the warmer months. I will chop or puree bananas and mix with goat’s milk yogurt and freeze in ice cube trays. It’s one of their favorite treats 🙂

    1. That’s pretty funny. Maybe try mixing the banana with another sweeter fruit. 🙂

    1. I saw that! I can’t eat a banana without Dexter thinking it is sharing time. Have I created a begging monster? lol

  5. Kilo gets a bit of banana with Greek yoghurt with his kibble every morning and we all share the rest on cereal or with fruits salad. He loves it and seems very healthy. I have always found it soothing for intestines for my kids who have sensitive stomachs.

  6. My dogs are huge fans of banana and I use them in a TON of our dog treats. We also make PB & Banana chips in our dehydrator which are great and we make Yonanas frozen treats in the summer. What can I say? We’re banana fiends!

  7. Our pups LOVE banana! I’ve been known to mush some up with their kibble and I have yet to get a complaint. 🙂 Thanks for the additional information on TCM… very interesting!

    1. I have to venture more with the kitties. Besides in their food, I haven’t tried. Must do…

  8. My friends German shepherds would just go Bananas when they knew they were getting one and i thought that they were the only ones crazy after them, i thought wrong

  9. I absolutely understand about eating on the go and often choose a banana for the exact same reasons! I didn’t know about it is benefits to the intestines. Ruby (dog) loves a bit of banana as does our bunny (Lulu) – a tiny piece of banana is kind of like eating a piece of chocolate cake for a bunny.

  10. We had a dog that ate everything including lettuce and all vegetables, and fruits except bananas. I always thought that dogs just didn’t eat bananas, but the three that I have now, love them!

    1. Now, that’s pretty funny. Dexter will leave lettuce, kale or spinach unless is cooked in his food.

  11. We love learning about other healthy foods we can share with our dogs. Bean has enjoyed bananas before, Yoda has spit them out and looked at us as if we had just attempted to poison him. They’re so different! We should try again with him to see if he changes his tune.!

  12. If a cat was interested in eating a banana, how much should he eat? For a cat with low potassium, this would help? Maybe 1/4 of it or less?

  13. Thank you for your article on bananas. I didn’t realize how nutritious they are.Belle and I will definitely share a banana tomorrow.

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