Feeding certain fruits to your husky to boost their diet and nutrition is a great idea, but can huskies eat apples, or should this type of fruit be avoided?
Apples are an excellent treat for huskies if they are correctly prepared and fed in moderation. Apples contain lots of fiber and vitamins C and A, which benefit your husky’s health.
In this guide, I’ll take you everything there is to know about feeding your husky apples, from preparation to portion size and control.
Let’s get into it.
Contents
Why Huskies Can Eat Apples
Huskies can eat apples because they mainly contain sugar, fiber, and water.
They shouldn’t be served as a meal but are great snacks, assuming the core and seeds are removed.
Do Huskies Like Apples?
I’ve found that a lot of huskies love apples because of the sugar content. Apples are pretty much like sweet treats for your husky, so they’ll probably either love the taste or hate it.
The sheer amount of apple-flavored dog treats on the market today makes me think that the former makes up the majority, though!
What About Different Types Of Apples?
Huskies can eat any apple, from pink ladies all the way to galas and Braeburns.
There isn’t much difference in the macronutrients between different apples, and they don’t contain anything that can be toxic outside of the seeds, so any type of apple is perfectly fine to feed your husky.
Nutritional Benefits Of Apples For Huskies
The nutritional content of one medium apple can be found below (Harvard TH CHAN source):
- 95 Calories
- 1 Gram Protein
- 25 Grams Carbohydrates, 19 of which are sugar
- 3 Grams Fiber
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Phytochemicals
Protein and fatty acids are two of the most important nutrients that should make up most of a husky’s diet. While apples lack these nutrients, they are still beneficial for their vitamin profile and make for a great low-calorie snack.
Vitamin C helps support your husky’s immune system and strengthens their bones. It’s also an important antioxidant.
Fiber, another key component of apples, helps regulate your husky’s bowels, preventing constipation.
Apples are also helpful for cleaning their teeth and freshening their breath, but this doesn’t mean they should be used as a replacement for teeth cleaning sessions.
Sugar is not ideal, so you don’t want to feed your husky too much apple, but it can be beneficial in small amounts, considering how low it is in calories.
How To Feed Your Husky Apples Safely
Before you go ahead and give your husky an entire apple, there are a few things to be aware of regarding the preparation process.
Remove Seeds And Core
Before you give your husky an apple, the only thing to do is remove the core and seeds and wash them.
The core isn’t actually bad for them nutritionally, but it can be a choking hazard, so it’s better to remove it.
The seeds need to be removed because they contain small amounts of cyanide.
The actual amount of cyanide is minimal, so if your husky eats a few seeds accidentally, it is very unlikely for them to react to it. In fact, they would need to eat the seeds from 200 apples to cause cyanide poisoning.
Chop It Up
Once prepared, I like to chop up apples into small bite-sized pieces and use them as treats during obedience training.
You can also add them to your husky’s food as a topper if you want; the choice is yours. I find that I can make them last a little longer by using them as treats.
Consider Freezing It
Offering your husky frozen apples during the summer can help them cool down and provide mental stimulation for them as well.
You can prepare the apples as before, chop them into little cubes, and freeze them overnight.
Another way to prepare them is to blend them with equal amounts of natural yogurt, pour the mixture into plastic molds, and freeze it overnight.
This is an easy way to create lots of small apple-flavored frozen treats that your husky will love. These will last for a few weeks.
How Much Apple Should My Husky Eat?
You shouldn’t feed your husky much apple due to the high sugar and fiber content – one to four slices is more than enough.
This might not sound like much, but it’s important to stick to the 10% rule so they can get the nutrients they need from their regular food.
It’s also why you really need to consider freezing them so they last longer!
What Happens If Your Husky Eats Too Much Apple?
If you’ve already fed your husky apple without researching how much to feed them, next time, you must research first, as some fruits like grapes can be deadly!
Luckily for you, your husky won’t suffer many consequences from overeating apples if it’s a one-off occasion:
- Short Term – In the short term, feeding your husky too much apple will probably upset their stomach for a while due to the high sugar and fiber content.
- Long Term – If you feed your husky too much apple on a consistent basis, it can interfere with their regular diet and lead to malnutrition.
Apples might be quite healthy for huskies, but they are still a treat and should be fed in moderation.
What If My Husky Ate An Entire Apple?
Don’t worry if your husky ate a full apple. Although the core is a choking hazard, they can easily chew through it most of the time.
The method I mentioned earlier for preparing them by removing the core and seeds is to be as safe as possible.
The seeds are also not really a problem from just one apple, as they’d need to eat a lot more to have any issues with the cyanide in the seeds.
In Summary
Apples are packed full of beneficial nutrients, but they should be fed to your husky in moderation because of the amount of fiber and sugar they contain.
Make sure to get rid of the core and any seeds, and consider freezing them to make a great summertime snack. Don’t worry about the type of apple either, as they are all fine for huskies to eat.
Want to learn about other husky snacks? Check out some of our other articles below for some quick and easy foods you can give your husky:
