Can dogs eat kiwifruit?

Yes, dogs can eat kiwifruit. We can all be forgiven for thinking of kiwifruit, or simply kiwi as it’s often referred to in North America, as being native to New Zealand. It seems we’d all be wrong. It’s actually native to China, which accounts for its alternative – and original – name, Chinese gooseberry. First commercially cultivated in New Zealand, it seems we owe it to a 1950s American exotic fruit importer for its current name. When the importer suggested that anything with berry in the name (which it isn’t by the way) might be difficult to import into the United States because of the association at the time between berries and anthrax, it prompted a New Zealand exporter to rename the Chinese gooseberry, the kiwifruit. But here’s the thing. Can dogs eat kiwifruit, and does the juicy kiwi offer dogs the same nutritional benefits we get from the fruit?

Canine nutritionist Gerald Pepin is the author of the book From Table to Bowl which seeks to take the mystery out of feeding dogs fresh food. Here the experienced dog nutritionist explains the benefits and safe serving tips for feeding a dog kiwifruit.

What are the nutrients in kiwifruit?

Kiwifruit is a veritable goldmine of nutrients, including:
Vitamin C: Kiwifruit is packed with vitamin C, which supports your dog’s immune system and keeps its skin health.
Vitamin K: Important for blood clotting and bone health.
Fibre: Kiwifruit is a fibre champion, aiding digestion and promoting fullness.
Antioxidants: Those tiny black seeds are loaded with antioxidant which help protect your dog’s cells from free radical damage.

Kiwifruit is also blessed with a significant amount of phytochemicals.

What are the benefits of feeding a dog kiwifruit?

• Beneficial for eye health
• Contain digestive enzymes that more easily facilitate the breakdown of your dog’s food into absorbable nutrients
• Good for eye health
• Alleviates both exercise-induced and free radical-induced oxidative stress
• Helps reduce inflammation and support good gut health
• Helps prevent degenerative canine diseases including cognitive dysfunction

As you may have gathered, the answer to the question, can dogs eat kiwifruit is a resounding, yes. Kiwi fruit offers your dog and mine the same nutritional benefits the rest of this derive from this interesting fruit.

Kiwifruit has much to offer your dog. And if you want to learn more about the wide variety of fruits and vegetables your dog can eat, enjoy and benefit from, click here.

Is kiwifruit a human food that dogs can eat too?

Scientists have proven that not only have dogs and human beings shared the same diet for at least 12,000 years, they have demonstrated that the digestive systems of both species simultaneously evolved to process and benefit from that shared diet. From those same foods. At the time of the First Agricultural Revolution, when man became less reliant on foraging and more dependent on farmed produce, the digestive tract of both species underwent exactly the same genetic adaptation to allow us and our dogs to process that more limited farmed diet. In other words, we know that without any shadow of a doubt, long before the beginning of recorded time, dogs and human beings were sharing exactly the same diet. Eating the same food.

So even if you prefer to call the food that we humans eat “human food” and the food that dogs eat “dog food”, the fact is that human beings and dogs began to form their enduring relationship at exactly the same time as the First Agricultural Revolution, and likely largely because of our shared ability to benefit from the same foodstuffs. Back then, the food that humans ate was not considered human food, any more than the food dogs ate (exactly the same food remember), was considered dog food. The food that dogs and humans shared, the food that helped cement the bond we continue to enjoy to this day, was simply known as “food.”

So while many today speak of kiwifruit as being human food, the fact is, long before the fruit was first cultivated in New Zealand early in the 20th century, kiwifruit would have been eaten by both human beings and their dogs in its native China thousands of years ago. Along with all the other foodstuffs they shared, kiwifruit would simply have been considered “food”, (as well as medicine in this case), food that both dogs and human beings could each eat, enjoy and benefit from.

So when you ask yourself, can dogs eat kiwifruit, can I feed my dog kiwifruit, is kiwifruit one of the safe human foods you can share with your dog, the answer is an unequivocal, yes. Dogs can eat kiwifruit because, just as is the case with we humans, they’re something they have always eaten!

How do I feed my dog kiwifruit?

To feed your dog kiwifruit, leave the skin on and dice the ripe fruit into small, bite-sized pieces. Serve only a small amount as an occasional treat. And don’t worry, your dog will not choke on the skin!

• Dice the fruit: cut the kiwi into small, bite-sized pieces to minimize the risk of choking.
• Serve a small amount: offer a small piece as a treat to see how your dog tolerates it.
• Monitor for reactions: watch for any signs of digestive upset.
• Moderation is key: kiwi should be an occasional treat, not a regular part of your dog’s diet.
• Avoid whole kiwis: never let your dog eat a whole kiwi, as it could cause them to choke or lead to an intestinal blockage.
• Seeds are okay: the small seeds in kiwi are safe for dogs to eat and do not pose a choking or blockage risk.