Can Dogs Eat Lemon?

Can dogs eat lemon? The answer is NO. Let’s find out why. If you have a dog, you would have wondered at some point, can dogs eat lemon? Lemon is a citrus fruit found in many foods and drinks consumed by humans. Dogs can eat many fruits and vegetables but not lemon or any that contain citric acid.

If you feed your dog lemon, it does not give any nutritional value to him. The citrus nature of lemon can cause serious health issues for your dog.

According to the database of toxic plants, lemons are not suitable for your dog. It is also noted from the American society for the prevention of cruelty to animals that lemon is toxic to dogs.

Why Is A Lemon Not Good For Your Dog?

Can dogs eat lemon? The answer is NO. Lemon is a great source of vitamin C and many organic acids with antioxidant properties. Lemons are also high in soluble fiber and have certain helpful nutrients. However, lemon is bad for your dog and can cause serious health issues. 

There are various reasons why you should not include lemon in your dog’s diet.

Dogs don’t like lemon

 The first reason is that lemon tastes terrible to dogs. The good thing is that dogs don’t like the taste of lemon, so even if you offer lemon to your dog, he will not likely eat it, so the chances of getting harm from ingesting lemon reduces.

Choking hazards

The other thing is that lemon seed can strike into your puppy’s throat or can also cause intestinal blockage. Because of choking hazards, lemons are also bad for dogs.

Presence of Citric acids, psoralen compounds, and aromatic oils

Lemons contain citric acids that are harmful to your dog. The cover of lemon contains essential oils like psoralen compounds and aromatic oils that are difficult for dogs to digest. These are toxic to dogs and can cause digestive problems like diarrhea and vomiting.

No nutritional value to dogs

The rest of the inner part of the lemon is considered edible and generally not much toxic to your dog. Lemons are good for humans; however, the beneficial nature of lemons is not significant to dogs. It is best to keep the lemons away from dogs to avoid any unwanted experience that can affect your dog’s health.

What If Your Dog Eats A Lemon?

Can dogs eat lemon? The answer is no, but what if your dog eats a lemon? First, you need to know how much of the lemon your dog has ingested. If your little dog has just licked the pulp of lemon or ingested a small amount, the lemon will not cause serious harm.

On the contrary, if he has ingested some part of it or the skin of the lemon, you should watch out for the signs. Due to its acidic nature, consumption of lemon can cause

• Stomach upset or Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Frequent lip licking
• Nausea
• Unusual behavior and discomfort

What Are The Risk Factors Associated With Lemon?

There are severe risk factors if your dog has ingested lemon in high quantities. Intake of citric acid in the lemon can irritate your dog’s stomach and cause frequent vomiting and diarrhea.

If your dog has eaten lemon in large quantities, serious health issues can appear like

• Poor circulation
• Unusual sensitivity to light
• Drooling
• Skin irritation
• Lethargy
• Low blood pressure
• Muscle tremors
• Allergy and rashes in the groin area
• Effects on the central nervous system
• Difficulty in standing or walking
• Collapsing and, in extreme cases, go untreated, and health problems can lead to death.

Lemons or any citrus fruits have a strong negative effect on dogs. Your dog can suffer serious problems because of lemon intake.

So, keeping your furry friend away from lemon or any citric acid is very important. If some serious symptoms appear, you should go to the veterinary for proper medication and treatment.

Wrapping Up – Can dogs eat lemon?

Can dogs eat lemon? The answer is NO. Lemons are good for humans but don’t have any nutritional value to dogs. It contains citric acids, psoralen compounds, and aromatic oils that harm dogs.

Even dogs don’t like the taste of lemon, but if your dog ingests lemon in large quantities, severe health issues like vomiting and diarrhea can appear, and if the symptoms go untreated, it may lead to death. So, it is best to keep the lemons away from dogs to avoid any unwanted experience that can affect your dog’s health.