Can Pitbulls Eat Bananas? [Feeding Guide]

Dog feeds can be expensive at times, or you may even run out of dog food. In such circumstances, having some standby source of nutrition for your dog can save you the worry. Fruits can serve as a good source of nutrients for your dog or even a good form of a treat. But some fruits can be harmful to your dog, let’s learn about bananas.

Can Pitbulls eat bananas? Pitbulls can eat bananas. Feeding your pitbull bananas can provide them with potassium, magnesium, vitamins, biotin, fiber, and copper. Bananas are low-cholesterol, calorie, and sodium treat. However, bananas should be fed moderately as they have high sugar content and may cause health issues if overfed.

Always remember to follow the dog treat and snack rule, which states that treats and snacks should only contribute to the dog’s 10% calorie intake per day.

As usual, always consult your Vet before introducing bananas in Pitbull’s diet especially if they have underlying medical conditions.

Bananas in Pitbull’s Diet

Bananas are loaded with so many nutrients such that in some circumstances vets recommend them as better alternatives to salty and fatty treats.

Nutritional Value of Bananas

The table below shows the nutrition that a Pitbull can get from 100 grams servings of ripe bananas. Source

Benefits of feeding Bananas to Pitbulls’

Minerals

Pitbulls get the following minerals from bananas that are helpful towards their growth and development.

Potassium

Potassium is very important towards Pitbull’s health both when young and old.

Potassium facilitates the following functions in the body of Pitbulls

• Acid-base balance
• The transmission of nerve impulses
• Transport functions
• Enzymatic reactions

Pitbulls that have a shortage of potassium in their bodies will experience the following symptoms

• Poor growth especially in puppies
• Paralysis of the rear legs and neck muscles
• The dog becomes generally weak if the deficiency is not corrected

Feeding your dog a balanced diet will ensure they maintain a healthy life. While bananas are a good source of potassium, you should not feed them daily so as to provide treat potassium deficiency, only feed bananas as a treat.

Consult your vet to know how much potassium your pitbull needs a day. But generally, most dogs will need about 1 gram of potassium a day, source.

Phosphorus

Like most dogs, all Pitbulls also need phosphorus in their body. Bananas will provide part of the phosphorus that your pitbull needs.

Generally, dogs need about 0.75 g of phosphorus every day. Source. Consult your vet to know how much phosphorus your Pitbull will need.

Phosphorus facilitates the following functions in all dogs

• Development of skeletal structure
• the structure of DNA and RNA
• Synthesis of energy
• Motion
• acid-base balance

Deficiencies in phosphorus will lead to

• Weight loss
• reduced interest in food
• puppies experience swelling in their forelimbs

Magnesium

Another mineral that Pitbulls will get from bananas is magnesium, a healthy Pitbull will need magnesium in its diet.

Generally, dogs need about 150 mg of magnesium in their diet a day source. Again consult your vet to know how much magnesium your Pitbull needs daily.

Magnesium facilitates the folowing functions

• Promotes enzymatic reactions
• Promotes the stability of nerve -cell membrane and muscles
• Promotes the function and secretion of hormones
• Promotes the mineral structure of teeth and bones

Magnesium deficiency leads to

• Weight loss
• puppies may suffer from convulsions and irritability
• hyperextension of carpal joints and hind-leg paralysis later in life

Calcium

Bananas are also a good source of calcium for Pitbulls, though they should be mixed with other pitbull foods to provide the daily requirements. Generally, dogs need about 1gram of calcium in their diet daily. Source

Calcium facilitates the following functions in Pitbulls

• Teeth and bones formation
• Coagulation of blood
• Transmission of nerve -impulses
• cell signaling and muscle contraction

Deficiency of calcium can lead to poor bone development and general weakness especially among young Pitbulls that are still developing their bones.

Other minerals needed in trace amounts but still important in the health of Pitbulls include.

Mineral	function	Deficiency
Zinc	Enzyme reactions; cell replication; protein and carbohydrate metabolism; skin	Poor weight gain; vomiting; skin lesions
Copper	Connective tissue formation; iron metabolism; blood cell formation; melanin pigment formation; myelin formation; defense against oxidative damage	Loss of hair pigmentation in puppies; anemia

Vitamins

Just like minerals all dogs needs various vitamins to maintain their health. Below is a list of vitamins that a Pitbull can get from bananas and the importance of each vitamin.

Vitamin A / Betacarotene

Vitamin A is very important in every dog’s diet, More so in reproductive dogs. Pitbulls are no exception, they will need vitamin A in their diet on a daily basis.

However, excess vitamin A can lead to health effects such as dehydration, joint pain, degeneration of the veins, and arteries.

The best way to feed vitamin A to dogs is to offer it in the form of its precursor form called beta carotene.

Pitbulls will convert enough of the vitamin A that their body needs and get rid of the rest. Generally, dogs need about 379 µg of vitamin A, each day. source. Consult, your vet on how much to feed your Pitbull.

Importance of vitamin A in Pitbulls include

• Promotes vision
• Strengthen Immune system
• Promote fetal development
• Transmembrane protein transfer

Deficiency of Vitamin A can lead to

• Weight loss
• Anorexia
• Corneal disorders
• skin lesions
• respiratory ailments

Vitamin E

This is another vitamin that Pitbulls can get from eating bananas. Generally, dogs need about 8 mg of vitamin E each day. source. Your vet will be in a better position to advise you on how much vitamin E your Pitbull needs.

The importance of Vitamin E in the Pitbull diet includes preventing damage from oxidative stress.

Deficiency of vitamin E will lead to retinal degeneration, failure of the reproductive system, and skeletal muscle degeneration.

B vitamins

B vitamins are a group of several other vitamins that are needed in trace amounts compared to the above-discussed vitamins. These vitamins are also very important in maintaining a healthy Pitbull.

The table below shows these B vitamins and the importance of each

B vitamins	Importance
Thiamine, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Choline, folate	Enzyme functions, Phospholipid cell membrane component, Glucose generation; Amino acid and nucleotide metabolism; mitochondrial protein synthesis, nervous system function; red blood cell function,

Vitamin K

Bananas also contain Vitamin K that is needed by all dogs to facilitate blood clotting factors, synthesis of bone proteins.

There have been no reported cases of dogs suffering from Vitamin K deficiency since it is readily available in most foods and it is also needed in very small amounts about 0.41 mg per day.

Fiber

Like all dogs Pitbulls too need fiber in their bodies, Fiber can play a very important role in your Pitbulls weight loss plan.

Feeding your Pitbull, fiber-rich food will make them feel full for extended time hence aid in weight loss as they will not be eating a lot.

Fiber is also very important in case your Pitbull is suffering from gastrointestinal problems.

However, excessive feeding of fiber may lead to problems with digesting other nutrients needed by your Pitbull and will lead to loose stool and frequent defecation.

As a rule of thumb, the fiber content of your dog should be about 2.5 and 4.5%. With exceptions as advised by your vet.

Can Pitbulls Eat banana Peels

Do not feed banana peels to your Pitbull, while banana peels are not toxic to your Pitbull, like all dogs Pitbulls cannot digest banana peels properly which can lead to digestion problems and even cause impaction or constipation in your dog.

How to feed bananas to Pitbulls

The first step is to ensure you get organically grown bananas.

• Mash half or a full banana into other foods of pitbull
• You can add a little xylitol free peanut butter
• Put the mixture in a Kong and freeze it (optional)

Alternatively, you can just cut the banana into small slices and offer them to your Pitbull in a bowl or even hand feeding.

Bananas can serve as great rewards to treat if you are training or playing with your Pitbull.

Risks of Feeding Banana to Pitbulls

Remember, bananas and other veggies or fruits should only serve as a treat or snack but not as a staple food for your Pitbull.

Most fruits have high sugar content and bananas are no exception. If you overfeed bananas to your Pitbull, they will suffer from obesity due to the high sugars, secondly, too many bananas will cause stomach upset, or even teeth problems if teeth are not brushed properly.

Consult your vet on how much bananas you should feed your Pitbull and how often. But as a general rule never feed more than one banana, half a banana is okay to be on the safe side.

What fruit can a pitbull eat?

Apart from bananas Pitbulls can also eat the following fruits

• APPLES.
• BLACKBERRIES.
• BLUEBERRIES.
• CANTALOUPE.
• MANGOES.
• PEARS.
• RASPBERRIES

Conclusion

While bananas are safe and great for Pitbulls, they should not be fed on a daily basis. There are other fruits listed above that you can substitute bananas with to create a good list of treats for your Pitbull.

Feed all snacks and treats with moderation and you will be able to provide your Pitbull with the required nutrients without any negative effects on its health.