Dogs love to explore human food but which human foods? This often leads to the question, can dogs eat cucumbers?
Not all human food is safe for your dog.
Some are toxic and can cause gastrointestinal issues. It is safe for dogs to eat cucumbers in moderation as part of a varied and healthy diet. Your dog will likely enjoy the variety and texture of eating cucumber and many other health benefits.
What are the benefits of cucumber for dogs?
Cucumbers have many known health benefits for dogs, but every dog has a different history, dietary needs, and health conditions. It is wise to check with your vet before you change your dog’s diet.
The health benefits of cucumbers include:
- Hydration – Cucumbers have an almost 96% water content. This makes them a perfect treat for your dog and could help regulate its temperature on a hot day.
- Vitamins and minerals – Cucumbers contain many of the vitamins and minerals dogs need, including vitamins A, B, E, and K, as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
- Low calories – A medium-sized cucumber has an average of 30 calories and is low in sugar. If you have an overweight dog, you might want to consider replacing some of their higher-calorie treats with cucumber, other dog-safe fruits, and vegetables. Cucumbers can support your dog’s weight loss when combined with a diet and exercise routine. If you have a dog with diabetes, cucumbers could be a brilliant alternative dog treat.
- Texture – Dogs need mental stimulation, and the texture of different foods can contribute to this. Cucumber is both crunchy and juicy, with a mild taste.
- Fibre – Cucumber skin contains soluble fibre, which is great for your dog’s digestion. Fibre absorbs water as it is being digested. This promotes good gut bacteria, keeps things moving, and is good for your dog’s colon health.
- Antioxidants – Dogs are exposed to environmental toxins, so it is important to have a diet rich in antioxidants. Cucumbers contain antioxidants like Beta Carotene and Vitamin E. These help prevent health issues such as skin allergies and respiratory conditions. Phytonutrients and phytochemicals have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. When these are ingested by your dog, they destroy the bad bacteria found in their mouths.
How much cucumber should my dog eat?
Your dog’s day-to-day food should have been carefully formulated to meet all of your dog’s nutritional needs. This is why vets recommend that treats should only make up 10% of your dog’s overall diet.
Cucumber contains a lot of water and fibre. For this reason, you should feed it sparingly to avoid any diarrhoea, which can cause dehydration due to too much fibre.
Overweight dogs and cucumbers
If your dog is overweight? Cucumbers and other canine-safe fruits and vegetables could be a great low-calorie treat. Half a cup of sliced cucumber contains 8 calories, whereas one cheese cube contains 25 calories, and one tablespoon of peanut butter contains 96 calories.
When looking at the weight benefits along with the other health advantages, the overall benefits start to add up.
Diabetic dogs and cucumbers
Cucumbers have very low amounts of sugar and do not contain starch (which dogs turn into sugar). With your vet’s approval, this could make them an ideal treat for a diabetic dog.
Can puppies eat cucumbers?
Puppies can eat cucumbers. They will likely enjoy the different textures, but you should take some precautions.
Remember, a puppy’s stomach will be immature. This means they could be more sensitive to new foods and any changes to their diet.
Any changes to their food should be done gradually.
If you are feeding cucumbers to your dog, make sure to chop them up into smaller bite-size pieces to avoid choking.
If your puppy is teething, you could freeze them or put them in the fridge to help soothe your dog’s gums.
Can dogs eat pickled cucumber?
Dogs should not eat pickled cucumbers.
The process of pickling cucumbers involves brining them in water, vinegar, and salt, leaving them with a high sodium content.
Pickled cucumbers often contain onion and garlic, which are toxic for dogs. It is best to feed only plain cucumbers and avoid any seasoning or marinates.
Can dogs eat cucumber skins and seeds?
Cucumber skins and seeds are safe, non-toxic food for dogs, but they are the least digestible parts of a cucumber.
Some dogs may have more sensitive stomachs and in those cases, it may be better to remove the skins and seeds to avoid digestive upset.
How to prepare cucumber for dogs?
Make sure you clean the cucumber to remove any pesticides that may be on the skin. These could be harmful if consumed.
Some people prefer to buy organic cucumbers due to the promise of fewer synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers.
Do not add any seasoning, marinate, or additional flavours to the cucumber.
You do not need to peel the cucumber unless your dog has a sensitive stomach or any digestive issues; the same applies to removing the seeds.
You could either cut the cucumber into bite-sized pieces or cucumber slices. Different dog breeds will need different-sized slices. They should be very different for a Gold Retriever compared to a Poodle.
Remember to start with a small amount first to make sure your dog happily tolerates the cucumber.
Here are some ideas of ways you could serve cucumbers for your dog to make things more interesting:
- Blend the cucumber up with other dog-safe fruits and vegetables. You could freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray or inside one of their favourite chew toys.
- Freeze or refrigerate the chunks or slices of cucumber.
- Cut out the cucumber seeds and add a small spoonful of cream cheese or peanut butter to the middle of a cucumber slice for an extra tasty treat.
- You could make your dog cucumber water. To do this you simply soak cucumber slices in water.
- Top your dog’s regular food with bitesize cucumber chunks.
- Another popular way to eat cucumbers is to turn them into dehydrated slices.
Are there any risks to dogs eating cucumber?
There are two main risks to consider when feeding cucumber to your dog:
Choking – Cut the cucumber to size, especially for small dogs or fast eaters. Never give your dog a whole cucumber.
Overeating – Feeding too much of any food, especially a new food, can cause gastrointestinal upset (GI). Introduce cucumber slowly and monitor for any signs of intolerance or allergies, such as vomiting and diarrhoea.
What other fruits can dogs eat?
Other safe fruits and vegetables for your dog include blueberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, mangos, oranges, peaches, pears, watermelons, raspberries and pineapples.
Conclusion
Cucumbers are a healthy treat for your dog if given in moderation, introduced gradually, and prepared safely. However, you should always check with your vet before making any changes to your dog’s diet.
