5 Reasons to Feed Your Dog Cranberries

We all love to occasionally indulge in some tasty, tangy-sweet cranberries. It helps that they have a number of health benefits, including being a powerful source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. What many people don’t know is that our canine friends can also enjoy the benefits of cranberries. 

Before we get into why you should add them to your pup’s diet, let’s take a brief look at their nutritional content. 

What’s in a Cranberry?

Since they’re nearly 87% water, it would seem unlikely that cranberries have a lot of nutrients. But that’s far from true. They contain many important vitamins and minerals, including:

• Vitamin C for skin health and wound healing
• Vitamin E for immune health
• Vitamin K1 to aid with blood clotting
• Manganese for growth and metabolism

Moreover, cranberries are high in fibre and quercetin, which help with immune support and joint pain respectively. One of the antioxidants that are found in cranberries are anthocyanins. They improve brain health and stave off disease. Here’s how these components come together to make a happier and healthier dog. 

Anti-Cancer

Did you know that cancer kills 50% of all dogs that are over 10 years old? Of course, you want to do everything to ensure that your pup isn’t one of them. 

Studies on animals have shown that cranberries may slow the growth of tumours in certain cancers. The phytochemicals in cranberries further help by increasing apoptosis, which is cancer cell death. 

Urinary Tract Infections

One of the most well-known medicinal uses of cranberries is to prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). They can do this for dogs as well, which comes in addition to preventing recurrent infections among dogs that are prone to UTIs. This is partly thanks to cranberries’ antibacterial properties, which kill off E-coli bacteria.

Gut and Immune Health

A strong gut microbiome is crucial for canine digestive and immune health. Cranberries help to maintain balance in the gut by fighting off bacteria, fungi, and viruses without harming healthy bacteria. Researchers found that cranberries don’t only kill pathogens but can even have pre and probiotic effects on gut bacteria. 

Heart Disease

Dogs can suffer from several cardiac issues. Cranberries lower the risk of stroke, congestive heart failure and heart murmurs by reducing blood clotting. They also lower blood pressure and reduce blockages in the arteries. 

Overall Well-Being

As if the aforementioned benefits weren’t enough, cranberries can also prevent diabetes and improve oral health. As for how much of the delicious fruit you should feed your dog, it’s a good idea to leave it to the professionals. Complete raw dog food diets typically contain a suitable amount of fruits and other non-meat ingredients. 

You can have one custom made for your dog’s individual needs at Bella and Duke. They’re a UK raw dog food company that delivers frozen meals to your door. Check out their guide on raw dog food to learn more: https://www.bellaandduke.com/guide/raw-dog-food/. 

If you’re picking your own cranberries, make sure to buy organic whenever possible. This will ensure that your pup isn’t exposed to any pesticides.