Question
My mother’s dog Cindy eats apples and my cat Darcy eats strawberries. Are they both mad or is this normal?
— Lynne
Answer
While fruit may not be considered a common dining delicacy for dogs and cats, it’s far from being the worst thing they could be sampling. Fruit is high in energy, vitamins and fibre so from that viewpoint it may actually be doing them some good. In fact, with recent research showing that green leafy vegetables are of benefit to your dog’s health, it’s possible that fruit may not be too far behind in delivering good health to your pet.
Make it an occasional treat rather than a staple food and look out for any signs of a gut upset that may indicate your pet is having too much. Just remember not to offer your dog grapes, there is now growing evidence that grapes may be toxic to dogs when eaten in large numbers.
