Today I am baking scones to mark the start of the strawberry season. Tea, scones, clotted cream, fresh strawberries, sunshine and blue sky… A perfect moment for the two of us… and a little queue that will definitely be keeping an eye on me while I am cooking and prepping.

The boys do love strawberries. They know them by name and whether or not I have a box in the fridge.

CAN OUR DOGS EAT STRAWBERRIES?

The answer is YES (with a tiny “but”).

Most dogs can have strawberries and enjoy them in season to fully get the benefits of these wonderful fruits.

Strawberries are one of the best sources of vitamin C, manganese, folate, iodine, biotin, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Something we may not even think of, but the seeds also provide a small amount of alpha-linolenic acids and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Beside their vitamin and mineral content, the berries are also packed with polyphenol antioxidants (flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignin, tannins, stilbenes) known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They are praised for supporting heart health, protecting the cells from oxidative damage and reducing the risk of cancers.

The quercetin is strawberries may also work as a natural antihistamine in dogs who suffer from allergies, particularly the seasonal ones.

Additionally, eating berries has been shown to improve memory and motor-responses associated with ageing.

And if this isn’t enough, the studies picked on the ability of strawberries to control blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes even when the berries were combined with sugar in the same meal!

How much can you give your dog? Each of my boys has a berry per day, roughly the size of a quail egg or a whole walnut. Too much can cause an upset tummy, vomiting or diarrhoea.

I also need to mention the “but” when it comes to strawberries in canine diet. These lovely berries are a source of goitrogens, the compounds that can interfere with iodine uptake by the thyroid gland and thus affect its function. If your dog has an underactive thyroid (also known as hypothyroidism), he should not be having strawberries.

Image credit: Pezibear from Pixabay