Can Dogs Eat Plantain?

Dogs are not generally very picky eaters, and they can eat whatever they find chewable and eatable in their surroundings. It is very normal for dogs to eat Plantains. These plantains should be fed in a very controlled manner to use them in the best ways.

Many other plant-based foods can be given to dogs as they are omnivore animals- both plant-eating and flesh-eating. Factually speaking the digestive system is designed in such a manner that it can easily digest animal-based food as compared to plant-based foods. A vegetarian diet can sometimes cause some discomfort while digesting the food.

Generally, dogs can easily eat a vegetarian diet like Plantains, but frequent feeding of such food is not ideal for the animals. It should be fed to them at periodical intervals and in moderated quantity. Food’s like Plantain should not contain more than 50% of the animals’ diet. Giving a treat with such food to your dog at a break of 3 to 4 months is perfectly ideal and can be fed without any hesitation.

As now, you know your dogs can easily chew and swallow the Plantains, you may wonder in what form feeding them will be appropriate? Well, the next section answers this.

What type of plantains is the best?

Plantains can be given in three forms to your dogs, the three forms of plantain that are edible are-

• Raw Plantain
• Fried Plantain
• Plantain as Chips

It is a general tendency that pet owners often think about what form of Plantains are best ber their animals, we have tried to cover the significance of these three forms of plantain.

Raw Plantain

Raw Plantain is the easiest way to feed your dogs, as you can simply give them right away to the animals without processing them in any way. They are the most economical option as compared to the other two as it does not include any cost of processing or preparing.

Raw plantains are not the ideal choice for your dogs as they have a very significant amount of dietary fiber and are very difficult to digest. Even humans who have an evolved digestive system can not easily digest raw plantain and for dogs, it becomes a task of a different level.

Feeding a significant amount of raw plantains can cause a lot of discomfort to the animals, some of these discomforts are-

• They can experience severe stomach pain.
• Symptoms like vomiting, headache, and nausea are very common.
• In severe cases, your dog may get diarrhea and get dehydrated.

Fried Plantain

Another option that can be provided to your dogs is Fried Plantains, fried plantains are more processed as compared to raw plantain. They undergo the process of deep-frying and flavored spices are added to them to enhance their taste and smell.

A very controlled diet can be given to your dog but not frequently, these fried plantains are loved by the animal as they are most tasty and smells good. So, keeping track of their diet is very crucial. 

Avoid feeding these fried plantains to puppies as these small animals can not easily digest the oil-rich food. They do not provide any vital nutrients to the animal and are rich in fat only. Such food items can cause a lot of discomforts to your small animal including symptoms like nausea and vomiting as well.

You should avoid feeding your dog these fried plantains.

Plantain Chips

Plantain Chips are super tasty snacks prepared by processing the raw plantain to make them tasty. They come in different flavors, these highly processed foods are super-rich in calories and contain a large amount of fat. These calories are basically hollow and do not provide any vital nutrients to your dog. More than 35 to 40 percent of the calories come directly from fat only.

These Plantain Chips are not the ideal food for your dog, apart from hollow calories and a significant amount of fats they are also rich in higher content of sodium salts. Your puppies can not tolerate higher amounts of sodium in their diet and it may become poisonous to them.

Your dogs can feel a lot of discomforts by eating these plantain chips, some of them are mentioned below-

• Your dog may experience troubled bloating after eating the plantain chips due to their high sodium content.
• Many flavored plantain chips available in the market contain spices and foods such as garlic, onion, chilies, and many more.

•  These foods are not suitable for dogs and can cause a lot of trouble for them as garlic and onions are very toxic to these animals.

Some information about Plantains

Plantains look a lot like bananas, for a fact they are the varieties of banana and belongs to the same genus Musa. The dominant areas where these plants are found in abundance are the most tropical regions of the world. Generally, the Plantains are found in a bunch at different heights on a tree, and they pass through a series of changes in color while growing fully to the matured stage.

The fruit is consumed by humans and animals in many parts of the world. The fruit is generally consumed after boiling, steaming, deep-frying, grilling, and sometimes even in the forms of chips and crunchy snacks as well. Many Plantains derived products are available in the market that is prepared by mixing them in different flours. Or by preparing them in solutions of different foods like coconut, sugar or mangoes, and many others

These fruits are quite bigger in size as compared to the popular banana fruit. There are two kinds of plantains that are grown in most regions of the world-

• French plantain
• Horn plantain

Nutrition Value of Plantain

Plantains being a plant source are rich in dietary fiber and as a whole provides many nutrients. They cover large amounts of macro and micronutrients vital for the health of many organisms. Some important nutrients present in Plaintain are mentioned below-

• Fat is present in Plaintain in significant quantity,
• Cholesterol is also one of the components of Plantain 
• The sodium salt is there in the plantain fruit, it gave it a slightly salty taste as well.
• Potassium is present in small amounts and can be utilized by anyone who consumes Plantain. 
• Carbohydrate provides the essential energy. 
• Dietary fiber is one of the major components of plantain.
• Protein is present in the plantains 
• Vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin C are present.
• Many minerals like Iron and magnesium are present.

Are Plantains bad for my Dog?

As we have read above that Plantains in higher amounts or at regular intervals can cause some trouble to your dog. It should be avoided in larger amounts, but feeding them in the right amounts and in a controlled way can provide some beneficial effects as well.

How Plantains can help your dog?

Plantains when given in a controlled manner and by keeping a regular interval between consecutive diets can offer some advantages to your dog. Some advantages of Plantains are listed below-

Plantains can be helpful for dogs that have a higher appetite and are overweight. The food is rich in dietary fiber and in turn help in reducing the appetite of the dog by providing a constant feeling of fullness.

In some cases, the dietary fiber present in the plantain can help your dog in better digestion of the food. The plantain can be fed in a controlled manner with some other dog food, the fiber helps in regulating smoother bowel movements. 

Plantains contain potassium in tracer amounts, potassium is one of the vital minerals that helps in maintaining various life processes in an efficient way. Apart from increasing the efficiency of life processes, it is also very beneficial for the heart’s health.

Plantains can also improve the immunity system of your dog as they provide many vital nutrients that help in providing the right mix of balance for the immune health. The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of plantains help in fighting many diseases as well.

Negative effects of Plantains on my dog

Plantains if given in controlled amounts with a proper diet plan do not cause extreme negative effects to dogs but in some cases, they can cause slight negatives effects like-

Due to the presence of dietary fiber, there are chances of usual stomach upsets and extreme cases of diarrhea as well. The main reason for this is the overeating of the plantains 

Another side effect can be seen in many dogs if you feed them processed products derived from plantains like chips and other snacking options available in the market. They contain high amounts of fats, preservatives, many chemicals, and foods like onion and garlic. These food items can become toxic for the dog leading to extreme conditions of blood loss or a high temperature.

Apart from these side effects, there is a serious threat that people talk about, plantain is known to interfere with the blood sugar levels of the dogs. We have tried to cover this in the next section.

Can Plantain affect the blood sugar levels of My dog?

Processed plantain is somehow dangerous and can be toxic for your dog but apart from this, there is one more thing that can stop you from feeding plantains to your dog. That is it can interfere with the blood sugar level of your dog. Generally, there is no threat to dogs that have a sound metabolic rate and can be provided with plantains.

The main problem with plantain is in the case of a diabetic dog, the plantain can interfere with the blood sugar levels and may cause a serious threat to the animal.

Preparing Plantains for your dogs

Giving raw Plantains to your dog is not the ideal way to feed them. This can cause a lot of difficulty in digesting the food and may give sharp and acute stomach pain to your dog. Cooking it or preparing it can ease the process of eating and digesting the plantain for your dog. We have mentioned some ways to prepare plantains for your dog-

You can mash them after boiling with other foods to make a mix of food that is rich in many nutrients. This method is considered super healthy as it can provide the right blend of nutrients to your dog.

Baking the plantains for a good time and then mixing them with some crunchy healthy dog snacks can also serve as a treat for your animal.

Final Thoughts 

Plantains are green plant-based foods that are enjoyed by many animals due to their sweet taste and amazing smell. Dogs love to eat these fruits and a treat of plantain can benefit them in many ways.

Plantains are rich in a different range of nutrients and can offer multiple benefits to your dogs if provided in a controlled and planned way. Overeating and frequent use of plantain as dog food can cause many side effects to the animal.

Processed forms of plantain like chips and other snacks should be avoided as it contains many items that can be toxic to the dogs. Plantain is a good food source when given in a regulated way.