Banana, source of fiber for dogs
To the question "can you give bananas to your dog? », the answer is YES!
In addition to its richness in group B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals, bananas are a very good source of fiber for dogs. It contains in particular fructo-oligosaccharides (or FOS) which give it a prebiotic effect. By prebiotic, we must understand that the fibers of the banana promote the growth and activity of the dog's intestinal bacteria, constituting its flora or intestinal microbiota, and beneficial for maintaining good digestion and good immunity.
Bananas are therefore particularly useful for helping dogs restore their intestinal flora after an episode of diarrhea or when they are fed "canned" foods such as industrial mash (in addition to probiotics).
How much banana for my dog?
While bananas contain fibre, they also contain a lot of assimilable carbohydrates in the form of starch and simple sugars. The former can be poorly digested by some dogs (and in particular by Nordic dogs) when they are brought in too large quantities, while the latter must be limited in the diet of all dogs to prevent them from gaining weight.
Thus, a dog can absolutely receive bananas but in very limited quantities so as not to unbalance his diet and/or cause him intestinal disorders. Clearly, we must consider the banana as a treat distributed occasionally to his dog in quantities that do not exceed 10% of his daily energy requirement.
For example, in a small active dog of 5 kg who must receive 435 Kcal of food per day, only about forty Kcal can be brought to him by bananas, i.e. at most half a banana per day (about 50g of banana). If necessary, it will then be necessary to think of withdrawing 10% of its daily ration of food. Be careful, however, not to distribute this fruit in too large quantities to your dog if he is not used to it. Better to start with a small bite of banana and increase the quantities as the days go by if your dog digests it well.
Is banana contraindicated in some dogs?
Yes, due to its high sugar and energy content, bananas should be avoided in the diet of diabetic dogs or overweight dogs.
If your dog doesn't digest starch well - as is the case with Nordic dogs like the Husky, for example - bananas should also be avoided.
In what form should bananas be given to your dog?
Give your dog raw bananas with their skin removed. Avoid giving your dog bananas that are not ripe enough because, too green, they will be richer in starch and much less digestible for him.
To make banana fiber more accessible to your dog's digestive system, you can cut the fruit into small pieces or mash it with a fork before giving it to your dog.