Can Dogs Eat Lemon? Here's What You Need To Know About This Citrus Fruit

We have all seen how dogs make a funny face when they lick a slice of lemon.

While these funny faces can be refreshing, it is also important to understand what happens when a dog eats a lemon and how lemons are bad for dogs. Dogs and humans are entirely different, and while human beings can acquire many vitamins and minerals from citrus fruits, the same does not apply to dogs.

Eating lemons can cause an upset stomach, vomiting, and discomfort for your fur buddy. Some elements in citrus fruits do not go down well with dogs. Other citrus fruits such as grapefruits and limes will do more harm to your dogs than good. Hence, eating lemons is not the greatest thing for your pet.

In addition to having citric acid, lemon juice also contains essential oils and psoralens, which are not suitable for your pup either. At the same time, there is no part of a lemon that can be beneficial for your dog, and it would thus be best to steer clear of such tangy fruits. Keep reading to learn more about dogs and whether they should be having the same fruits and vegetables as their human companions.

Please continue reading to learn more about the effect of lemons and other citrus fruits on the health and wellbeing of your furry pooch.

Can your dog eat lemons?

Dogs have a knack for chewing on anything, especially your favorite pair of shoes or the expensive furniture you just bought. Many of these things aren't supposed to make their way into your pet's mouth. While some things are nearly harmless, others can be fatal or cause much internal damage. Lemons are one such thing that your dear pet should be away from. Lemons are toxic to dogs, and although the effects are not huge, they are enough to cause you and your little pup some stress and pain.

While lemons are healthy for humans and bring some crucial nutritional benefits, they are not that great for dogs. When dogs eat lemons, they not only make some very funny faces but also run the risk of developing explosive levels of vomiting and diarrhea. This is something that no pet parent ever wishes to witness.

Understandably, dogs do not have the same digestive systems as humans, so some nutrients should not be present in their diet. Even though human bodies need citric acid and other such nutrients and can also handle them in large quantities, this is not the case with dogs. When enough citric acid enters a dog's digestive tract, it is almost certain that you will have to search for a veterinarian doctor. This is because a dog's stomach reacts badly to citric acid and causes vomiting, diarrhea, and other discomforts. In some unfortunate cases, intake of large amounts of lemon juice or lemon rind can become fatal for your beloved pet.

Hence, the simple answer is that eating lemons is not suitable for dogs at all. This citrus fruit is best kept away from dogs even though there are some nutrients in it that your dog can benefit from. The recommended way to go around this would be to give your pooch its fill of vitamin C and other such vital nutrients through dog food, which is tested in laboratories and crafted specifically for the needs of your furry friend.

Nutritional Components Of Lemon That Are Good For Dogs

There is a very pronounced difference in the way each animal digests fruits and vegetables. Unlike humans, who can gather a lot of nutritional benefits from citrus fruits, dogs can develop serious health issues because of the intake of any such food items. Lemons are considered dangerous and toxic for dogs since they do not have the same digestive system as humans. When lemon juice or lemon rind is given to dogs in large quantities, the effects can be far-fetched and even fatal. No parts of lemon, peel, skin, flesh, juice, or seeds are suitable for dogs.

Even though vitamin C is essential for dogs, lemons in the form of lemonade or lemon juice should not be treated as a source of vitamin for a pup or a fully grown dog. This is because lemons also come with a set of other nutrients such as essential oils and psoralen, which are very harmful to a dog's digestive system.

Vitamin C intake for your pup can be ensured through other certified dog products, which are made in a way that would help your pup get the nutrition without running the risk of having an upset stomach or any dangerous skin rashes. When consumed in large quantities, lemonade or lemon juice can cause serious health complications, which would inevitably lead to expensive visits to the veterinarian.

One of the saving graces is that your dog's taste buds will most possibly hate lemons or lemonade. Hence, it is very improbable that your dogs will so much as even lick a lemon. However, it is best to keep lemons and other citrus fruits away from dogs.

Lemons are bad for dogs and should not be used as a way of extracting comic expressions from your pup. There are many products in the market which are better suited to dogs than other human foods. While lemons are not nearly as dangerous for dogs as the oils and sugar that we consume on a daily basis, they are not particularly healthy either.

Harmful Acids Which Can Harm Your Pup

Dogs do not react well to being exposed to most types of acids. This is because a healthy dog's digestive system is not equipped with the proper enzymes to break down or utilize such acids. The ingestion of most acids leads to an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes. Some dogs even seem disoriented and droopy. Human food should not be a part of your dog's diet in any way since most sugar, oils, and salts are toxic and harmful to your pup.

One of the most toxic acids that dogs should not feed on is citric acid. This acid is found in citrus fruits such as grapefruits, oranges, limes, and lemons. The peel of such foods has essential oils that can cause serious health complications. At the same time, the seeds of such fruits are indigestible for dogs, which is why they cause intestinal discomfort. It can also lead to other severe complications, which can only be fixed by a veterinary doctor.

The sour taste of such foods is not something that dogs like either. Most dogs get repulsed by the smell of citrus foods. However, some particularly mischievous dogs may lick a lemon or drink some orange juice before deciding that the sour taste is doing them no good. Since dogs are much smaller in size than humans, even a small portion of such food items can cause adverse effects on ingestion. This is why most veterinary doctors advise against keeping citrus food items within your dog's reach.

Another acid that your dog should not eat is acetic acid. This acid is found in fruits such as oranges, grapes, and apples. The effect is similar to when dogs eat lemons, which includes a sensitive stomach and skin rashes. Acetic acid is also found in vinegar. Thankfully, most dogs tend to steer clear of vinegar since this food item is also sour to taste.

Dogs should also be kept away from other acids such as phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. Some human products do contain such acids, and since dogs hardly know how to differentiate between things that are safe to chew and things that are not, it is best to keep such products away from them.

Effects Of Lemon On Your Dog

If you feed your dog lemons in any form, the result will be an upset stomach. This may or may not be combined with diarrhea and vomiting. Additionally, skin rashes and dermatitis may appear in your dog, which is also very hard to treat. When dogs eat lemons, their body reacts badly with citric acid, psoralens, and essential oils. This causes a range of discomforts. The vitamin C content in lemons is hardly worth enough to give your pooch lemons as a treat.

How many lemons can be eaten by a dog?

Ideally, dogs shouldn't be eating lemons at all. Whether in the form of lemon juice, lemonade, or simply the flesh of this fruit, it is best to keep these fruits away from your pets altogether.

However, when consumed in very small amounts, this fruit may not be as harmful to your pet. At the same time, this should not be used as an excuse to give your dog some lemon juice since all dogs react to lemons in different ways and at different intensities.

What if your dog is a lemon lover?

It is not very often that dogs eat lemons. These animals are adapted so that they despise the taste of lemons. However, if your pet is a rebel and eats lemons, it would be best to keep all the lemons safely tucked away in the refrigerator to avoid expensive visits to the doctor.

Variety Of Food Involving Lemons

Humans eat lemons in a variety of ways. We have desserts and savory food that sometimes use lemons as a hero ingredient. However, most dog food lacks lemon.

Can I feed lemon meringue pie to my pup?

When dogs eat lemons, they are faced with a range of health issues, most of which are related to the stomach. If you want to feed your pup some lemon meringue pie or some other favorite desserts of yours that have lemons in them, it is best to be reminded that this fruit is bad for dogs. Additionally, these desserts have a lot of sugar, which can be very harmful to your furry friend since dogs cannot eat the same amount of sugar as humans.

Dogs should be kept away from human desserts at all times. Your pup might be attracted to the sweet taste and decide to sneak a few bites of a cake or some chocolates, but such foods can be dangerous and even fatal for your pup.