Can I give my dog lemon juice?

Most dogs not like the taste of lemon juice, so you may need to get creative for canine consumption. But why on earth should Fido be drinking sometime so sour? Let’s find out!

Video: Giving Babies Lemon Juice!

Lemon juice has uses beyond food recipes. Dogs can benefit from the critic acid in some practical ways. Not only is this concentrated juice refreshing, but it also has flea repellent properties.

Just be sure to keep lemon juice away from your dog’s eyes. There’s much more to learn about this potent but healthy juice as it applies to pets. You may be surprised so keep reading…

Can I Give My Dog Lemon Juice? Answer: Yes, in small amounts

It’s common practice, and perfectly safe, to mix a bit in with Fido’s fresh water supply.

Video: My Dogs Doing The Lemon Juice Challenge!

Some dog owners have long used lemon juice as a natural home remedy.

Lemon Juice for Bad Breath

What you need to be careful of, though, is not to put too much, or your dog will not drink the water, and that’s not the outcome you want. Water, for dogs, is essential, and the lack of a daily dose can lead to illnesses. That apart, some vets warn against this saying that it’s too acidic for their stomachs and dogs were never meant to eat lemons, since they didn’t do this in the wild.

In short, it’s not their natural choice. As for water, check with your vet about how much water your dogs must drink daily, as this varies according to age, breed, and weight.

Lemon On The Rocks

Another favorite thing that dogs owners like to do is to put ice in their dog’s water, and this is something canines actually love and will probably drink a lot more water. However, if it’s a hot day and your dog either drinks a lot of chilled water quickly, which they tend to do, or eats the ice cubes, as they absolutely love to do, they could develop bloat, a life threatening gastric condition in which the stomach gets overfilled with gas and can actually prove fatal in time if left undetected.

Lemon Can Repell Fleas

Apart from social issues like bad breath, lemon juice is also considered quite useful for repelling fleas in dogs. It’s one of the best natural products to use as well as apple cider vinegar. Squeeze a lemon, mix it with water and spray it, if possible, onto your dog.

This is a particularly good practice in the springtime, which is when fleas abound and your dog comes home itching. As an alternative to lemon juice, you could also try lemon oil.

These are better than harmful de-wormers, or flea-collars, some of which actually instruct you to wash your hands after touching and which, if used over long period of time, could cause serious illnesses in your best friend. Ask your vet about the potential risks of chemical flea repellents.

A Tear Stain Solution

There is also a lot of talk about lemon juice being great for removing, or treating tear stains in dogs. There are two sides to this story as well. Many vets will not validate this theory, for reasons mentioned above – lemon juice is too acidic and the like.

But then there are people who’ve added a bit of it to the water and claim to have corrected the tear stains problem. But this is something you need to talk to your vet about, since it’s not really that simple to cure. Also, do not even think about applying lemon juice near the eyes. It’s terrible for them!

Looking after a dog is not easy, so before you try anything on your canine friend, ask an vet just to be 100% sure!

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