Can Dogs Eat Persimmons? Why This Could Be Fido’s New Treat?

Quick Summary

• Dogs can safely consume persimmons as a rare treat. The skin of the persimmon fruit has beta-carotene which is healthy for dogs so there’s no need to remove it. However, persimmons are high in sugar, so a few slices per day is enough for dogs.
• Avoid giving your dog the seeds and pits of persimmons as these can cause digestive issues like intestinal blockage.
• To feed your dog persimmons, carefully take out the seeds, chop them into smaller pieces or blend in a food processor, and then monitor their reaction especially if it’s their first time eating it.

Yes, dogs can eat persimmons, provided that they’re given the correct portions. Only the pits of the fruit are immediately dangerous to a dog’s health.

I’m sure dogs will appreciate this sweet treat a lot, especially if your pet has some particularly strong sweet cravings. When I have persimmon myself, I give my dogs a slice or two and they enjoy it a lot.

But as with most high sugar and high fiber fruit, such as nectarines, eating too many persimmons does not a healthy dog make. Let’s take a look at the risks, benefits, and best ways to go about feeding persimmons to your dog.

How Dogs Can Benefit From Eating Persimmons

They’re excellent laxatives

The high amount of dietary fiber in persimmons makes them natural laxatives. When constipated dogs eat persimmon fruit, their pooping problems can easily go back to normal. If you are wondering how to help a dog lose weight, give them persimmons moderately as sweet treats instead of unhealthy ones..

They contain a good assortment of essential nutrients

What are the health benefits of persimmons for my dog? Persimmons are chock full of vitamins and minerals that are essential for keeping your dog in good health. Chief among these is Vitamin A.

A single persimmon contain 33 percent of the daily vitamin A requirement of an average adult dog. Vitamin B6, E, K, manganese, copper, and potassium are also present in decent amounts.

In addition, persimmons also contain plenty of lycopene, which protects cells from damage. You may know of it as the component of tomatoes that makes them great for promoting healthy skin. What you may not know is that it is also believed that it could stave off cancer as well.

They are rich in diuretics

Diuretics are substances that offer a number of health benefits [1]. But their most notable contribution is their ability to help the body purge sodium from the bloodstream.

Diuretics help the kidneys process more sodium, thus allowing more of it to leave the body through urine. Subsequently, this also reduces the amount of fluid in the body, hence helping to alleviate high blood pressure.

Persimmon skin is full of beta-carotene

Beta-carotene is the substance that gives carrots their orange coloration, and it is present in significant amounts in persimmon skin.

This carotenoid antioxidant rejuvenates the internal organs, thus decreasing the likelihood of lung cancer, colon cancer, and heart disease.

It also helps prevent metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes in dogs.

Persimmons are very energy-dense fruits

Persimmons contain plenty of calories in such a small package.

This, coupled with its high fiber content, makes it a great snack to let your dog munch on if you aren’t going to have access to their regular dog food for a while, such as on camping trips or between trips to the grocery store.

Disadvantages of Letting Dogs Eat Persimmons

Persimmon seeds can cause digestive tract blockage

We humans know to take out or spit out the pits when we eat persimmons, but dogs have no such knowledge. Persimmon seeds aren’t toxic at all, but if dogs ingest them, they are likely to experience intestinal blockage and other digestive issues.

Upset stomach

The fiber and sugar content in persimmons can create a perfect storm of stomach upset if it is consumed in large amounts. Too much fiber can lead to gas, stomach bloat, and stomach cramps, and eventually diarrhea before looping back into constipation again.

Sugar will also aggravate the stomach irritation your dog experiences if you feed your dog persimmons in large amounts.

Sugar overload

A single persimmon contains 13 grams of sugar. While the fructose that you can find in fruits like persimmons is technically “good” sugar, too much of it can still negatively impact their health.

Feeding your dog persimmons too often can cause adverse effects to the parts of the digestive system that process fructose, particularly the liver and the pancreas. This increases the likelihood of fatty liver disease, diabetes, and pancreatitis. In addition, it can also lead to dental and oral problems such as tonsillitis in dogs.

Best Practices in Preparing Persimmons for Dogs

While dogs can eat persimmons, there is some due diligence required of the dog’s owner if they decide to feed their dogs persimmons.

Carefully prep the fruit

The most important thing here is to make sure that there are no seeds in the flesh before serving it to your dog. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to perform thanks to the fact that the seeds are situated in the center of the fruit, much like honeydew. Still, some seeds may stray from this central location, so it helps to be extra vigilant.

A dog’s small intestine has a much smaller diameter than that of humans’, especially in small dogs. Hence it’s absolutely imperative that you ensure that there are no pits or other hardened bits in the flesh of the persimmon before serving.

The best way to make sure they digest the fruit properly is by putting it in a food processor and turning it on the lowest setting. This will make it easier to pick out any hard bits or stray seeds you may have missed while still retaining some of the fruit’s texture. This will also make it easier to portion.

Other dog owners give pups cooked persimmons and that is a good idea too, provided you don’t add spices or flavorings. Can dogs eat dried persimmons? Yes, but you need to watch how much they eat as most dried fruits have even higher sugar.

Portion correctly

While there is no general recommended daily value of carbohydrate consumption for dogs, most veterinarians advise that you should limit their carb consumption to around 50 percent of their daily diet.

With this in mind, pay attention to how many carbs they eat per day, using the nutrition facts of their dog food. Use this as a reference point for how many persimmons they can eat daily.

Monitor their reaction

In order to find out whether you’ve followed these practices correctly, you have to monitor your dogs for any adverse reactions.

Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of intestinal blockage [2] and sugar overload to find out whether you’ve accidentally fed your dog some persimmon seeds or if your portions have been too large.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can dogs eat persimmons?

Absolutely. Neither persimmon fruits, persimmon seeds, their skin or their leaves are toxic to dogs.

Do persimmons have health benefits for dogs?

Persimmons have plenty of health benefits for dogs.

Can dogs eat persimmon skin?

Yes. In fact, the skin has beta-carotene, which offers lots of positive effects to a dog’s health. There’s no need to remove the skin before letting dogs eat persimmons.