Yes! It is safe for German Shepherds to eat oranges. Other fruits in the citrus family like tangerines, clementines, and mandarins are also safe to eat for dogs. Oranges are rich in vitamin C and have a sweet taste, so German Shepherds really enjoy eating them. Other than this, your German Shepherd would enjoy orange as a snack because of its abundant juice content.
It is safe for German Shepherds to consume the fleshy part of oranges, excluding the peel and the seeds, as they might be a little dangerous for your puppy. Oranges should not be a possible threat to your German Shepherd’s life if they do not have any prior allergies or conditions such as diabetes. Oranges are mostly beneficial for dogs.
Benefits of eating oranges to German Shepherds
Oranges have a high juice content; useful for hydration.
We already know that oranges, unlike bananas and apples, are rich in their water content, making them a perfect fruit for German Shepherds. As dogs are very playful animals, they require greater amounts of hydration to be active and healthy all day long. Hence, giving them a snack that works as a hydrating element and a treat is beneficial.
This is also important because dogs lose a lot of water because of their physical activities, with could lead to water retention. The juice content in oranges helps reduce water retention.
Oranges contain vitamin C
Oranges carry high levels of vitamin C, which can help boost your German Shepherd’s immune system and help keep many diseases at bay. Even though German Shepherds can produce their vitamin C to sustain them, they may need additional vitamin C content if they are very active.
The liver cannot synthesize vitamin C on its own if your dog is involved in a lot of physical activity or is stressed a lot. Even if this is not the case, oranges will not hurt your dog, as any extra vitamin C will exit your dog’s body due to its water-soluble properties.
Oranges can also help clear out any harmful things your dog might’ve consumed, like a few types of nuts.
You can also give oranges to your dog as a treat with fewer calories if your dog is on the verge of being overweight. Oranges are generally a win-win type of fruit for German Shepherds.
Oranges have fiber
Fiber is a very useful ingredient for people who have digestion problems. For dogs, similarly, the fiber content in oranges can be helpful for indigestion. Dogs are very keen to try everything available in your house, and often these things upset their stomach, the fiber content in oranges will help them digest these foods.
Oranges have high levels of potassium
Potassium is one of those minerals, which are very important minerals for your German Shepherd’s body. It regulates blood flow and, consequently, the heart rate. It also helps keep blood pressure levels low and reduce water retention. This will be helpful for your dogs to fight against strokes and renal diseases.
What are the potential risks of feeding oranges to your German Shepherd?
Like any other fruit, oranges also come with their fair share of disadvantages to your German Shepherd. There are certain protocols that need to be followed if you decide to feed an orange to your pup. We will be explaining certain health hazards and risks of consuming oranges for German Shepherds below.
- Blood values can be affected: Oranges can affect your German Shepherd’s blood sugar levels, especially if your dog is diabetic. As oranges are high in their sugar content and have a sweet taste, your German Shepherd will love eating them. But if your dog is diabetic, make sure to monitor the number of oranges it is consuming.
- May upset the dog’s digestion system: Oranges have a generous amount of sugar in them, which could lead to digestion problems for your German Shepherd as German Shepherds cannot digest huge amounts of sugar. So make sure to see how your dog’s stomach reacts to oranges before giving them more oranges.
- Orange peel gets stuck in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract: Most German Shepherds are known to eat anything that they are given. If you keep a whole orange in front of them, they will probably eat it in minutes. But, orange peel is not safe for your dogs as it gets stuck in the digestion system and will require surgery to take it out.
- Seeds can be a choking hazard: If your German Shepherd is a little puppy, orange seeds or orange peel can become a choking hazard for it. There are several non-seed oranges in the season, and you should feed your puppies these. But if these are not available, make sure to remove the seeds.
- The acidic property of oranges leads to an upset stomach: Oranges are acidic fruits, and a generous amount of oranges may cause your German Shepherd to get diarrhea or vomiting. Monitor whether your dog has any allergic reactions to oranges before feeding them.
What types of oranges are safe for German Shepherds?
Now you might be wondering about the different types of oranges available and which types are safe for your German Shepherd. The citrus fruit family has a huge variety; all members of it have different acidity levels, making them suitable for different uses. Similarly, you determine what type of orange is safe for your German Shepherd; you need to understand how acidic it is.
Lemons may not be safe for your German Shepherd as they have high acidity levels, which could create digestion problems for your puppy. Lemons are also highly concentrated, so they are not the best choice if you are looking for citrus fruit to feed to your German Shepherd as a treat.
Oranges like mandarins, tangerines, and clementines are safe for your German Shepherd because of their slightly lower acid content. They also help your dog with digestion issues due to their high water content, and your German Shepherd will love all three of these types because they are juicy and sweet.
How to feed oranges to your German Shepherd?
Now that you know about the types of safe oranges that exist for German Shepherds and the potential risks that could come with their consumption, you need also to know how you should feed them to your four-legged friend.
There are several health hazards attached to orange consumption, so we will explain how to safely feed oranges to your German Shepherd in the points below.
- The first and foremost thing that you must do is remove the peel. Peels are serious choking and health hazards for your German Shepherds, so make sure that your German Shepherd does not consume orange peel. Then safely serve your pup with orange slices so they can devour the oranges.
- Remove the seeds from oranges before giving them to your German Shepherd. Many oranges are naturally seedless or have been made seedless through manufacturing procedures. You can either buy those or spend a few extra minutes deseeding the orange. This is important because seeds may be choking hazards for little German Shepherds and may cause digestion issues for big German Shepherds.
- Try removing the skins and only give the juicy part to your dog. Even though the skins are not harmful, it will be easier for your German Shepherd to digest oranges if it only consumes the juicy part.
- Limit the number of oranges consumed by your German Shepherd. Even though oranges are beneficial in many ways, and the vitamin C content helps dogs, you still need to monitor the amount your dog is consuming so that you don’t overfeed it with oranges. This is important because oranges have a high sugar content which may not be as good for your pet.
- Ensure that oranges are only 10 percent of your German Shepherd’s daily calories so that no adverse effects occur.
Can German Shepherds with special conditions, such as pregnancy, eat oranges?
Yes, oranges are safe to eat for pregnant German Shepherds or if they have any other special conditions. In fact, due to their nutritional value, oranges can even be beneficial for German Shepherds in such challenging conditions. These nutrients may also help them stay healthy and strong.
Can German Shepherds drink orange juice?
Yes, German Shepherds can drink orange juice. Orange juice essentially contains only the juicy part of the orange, excluding its peel and seeds, so it is 100 percent safe for you German Shepherds to drink orange juice.
However, this is only true for fresh orange juice as it has no additives. Store-bought preserved orange juice has artificial flavoring and extra sugar added to it, which are harmful to your German Shepherd. You should avoid feeding your German Shepherd with store-bought orange juice.
Can German Shepherds eat oranges when they are sick?
In sickness, your German Shepherd needs to have a healthy and nourishing diet that helps them to fight against the disease. In this case, oranges become a very suitable fruit for German Shepherds to eat as they are hydrating and nourishing for your dog. So it is completely safe for your German Shepherd to eat oranges in sickness.
We will be explaining the specific benefits that oranges bring to sick German Shepherds in the points below.
- Prevents kidney stone disease: The food that German Shepherds consume and the water they drink may get contaminated by tiny stone particles which could accumulate in their kidneys. This leads to the problem of kidney stones. Oranges can help remove these stones by increasing the hydration in your dog’s body.
- Improves heart health: As they grow old, German Shepherds face many issues that deteriorate their heart health. Oranges can help stabilize your dog’s blood pressure and have its heart health under control.
- Helps to prevent anemia: Oranges are rich in citric and ascorbic acids, which help increase iron absorption. This could help prevent anemia in your German Shepherd.
- Help maintain blood pressure: The potassium content in oranges helps stabilize your German Shepherd’s blood pressure levels. If your dog has irregular blood pressure levels, you should try giving it a little orange to maintain blood pressure levels.
- Helps protect the skin: If your dog is suffering from skin damage, orange might help revive those skin cells. The vitamin C content in oranges helps protect the German Shepherd’s skin.
What to do if your German Shepherd has eaten orange peel or seeds?
It is not a big issue if your dog has consumed orange peel or orange seeds in your absence. However, the severity of the risk depends on how big or small your German Shepherd is.
If your dog is a puppy, then orange seeds could be a serious choking hazard for it, and you should immediately try and induce vomiting to take those out. If your dog is big, orange seeds may not be a big issue. And you need not worry about it.
If, however, your German Shepherd (of any size) has consumed orange peel, you need to try and treat that immediately. Orange peel gets stuck in the digestive system and will require surgery to take out as it does not get digested. So if you know that your dog consumed it just a few minutes ago, try and induce vomiting to omit the peel from its body.
Lastly, if it has been very long since your dog consumed orange peel or seeds, then you must consult your German Shepherd’s veterinarian before employing any home remedy.
Final Thoughts
Oranges are a good source of nutrients for your German Shepherds, whether you are looking to feed it to them as a treat or adding it to their regular diet. This yummy fruit can also have its share of disadvantages, so be careful before feeding it to your furry friend.
Before giving them oranges, make sure you follow the protocols of safely feeding oranges to your German Shepherds. Oranges are a treat for humans and German Shepherds alike, so do not deprive your cute dog of this fruit and feed it to them, in moderation, though.
