An apple a day keeps the vet away … are apples safe for pets?

Including apples or apple pomace in a pet’s diet could be beneficial to pet health, but more research is needed to claim so confidently.

Greg Aldrich, Ph.D.

October 1, 2020

Apples get rave nutritional reviews in the human food space. Should they get getting equal consideration in pet foods? (Pasko Maksim | Shutterstock.com)

Apples get rave nutritional reviews in the human food space. Should they get getting equal consideration in pet foods? (Pasko Maksim | Shutterstock.com)

Apples have a health and nutrition mystique that may be well earned. The benefit of apples has been extensively researched for humans, but does it apply to dogs and cats, as well? Hard to say. Not too surprisingly, there is little to no information available on feeding apples to pets in the academic literature, though there are quite a few studies evaluating apple pomace as a fiber source. Interestingly, there are many popular press articles in print and online that extoll the virtue of apples as a treat for dogs.

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