Almost all of us have lemons in our everyday meals. It can be a morning juice or savoury food. As we all want to add flavours to our dogs’ meals too, we may wonder, Can dogs have lemon?
Unfortunately, dogs can’t enjoy the flavour of lemon in their food. Lemons have citric acid and many other components that can pose a threat to their health. However, you can let your dog lick a bit of lemon flesh, as it is less harmful.
Knowing that lemon is not safe for dogs is not enough. We must dig deeper into this concept to know the reason. So stay tuned.
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Can Dogs Have Lemon?
Although dogs want to enjoy the bitter, sour taste of lemon, they can’t have it. Lemons have some ingredients that can be toxic to dogs. Also, it is a citrus fruit, and we know how harmful citrus fruits are for dogs and other mammals.
Along with the citric acid, the sugar content in lemon is also not good for dogs. That’s why vets restrict our canine friends from eating lemon, even though they want to lick it.
Why Can’t Dogs Have Lemon?
Dogs can’t have lemons because of their toxic components. Firstly, it is the citric acid that can pose a health threat to pets. This component can upset your dog’s stomach and even disrupt the nervous system. He may feel drowsiness, less consciousness, etc.
Another toxic component of lemon is limonene. It is a terpene found in all citrus fruits. Limonene has insecticidal properties that can damage the livers of pets.
Like limonene, there is another terpene in lemon called linalool. This is also responsible for liver damage in dogs. It has psoralen too, which can again cause photosensitivity in them.
With so many toxic ingredients, lemon is always an unsafe fruit for dogs and other pets.
Risks Of Having Lemons For Dogs
Having a lemon can pose many health risks to your dog. It doesn’t matter how much you feed it to him; even a drop of it can have side effects. Such as:
Constipation
Eating lemon or the flesh of a lemon can lead to intestinal blockage that leads to constipation. If it remains for a long time, you must consult with your vet about it.
GI Tract Issues
Consuming lemon juice can disrupt your dog’s gastrointestinal system. This can cause him to vomit and have stomach pain and watery diarrhoea.
Skin Irritation
Many dogs are allergic to lemons as they are high in citric acid. If your dog also has sensitive skin, he may face rashes and skin irritation after having lemon or coming in contact with it.
Tremors
The sugar content in lemon can cause issues with your dog’s neurological balance. Besides, he can go through tremors, seizures, and a loss of appetite after consuming lemon.
Nausea
Since lemon has an awkward and sour taste, dogs will feel pathetic after eating it. This will not only upset his stomach but also make him remember the taste for a long time. As a result, he may feel depressed and nauseous.
What To Do If Dogs Have Lemons?
After having lemon, dogs mostly vomit, have diarrhoea, and get upset stomachs. Let them do it if the condition is not getting worse. Discharging everything can relieve him to some extent. But if your dog vomits and poops constantly, it means he needs treatment. So do call your vet without wasting any time and ask him if any medications are required or not.
Can Dogs Have Lemon Juice And Oil?
You may think diluting a few drops of lemon juice in water or oil is safe for dogs. Well, no, even lemon juice and lemon oil are unsafe for dogs. They have all those toxic components found in lemons. Hence, your dog can’t escape its side effects even if he ingests lemon juice or oil.
Can Dogs Have Other Citrus Fruits?
One of the main reasons why lemons are toxic to dogs is because they are citrus fruits. If you feed your dog another citrus food, the effects would be as adverse as feeding lemon to him.
Like lemons, other citrus fruits, like grapes, tomatoes, oranges, etc., are going to be harmful to dogs. Hence, you can’t opt for any citrus fruit for your canine friend. However, you can go with some of its alternatives that can be safe for your dog. Such as apples, bananas, mangoes, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions: Can Dogs Have Lemon?
Can dogs lick lemon?
Dogs shall not lick lemons, as they can consume the citric acid from them. However, licking the lemon’s flesh won’t have any major side effects, as it is not as harmful as lemon juice.
What happens if a dog eats a lemon?
When a dog eats lemon, he will first feel pain in the stomach. Then he may vomit and have watery diarrhoea. In short, your dog will have an upset stomach after consuming lemon.
How much lemon flesh is safe for dogs?
Lemon flesh is somewhat safer than lemon juice. You may let your dog take one bite of lemon without expecting any side effects.
Can dogs have lemon chicken?
Dogs should avoid eating lemon chicken, as it contains citric acid. Besides, dogs can eat chicken with any flavour. Hence, they can’t eat lemon chicken either.
Final Verdict
Since lemon adds flavour to foods, you may think of adding a few drops of it to your dog’s meal. But can dogs have lemon? Well, no. You should never allow your canine friend to eat lemon juice, oil, or any food that has lemon. Its citric acid can upset his stomach and make the condition worse.
Don’t worry; there are other tasty fruits that you can add to your dog’s diet. For instance, you can add watermelon, mangoes, guava, etc. to give him a bit of a sour taste.
