Yes, dogs can eat pineapple in small portions, as long as they are not allergic.
Keep it to fresh, raw pineapple and make sure to remove the skin.
Cut into bite-size chunks and serve. Frozen pineapple is also fine.
How to serve pineapple to your dog
Take a ripe, fresh pineapple, a sharp knife and decent chopping board then prepare as below:
- Chop the top and bottom off the fruit, leaving minimum waste.
- Take the main body, stand upright on the chopping board and carefully cut the skin and ‘eyes’ away from the edge all the way around. You should now have a skinless pineapple.
- Keeping upright, quarter the fruit, which leaves a small section of core in each piece.
- Cut the core from each quarter and then dice up into suitably sized chunks for your dog.
Tip – Any leftovers can be bagged up and frozen for future snacking (for both you and pooch).
If you are still unsure on how to peel and prepare a fresh pineapple, the video below gives you a few further techniques.
Just be sure to be a bit more careful with the knife than this lady and chop the chunks smaller.
Pineapple nutrition
Fresh pineapple contains many beneficial nutrients.
These include:
Vitamins – A, B-complex and C.
Minerals – zinc, manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium.
They also contain dietary fibre which can aid digestion.
How much pineapple can I give my dog?
As with any snack, keep the portions small.
2-3 mouth-sized chunks is plenty. If you feed your dog too much, you run the risk of stomach upset.
As with a lot of fruits, pineapples contain a high amount of natural sugars, as well as fibre. Too much can cause gas, bloating and/or diarrhoea.
If your dog experiences any of these symptoms after eating pineapple, reduce the portions next time. If you still have issues, its probably best to avoid it altogether.
As with any food outside of your dog’s main dog food, keep snacks and treats such as pineapple to no more than 10% of their daily food intake.
This 10% rule includes all other treats for that day, so be sure to account for those as well.
Now, most of us don’t calorie count for our dogs do we, so what does this mean in the real world?
Keep the portions small and don’t make it a regular thing.
Can dogs eat canned pineapple?
Canned pineapple is best avoided. Like many other tinned fruits, the syrup contains high amounts of sugar.
Even if poured away, the pineapple is still coated in it and has absorbed a good amount.
It’s always best not to feed your dog high-sugar foods, as it can cause stomach upset in the short-term, along with contributing to the risk of ailments like obesity and diabetes in the future.
Make your chunks with fresh or frozen pineapple.
Can dogs eat pineapple core?
Although the core can technically be eaten, its best avoided due to its chewiness and choking potential.
Make the pineapple chunks from the main flesh only and discard the core and skin.
Can dogs eat dried pineapple?
No, dried pineapple is not recommended for dogs.
In fact, most dried fruit is best avoided due to it having a higher sugar content as opposed to fresh fruit.
Can puppies eat pineapple?
Although puppies can technically eat a small amount of pineapple, it’s not generally advised.
The higher sugar content and acidity can upset their stomach. Consult your vet for further advice with this.
Conclusion
A small amount of fresh pineapple served in small chunks is a great treat for your dog.
As with all fruits and vegetables, don’t feed them the same things on a regular basis and mix it up with other treats to get some variety in their diet.
For more info on what your dog can and can’t eat, see our collection of articles here.
Related FAQ’s
Can dogs eat pineapple juice?
Giving your dog pineapple juice is not advised.
As with tinned pineapple, pineapple juice contains high amounts of sugar and can therefore cause digestive problems.
There is a common belief that giving your dog pineapple juice (or just pineapple) can help stop them eating their own poop (yummy!).
There is no evidence to back this though, so and if you are having this issue, speak your vet for further advice.
Can dogs eat pineapple pizza?
Although a small amount is unlikely to do any harm, its best to avoid giving your dog any human foods such as pizza, as their digestive systems aren’t meant to process foods such as these and it can lead to stomach upset (a lot of mess for you).
Another issue is that pizza often contains many other ingredients that could be toxic to your dog, such as garlic and onions, so for this reason its generally a firm no on this one.
Will pineapple kill a dog?
Does pineapple hurt dogs? Its highly unlikely that pineapple will do your dog any harm – as long as they don’t choke on it of course.
If you keep it to manageable-sized chunks as above and don’t feed them it too often, there should be no issue.
Can dogs eat pineapple skin?
No, the pineapple skin and leaves are not edible. Do not feed these to your dog.