The guava is a common tropical fruit believed to have originated in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. There’s actual archaeological evidence of their cultivation in Peru as early as 2500 BC. While there are different varieties of guava, the most commonly eaten, the fruit most likely referred to as ‘the guava’, is the apple guava. It’s also known as the poor man’s apple in some parts because it’s cheaper than the apple. What has this to do with dogs. Well, quite a lot actually. You may have been asking yourself the question, can dogs eat guavas, well read on and you’ll discover they can!

About the guava

So far, we’ve discovered that the guava is a tropical fruit, and that of the various varieties, the apple guava is the fruit we’re most likely to encounter in our supermarkets. (There are also lemon, strawberry and pineapple varieties by the way)!

The important thing though is that your dog can enjoy and benefit from a guava just as much as you can. It contains quercetin, guaijaverin, beta-carotene, lycopene, pectin and ascorbic and citric acid, all of which are exceptionally good for your pet’s health.

Nutrients in guava

In terms of nutrients, guava has quite a lot going for it. According to an article published in Clinical Phytoscience,

“Many countries have a long history of using guava for medicinal purposes. This plant finds applications for the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, gastroenteritis, hypertension, diabetes, caries and pain relief and for improvement in locomotors coordination.

“Its fruit is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, phosphorus and calcium and minerals. It contains high content of organic and inorganic compounds like secondary metabolites e.g. antioxidants, polyphenols, antiviral compounds, anti-inflammatory compounds.”

Actually, rich in vitamin C is something of an understatement. Guavas contain around 4 times the amount of vitamin C found in an orange!

All that sounds pretty good to me, and certainly seems to answer the question, can dogs eat guavas?

Benefits of feeding a dog guavas

Guavas have a number of benefits to offer your dog, so it might be worth considering adding them to your its diet on occasion. Amongst other things, guavas:

• Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound-healing properties
• Benefit eye health
• A good source of energy
• Excellent for gut health
• Good for diabetic dogs (may help lower blood sugar levels)
• Anti-cancer properties
• Help boost immunity
• Beneficial for heart health

How to feed dogs guavas

To feed guavas to your dog:
Remove the stem, leave the skin on, cut into bite-sized pieces and remove the seeds before feeding to your dog.

If you want to learn more about the fruits and vegetables your dog can enjoy, click here to learn more about fruit and vegetables for dogs.