If you are a durian lover, you must have gotten used to the weird smell of this fruit. But have you noticed how your dog reacts when you are eating a durian during the durian season? If he is looking at you with pleading eyes you might just want to share your fruit with him. But you first need to know this – Can Dogs Eat Durian?
This is quite an unusual fruit so before feeding it to your dog, you must do proper research on whether it is safe for him or not. And will it contribute towards the health of your dog or not.
Let’s look in detail at whether one of the smelliest fruits in the world is safe for your dog or not.
Can Dogs Eat Durian?
Dogs can eat durian but you need to be careful in giving your dog durian to eat.
Durian is an edible fruit with a hard and prickly coat on the outside and a strong odor that is always under debate because some consider its smell to be a sweet and pleasant fragrance whereas some find it disgusting with great intensity.
You can give your dog durian as its pulp contains fat and calories and other nutrients and vitamins like vitamin C, riboflavin vitamin A, and vitamin B6. Durian also has calcium, phosphorous, iron, and zinc.
These minerals and nutritions are needed by dogs and you can safely give them small chunks of durian to eat.
How Much Durian Can A Dog Eat?
Durian has fat and calories in it. So you should only give small amounts of fresh durian fruit because too much durian can lead to your dog gaining unnecessary weight.
You should also only begin with small amounts of durian so that you can make sure that your dog does not have any adverse reaction to it. Your pet friend might not even want to eat durian because of its strong smell.
Because of its high-fat content, it is a good option to feed your dog durian if he is underweight. But that should also be in a moderate amount only. You can consult your vet regarding this.
Is Durian Safe For Dogs?
Durian fruit from the inside has a pulp with a cream-like consistency which contains nutritious values that is safe for dogs but the outer part is spiky and hard which should never be given to dogs.
Any dog should not consume the outer parts of durian or the seeds of durian fruit. It has cyanide in it that can lead to many dangerous impacts which can be lethal. Even the stems and leaves should of durian should be avoided because of this.
Also, the hard and spiky outer part of the stem and leaves of durian fruit can cause a blockage in your dog’s digestive tract.
So make sure that you only feed the flesh of a durian fruit to your dog.
Can Puppies Eat Durian?
Even though there is no harm as such from eating durian flesh, it is better if you keep your puppies away from durians.
Serving durian to the puppies can be risky, as they might be allergic to it. Puppies are much smaller and underdeveloped so even a small amount of something that doesn’t suit them can have a huge effect on them.
And there can be fatal effects if your puppy consumes a durian seed or the outer part by mistake. So it is best to keep durian out of your pup’s reach.
Can Durian Be Given To Dogs?
The flesh of the durian fruit can be given to dogs in moderate amounts. It has many nutritional values.
Durian contains 18% calories, 7% protein, 22% carbohydrate, and 20% fat. It also contains many minerals and vitamins like calcium, manganese, phosphorus, all in small quantities. You can read more about durian’s nutritional value here.
But always remember to keep the durian’s quantity less because durian has a lot of fat and calories content which can lead to diabetes and obesity in your dog. 100 grams of edible durian pulp has about 5.5 grams of fat and 147 kcal.
So durian should be a treat and not a regular food item for your dog.
Also Read: Can Your Dog Eat Water Chestnuts?
Do Dogs Like The Smell Of Durian?
Durian has a very hard odor which is mostly said to be unpleasant but your dog might not have any reaction to it, and surprisingly might even like it.
Dogs might just bark at the strange smell in the beginning but they will get used to it. But if your dog is more sensitive than usual, then he may not like the smell and won’t even eat the flesh of durian because of it.
What Happens If Dogs Eat Durian?
There will be no harmful effects on your dog after eating durian flesh if he is not specifically allergic to it.
However, if your dog has eaten durian seeds or the outer part of the durian fruit, there can be severe symptoms like vomiting or fast breathing. In this case, you need to consult your vet immediately.
Can A Dog Be Allergic To Durian?
Most dogs are not allergic to durians because their flesh does not have any such harmful substance in it.
However, if your dog is allergic you might notice some symptoms like itching, indigestion, swelling of the face, or hives after they have eaten durian.
Some dogs might even have a slight problem digesting durian. An undigested durian pip can cause diarrhea or constipation in your dog.
What If A Dog Eats A Durian Seed?
If your dog eats a single durian seed, then you need to observe for any adverse effects that your dog might show. However, intake of excessive durian seeds can expose your dog cyanide poisoning.
In case your dog has eaten a durian seed or any other part than the flesh, you will notice adverse symptoms like heavy breathing, puking, unusual heartbeat, skin problems, or dilated pupils.
It is even possible for your dog to go into shock. Scary, isn’t it?
Are Durian Seeds Poisonous To Dogs?
Durian seeds are poisonous to dogs. They have the capacity to harm your dog severely. Your dog might suffer from intestinal blockage, issues with bowel movements and cyanide poisoning as an aftereffect of eating durian seeds.
And not just the seeds, it’s hard outer skin or stem or leaves can also be poisonous to dogs. This is why as soon as you have taken out the flesh, throw all the other parts at a place where your dog cannot access them in any case.
How Should You Feed Durians To Dogs?
You need to be careful while feeding durian to your dog.
Remove all stems and leaves that are left attached to the durian. Cut the rind and scoop out the pulpy flesh of the durian. Discard the rind, stem and leaves immediately at a place out of your dog’s reach.
Start feeding your dog small chunks of the durian flesh and keep a look at his reactions. If there are no adverse reactions, you can feed him a little more but always make sure you don’t give him durian in too much quantity.
Can Dogs Eat Freeze Dried Durian?
Dogs can eat freeze-dried durian but in an extremely limited quantity. The reason for this is that the freeze-dried durians have more sugar content as compared to the fresh durian.
In fact, freeze-dried durians consist of 13% sugar. Thus, no matter how tasty, crispy and crunchy they are, freeze-dried durian can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity in your pet dog.
Can Dogs Eat Durian Ice Cream?
Durian ice cream does not contain durian seeds so it is fairly safe to feed your dog durian ice cream but in very small quantities.
What you also need to keep in mind is whether your dog is lactose-intolerant or not. Since ice cream is a dairy product, giving it to your lactose-intolerant can be dangerous.
Even if your dog is not lactose-intolerant, you should still hold back on the amount of durian ice cream because it will have sugar which is not very good for your dog.
Can Dogs Eat Durian Candy?
Durian candy can be harmful to your dog because it contains a lot of sugar and it might even have artificial sweeteners like xylitol.
Xylitol is very toxic for dogs and should never be given to them. Also, too much sugar can lead to your dog developing diabetes or getting obese.
So it is better to keep durian candies away from your dog. Try not letting them even taste it because then they might like the durian candies and want more.
What Happens If Your Dog Eats Too Much Durian?
Too much of anything can be dangerous and that includes durian as well. If you have fed your dog too much durian, you might notice whispering, panting, or weakness.
If you have fed your dog too much durian over a long period of time, your dog will gain excessive weight and become a prey of obesity because of the large sugar and fat content in durian. It can even lead to diabetes in your dog.
Conclusion: Can Dogs Eat Durian?
I hope you now have the answer to Can Dogs Eat Durian or not. Durian has nutritional value that makes it good for dogs but it also has cons like too much fat and sugar in it.
So always make sure that you only give a moderate amount of farm fresh durian to your dog and that too, just as a treat. Be on the lookout for any weird symptoms that your dog might show if he is allergic to it.
Before making any alterations in your dog’s diet, consult your vet first. Especially if it is the case of something unusual like a durian! For healthy yummy treats, you can try Fruitables All Natural Crunchy Dog Treats– packed with nutritional goodness your beloved pet will enjoy!
