Feeding your husky fruits like oranges can make for a great snack, but can huskies eat oranges, or are they unhealthy or dangerous to their health?
Huskies can eat oranges, but the skin and peel need to be removed first as these can harm their stomach and cause blockages. Oranges are great for hydration due to their water content, and they also contain lots of beneficial vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C.
In this guide, we’ll explore everything there is to know about huskies and oranges, including how to prepare them so they are safe for your pup, the nutritional value, and what happens if you feed your husky too much.
Let’s get into it.
Contents
Why Huskies Can Eat Oranges
Important note: Some huskies can be allergic to citric acid and even limonene, which is found in orange peels. If your husky shows any symptoms of an allergic reaction after eating an orange, such as dry skin or vomiting, take them to the vet as soon as possible.
Huskies can eat oranges because they don’t contain any toxic substances that can cause damage outside of the peel and seeds.
As you’ll see shortly, oranges are basically water, sugar, vitamins, and minerals.
This makes them great for treats during hot weather to ensure your husky stays hydrated, but it also means that they shouldn’t make up a large proportion of your husky’s diet.
What About Different Types Of Oranges? (Satsumas, Tangerines, Etc)
Huskies can eat all types of oranges if prepared properly (more on this later ).
This is because they all have very similar nutritional content and don’t contain any toxic substances; it’s mainly the amount of sugar that varies depending on the type.
Nutritional Benefits Of Oranges For Huskies
The most well-known benefit of oranges is the Vitamin C content, but this is not as beneficial for huskies as they naturally produce their own.
Still, the nutrient content of oranges is still a good thing overall for your husky, which makes them a good choice for a treat.
Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional value of 1 orange (Healthline source):
- 66 Calories
- 86% water by weight
- 1.3g Protein
- 14.8g Carbs (12 of which are sugar)
- 2.8g Fiber
- 0.2g Fat
- Lots of vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, Calcium and Folate
It’s pretty clear that oranges are very low-calorie and contain mainly water, sugar, vitamins, and minerals.
The protein content is very low, as is fat, so these should be given as a treat and not a substitute for a meal for your husky.
The bulk of your husky’s diet should come from dog food nutritionally designed to contain everything they need, including high amounts of protein, fats, and healthy carbs.
Do Huskies Like Oranges?
I’ve found that huskies can be peculiar with oranges; not all will enjoy eating them.
This is likely due to the strong citrus flavor not found in regular husky dog treats or food.
Huskies can be stubborn about what kind of food they choose to eat, so it’s not guaranteed that your husky will even be interested in an orange if you offer one.
How To Feed Your Husky Oranges Safely
There are a few ways to feed your husky oranges, but the first step before anything is to ensure they are safe for them to eat.
Remember to start with one slice and see how your husky reacts if it is their first time eating it.
Remove The Skin And Seeds
Before you feed your husky any orange, it’s important to remove the skin and seeds.
The skin can be a choking hazard, so it is better to remove it. The oil in the skin can also cause stomach issues like vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
The seeds contain small amounts of cyanide, and while this isn’t likely to cause any severe problems, it is better to remove them.
Feed Them Fresh
The easiest way to feed your husky oranges is to give them a few slices fresh.
The downside to this method is that your husky can eat their daily recommended amount of oranges in a few seconds.
Freeze Them
I like to freeze slices of oranges overnight if I know the weather will be particularly hot the next few days and give them to my huskies as a treat that helps to cool them down and rehydrate.
This also gives them some extra mental stimulation, which we can’t complain about!
Make Husky-Friendly Ice Cream
If you’ve got the time, you can blend orange slices with equal parts plain yogurt and freeze this overnight to create orange ice cream.
This can be frozen into any shape you like, depending on what molds you have, so you can make little frozen treats or serve it as ice cream in a bowl.
How Much Orange Should My Husky Eat?
If you want to feed your husky an orange, you should look at it like a treat and stick to the 10% rule – this means that the amount of orange you feed should not exceed more than 10% of their total calorie intake.
For most huskies, 2 to 4 slices per day are plenty. This is quite a lot of orange for any dog, but huskies can get away with it because they exercise so much and burn many calories.
What Happens If They Eat Too Much Orange
If you feed your husky too much orange in one sitting, it is to cause too much harm outside of a potentially upset stomach.
Just keep in mind that oranges – while high in micronutrients – are not high in the most important nutrients that should make up the bulk of your husky’s diet, like protein.
If you constantly feed your husky too much orange, it will be detrimental to their overall health and development, so always stick to the 10% rule.
In Summary
So there you have it: oranges can be great snacks for huskies as long as they are prepared correctly and fed in moderation.
When you start feeding your husky oranges, start off small and make sure they don’t react to it at first. These are very rare, but it’s better to be safe.
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:
