If you have a dog in your life, then there are many things that you might think to feed them. Numerous products will come along that you might think you want to let them try because they seem intrigued by the scent or smell. Many fruits are something your dog might like the smell of, including lemons. With that in mind, you might wonder whether or not can dogs eat lemon. Well, can they?
Lemon is not typically something that we associate with dogs. The smell and the taste can bring them in, but dogs do not often enjoy citrus-like fruits. However, a dog that takes to the taste of lemon could therefore start eating them. But should they? The jury is out on that one.
Lemons are a powerful and enjoyable citric fruit, but there are reasons why your dog should not e eating the staff. Dogs tend to eat a lot of food that they should probably be avoiding, and lemons are definitely going to be on that list for some dogs.
Luckily, some dogs will take a single lick and recoil from the taste and thus move on, never to try it again.
Can Dogs Eat Lemon?
So, the main thing to note is that your dog can eat the flesh of a lemon. However, their bodies are not built to take in anything other than the minor and/or minuscule qualities of lemon. The fruit can start to cause serious digestive issues for dogs, so it is always wise to avoid giving your dog any lemon if you can help it. Thankfully, as noted above, most dogs will take a single lick of lemon and move on from it entirely.
There is not really any benefit to your dog eating a lemon. Any benefits from a lemon can be found in foods that are not dangerous to your dog. At the same time, though, lemons have a high presence of citric acid in them and this can be dangerous for your dog in the first place. The reaction that your dog will have to lemons depends on how much they eat of the fruit, but citric acid in any quantity is not wise for a dog.
Your dog does not need citric acid in their system, and they do not really need the natural sugars stored within either. Given that lemons are a bitter fruit, most dogs will not have any kind of enjoyment from eating a lemon. So, you should not have to worry about your dog trying out lemons without you noticing.
You should, though, avoid letting your dog try the lemon. They will get nothing from the fruit. The presence of citric acid can also be quite worrying, too. With that in mind, you should definitely look to avoid your dog trying them. Dogs are not going to enjoy the taste, the presence of citric acid, or the sugars.
Even avoid giving them lemonade or lemon juice; the same as the above applies, yet with even more sugars added.
So, can dogs eat lemon? They can eat tiny quantities of lemon flesh, but they get nothing from it really. Best to be avoided if you want to avoid any potential headaches or risks with your dog.