Last Updated on October 13, 2021 by Marco
Fruits and dogs don’t always mix well but some fruits may surprise you. So, can I give my dog orange juice or is it dangerous to them?
The short answer is – yes, you actually can give your dog orange juice. In fact, you can even give your dog orange slices. The question of whether you should do it is also important, however. Cause, while oranges and other citrus fruits are very healthy for people, they really don’t contribute anything significant or positive to a dog’s diet.
So, can I give my dog orange juice or orange slices? Sure, they aren’t toxic to dogs. Should you though? Let’s delve a little deeper below.
Can I Give My Dog Orange Juice?
You technically can, but only if it’s 100% pure orange juice and it doesn’t have any added sugar or other chemicals. Virtually anything else that the manufacturer can add might be risky for your dog. After all, human food manufacturers aren’t expected to make human food be pet-safe. So, unless you’ve personally squeezed the lemon juice or you are absolutely certain that’s pure, it’s best to avoid it.
In fact, even 100% pure orange juice shouldn’t really be given to dogs even though it isn’t toxic to them. There’s just no point in stuffing your dog full of the oranges’ natural sugar as dogs don’t really need any extra sugar in their systems.
Dogs’ bodies already produce all the sugar (glucose) they need out of carbohydrates and proteins through the bodily process of Glycolysis. So, literally, any gram of sugar a dog eats from fruits is an unnecessary excess.
Learn more about: Can Dogs Drink Gatorade For Dehydration?
Can Dogs Eat Oranges?
Yes, they can, as long as you’ve removed the seeds, peel, and the inner white film. Those parts of the orange can be toxic for your dog because of the various chemicals they contain. If you’ve removed them properly, however, you can give your pooch an orange slice or two as a treat.
This does mean, however, that you should be careful when leaving unpeeled oranges lying around on the kitchen counter. Most dogs wouldn’t touch them because they don’t like the citrusy taste anyway. Plus, smaller dogs like the dachshund may have a hard time reaching the oranges anyway.
However, if you’ve gotten your dog to enjoy orange slices, it may decide to attack the unpeeled oranges in your kitchen too. Eating those will typically mean eating parts of the peel, seeds, and white film, and that’s a big No-No.
Is Orange Juice Good For Dogs?
Dogs do benefit from vitamin C and that’s one thing that’s abundant in oranges and orange juice. Can I give my dog orange juice for the vitamin C alone, however?
Not really, that’s not necessary. While dogs do need vitamin C, along with a few other vitamins, they are more than capable of synthesizing their own vitamin C in their livers.
Your dog would only need extra vitamin C from its food in special circumstances such as certain diseases. Even in those cases, however, giving your dog would be better of with vitamin C supplements than with orange juice – the abundance of sugar in oranges is just not worth the trade-off.
In any case, if you know your dog has a certain health problem, you should immediately contact your vet and not reach for the orange juice.
The only real “benefit” of orange slices and orange juice is that if your dog likes them, you can use them as a treat. However, many other things can be used as dog treats too. And most of them are much healthier than oranges.
Is Orange Juice Bad For Dogs?
While orange juice isn’t toxic to dogs, the excess sugar and citric acid can cause your pooch some problems. Even if your dog is healthy overall, drinking too much orange juice or eating one too many orange slices can lead to any of the following issues:
These issues can be caused by both the sugar and the citric acid in oranges if they are taken in excess. Fortunately, these problems are relatively mild. The more significant problems are the long-term ones. These can occur if you consistently feed your dog oranges, orange juice, and other fruits or sugary foods:
Do Dogs Even Like Oranges?
Most don’t, the citrus taste of oranges just doesn’t appeal to them. However, rare few dogs seem to enjoy them. Besides, if you use them as treats, they’ll grow to like them even more out of Pavlovian habit.
How Many Orange Slices Or How Much Orange Juice Are Safe For Dogs?
Typically, one or two slices a day is the maximum for smaller breeds like the dachshund. Larger breeds can have three or four slices a day. However, all that applies only to healthy dogs that don’t have problems with sugar, obesity, and diabetes.
Is Orange Juice Safe For Dogs When Mixed With Water?
Some owners like to mix a few drops of lemon juice in their dogs’ water. The same can be done with orange juice. This can be helpful if your dog isn’t drinking enough water but enjoys the citrusy taste. However, most dogs would prefer clean water to one with citrus juice in it.
What To Do If Your Dog Has Drunk Too Much Orange Juice Or Eaten Too Many Orange Slices?
If your dog has started vomiting or experiencing diarrhea, call your vet immediately. Also, try to figure out if the orange slices were clean or contained seeds and/or pieces of the peel. If the dog has drunk orange juice – try to determine if it was pure or if there were any additives in it.
Either, you’d better get your dog to the vet just to be safe.
So, Can I Give My Dog Orange Juice?
As with lemon, grapefruit, and most other citrus fruits, it surprises a lot of people that they’re not strictly toxic to dogs. As long as you remove the peel, seeds, and the inner white film, the fruit’s flesh itself isn’t harmful to canines.
However, oranges also aren’t particularly beneficial for dogs as they don’t have the same vitamin and mineral requirements. Instead, all oranges and orange juice are for dogs are big gulps of sugar and citric acid. And, while sugar isn’t immediately toxic to dogs, it can be harmful when ingested regularly and/or in large quantities.
So, unless oranges or orange juice are a particularly effective training treat for your dog, there really isn’t any reason to even add them to your pet’s diet.
Jordan is an animal–lover who specializes in dachshunds. He has owned and cared for dachshunds since he was a child, and his passion for these unique dogs has only grown with time. Jordan is an avid researcher and learner, and spends a large portion of his free time studying the history, behaviour, and health of dachshunds. He has a knack for training and socializing his own dogs, and loves introducing them to new experiences. When not caring for his own pets, Jordan likes to volunteer at local animal rescue shelters, helping to find homes for abandoned dachshunds. He is a true animal advocate, and dedicates his time to ensure that all animals receive the love, respect, and care they deserve.
