Shih Tzu can eat an apple, yes. It’s a nice treat for your dog. Apples can provide your dog with many important vitamins and nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins C and A, and dietary fiber. Apples are also good for the teeth of your darling. So, giving apples to your Shih Tzu is very beneficial. Just make sure you don’t give them the core.
Fruits and vegetables form an essential part of a Shih Tzu’s diet. With all its nutrients and juicy goodness, apples can be a great treat your pet will love.
Let’s get into it!
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Is it OK for my Shih Tzu to eat an apple?
Among all other food, apples can be one of the safe treats you can offer your Shih Tzu.
This fruit is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins A and C. Thus, it offers quite many benefits to your pet.
The antioxidants help protect your pet against diseases and helps improve health.
The fiber found in apples helps in improving digestion. It also makes them optimize the nutrients from the food they eat.
Both vitamins A and C are essential to dogs. The former helps the skin, coat, muscles, and nerves to function well—the latter aids in increasing immunity to fight off and avoid diseases.
What makes an apple an excellent fruit for your dog is its hard but juicy texture. Such a characteristic is good for healthy teeth.
Moreover, it can help eliminate bacteria in your pet’s mouth. Thus, regular apple intake helps relieve a smelly dog breath.
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Can Shih Tzus eat green apples?
Yes, you can feed your Shih Tzu some green apples, and it should be alright.
Green apples have a distinctive sour taste than the red ones. When it comes to nutrients, though, the green has the upper hand.
These apples contain more iron, potassium, and protein than the red.
There’s nothing much difference when it comes to health benefits. Still, the green ones contain more fiber and fewer carbohydrates.
Regardless of the variety, both red and green apples are safe for your pet to eat. In fact, it can even be a wholesome treat for it.
A few apples once in a while or more should give a regular but safe intake.
Now, although apples are beneficial to your pet, there are some reminders that you need to know.
One thing that you should know concerns the apple core.
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Can Shih Tzus eat apple core?
Although apples are an affordable, low-calorie, and nutritious snack for dogs, it’s core can be dangerous. Thus, you can feed your Shih Tzu some apples, but they can’t eat the middle.
The core of an apple is rigid, and it can be an invitation to a choking incident.
Another thing about the core is that it contains the seeds, which has small amounts of cyanide. Such a component is a lethal thing for dogs, even in small quantities.
For this reason, avoid feeding whole apples to your Shih Tzu. Instead, try to offer apples in bite-size pieces.
If you’re wondering if you can include the apple skin, yes, you may.
The skin in itself has some benefits for your dog, so you don’t have to peel it off.
The only thing you need to remove is the core and the apple seeds to avoid unwanted incidents.
What human food can Shih Tzus eat?
Shih Tzus have a wide range of food they can eat. For this reason, they can share some of the foods we favor most times.
Here’s a list of food human food that you can feed your pet dog.
Aside from apples, here are some fruits and vegetables where Shih Tzus can enjoy a lot of nutrients:
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Raspberries
- Pineapples
- Oranges
- Mangoes
- Strawberries
- Sweet potato
- Green beans
- Sweet peas
- Baby carrots
As always, the key to healthy growth is a balanced meal, and it applies to all pets.
Shih Tzus need protein-rich food to maintain healthy muscle growth as it grows.
They also need vitamins and minerals to maintain their health. Having fruits and vegetables can help them avoid vitamin deficiency.
Dairy products can also be a great source of protein and fats, which is also beneficial if fed in small amounts.
Don’t go overboard, though. Dairies have high amounts of lactose that are hard to digest. Feeding too much dairy can cause digestive issues to your dog.
You can also offer grains and other food that is rich in carbohydrates. The carbohydrates will give your pet the energy for its daily activities.
What can Shih Tzus not eat?
While there are many options for Shih Tzus to eat, it doesn’t mean everything is safe. Of course, there are some foods that you should avoid for your pet.
Like most other breeds and other pets, here is a list of food that you should not feed your Shih Tzu:
- Chocolate (huge red flag)
- Grapes and Raisins (toxic to most dogs and even cats)
- Onions (both raw and cooked is harmful even in small amounts)
- Tea and coffee (the caffeine in both is lethal to these animals)
- Salt (too much sodium is also a bad thing)
- Soda (has a lot of toxic chemicals)
- Fruit pits and seeds (naturally dangerous for them)
It would be best to keep these foods out of your dog’s reach to avoid unwanted incidents from happening.
If your dog ate one or more of these by accident, take it immediately to the vet. Please do so, especially when it shows signs of poisoning.
Summary
Shih Tzus can enjoy eating apples, and you can feed it since it’s safe and beneficial for them. Apples are rich in nutrients and can contribute to your pet’s health if taken regularly as a snack.
Still, try to avoid giving whole apples, especially with the core intact. The center can make your dog choke, and the seeds can poison them.
Aside from apples, there are other food options you can offer. The best thing to do is to create some balance with the food you offer. This way, you can ensure good health for your Shih Tzu.
Resources
Image credits – Photos by Iga Palacz and Shelley Pauls on Unsplash
