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Jackfruit is a tropical fruit with a lovely subtle sweet flavor and taste popular in Asia. We, humans, enjoy this fruit in various ways like raw, fried, or prepared in stews. Because of its taste, texture and health benefits, this large fruit has recently gained fans from all over the world as a meat substitute.
Perhaps you’re thinking of sharing some of this delicious fruit with your dog. It’s a very common question we get from the dog owner as to whether this fruit is safe for their furry friend.
The short answer is – yes, you can but in moderation and only the flesh. Like other fresh veggies and fruits, you can easily use this fruit as a treat for your dog. However, there are some things to take note of. Below, we will cover the benefits and risks of feeding jackfruit to your canine companion.
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Table of Contents Show
What is a Jackfruit?
Jackfruit is a member of the Moraceae family. This family includes fruits like mulberries, breadfruits, and figs. Jackfruit may weigh up to 110 pounds, which makes this fruit the largest one on this planet.
Jackfruit originated in Sri Lanka and India and was cultivated for human consumption for thousands of years. This fruit is also widely available in other countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, et. Right now, the cultivation of this fruit spreads in other tropical areas like Brazil, central and eastern Africa, and some of the US states like Hawaii and Florida.
When ripe, jackfruit develops yellow or yellowish-green color with a bumpy texture on the outside. The flavor of ripe jackfruit is fruity and extremely sweet. But be careful about over-ripened jackfruit, which smells bad.
There are a variety of ways of eating jackfruit such as dried, fresh, cooked, canned, curry, etc. Nowadays, jackfruit is widely used in different forms such as jelly, jams, chips, sauces, etc. Many people just love this sweet fruit in various dishes for its delicious taste. This is also used as a meat substitute and most vegans love unripened jackfruit because of its similar taste as like pork.
As a significant source of nutrients, this tropical fruit can be a key to sound health and wellness. Besides these, this requires very little maintenance while growing. Every part of the jackfruit tree is useful for human purposes. People can eat the juicy fruit, and give the leaves and rind to livestock, and the branch of jackfruit is used as high-quality wood. Jackfruit trees can be taller between 60 to 70 feet, with short trunks and dense rooftops.
The Health Benefits of Jackfruit for dogs
Like other nutritious fruit, jackfruit usually contains a lot of vitamins, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, and others. These essential nutrients are all equally healthy and beneficial to your dog’s health in the following ways:
- Vitamins: Jackfruit enriches a lot of vitamins, particularly vitamin C and antioxidants, which boost your dog’s immune mechanism. Other vitamins include vitamin A and vitamin B complexes such as folic acid, thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin. These vitamins promote the general well-being of your dog by improving their skin and coat’s condition and supporting the nervous system. This also prevents the effect of aging in your dog.
- Minerals: Micronutrients in jackfruit such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, iron, etc. can help your dog in many ways. Potassium prevents the prevalence of heart attack or stroke in your dog by reducing high blood pressure. Magnesium and calcium promote stronger bones, which is essential for all ages of dogs.
- High water content: The pulp and flesh of jackfruit comprise mostly water which promotes hydration, facilitates healthy digestion, and well absorption of nutrients.
- Dietary fiber: As a high-fiber food, jackfruit helps to maintain the healthy, well-functioning digestive system of your dog. Additionally, this fiber encourages a healthy heart, which is directly related to your dog’s well-being.
- Low calorie and sodium content: Jackfruit is really good for your overweight dog because it contains very fewer calories. Half a cup of jackfruit comprises only 80 calories. Additionally, low sodium content is beneficial for your dog’s heart, which prevents congestive heart failure (CHF) and strokes.
Can Dog Eat All Part of a Jackfruit?
No, dogs can’t eat all parts of jackfruit, especially seeds, peel or rind, and an inner core which is very hard. These items are hazardous and can cause intestinal blockage to your dog, which requires urgent veterinary support. Before offering jackfruit, you need to remove these parts and offer the ripened fleshy part of jackfruit in adequate portions to your lovely dog.
Can Dogs Have Jackfruit Meat?
Definitely, yes. This is the safest portion of jackfruit to offer to your adorable companion. Feeding jackfruit meat in a smaller portion adds great value to your dog’s diet. Be careful about the latex-like substances of jackfruit which may cause latex allergy in your pet. Unlike seeds, your dog can easily eat jackfruit pulp and meat. This is totally safe if your dog had no allergic reactions to jackfruit.
Can Dogs Eat Jackfruit Seed?
Usually, a single jackfruit comprises of almost 100 to 500 Brazil nut-sized seeds. But it’s recommended to avoid both raw and cooked jackfruit seeds in your dog’s diet. Raw jackfruit seeds usually contain some cyanide-like toxic compounds which are harmful to your dog. Eating those can develop toxicity and become life-threatening for your dog.
Cooked jackfruit seeds usually taste like chestnuts and veterinarians suggest avoiding these too. The marble-sized jackfruit seeds pose a potential choking hazard to dogs, therefore it’s always best to keep your dog safe by avoiding jackfruit seeds.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Jackfruit?
Like other dried fruits, dried jackfruit is a fun treat for your dog. This usually contains a lot of sugar, which remains a concerning issue for your overweight dog. But if your dog accidentally ate dried jackfruit, observe him for any kind of allergic reaction. For any emergency, call your veterinarian immediately.
Can Dogs Eat Jackfruit Chips?
Jackfruit chips are a tasty, crunchy snack that every dog loves to eat. Therefore, it’s okay to give moderate amounts of jackfruit chips to your dog, but be careful about the seasoning and spices. Additional spices and flavoring agents can make your dog become sick.
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Jackfruit?
Vegan pulled pork is one of the popular ways to eat cooked jackfruit while some people enjoy making it into a stew. Currently, the research regarding dogs eating jackfruit is ongoing. Therefore, dog nutritionists suggest dog owners avoid jackfruit in their allergic dog’s diet. For cooked jackfruit, avoid all the ingredients such as garlic, onion, spices, etc. which are harmful to dogs.
How Can I Feed Jackfruit to My Dog?
Unlike other fruits, jackfruit is the largest and heavier one. Jackfruit is not a fruit you can easily peel, just like a banana or mango. You need to follow some steps to remove the outer spikey part, inner core, and seed to get the delicious fleshy part of jackfruit. If you’re still confused, just do the following techniques:
- Take away the outer skin: Similar to humans, the jackfruit rind is totally inedible for your dog. If your dog accidentally eats this part, he will surely develop a choking or intestinal blockage. That’s why at first you need to remove the outer hard part to get inside this fruit. Be careful about the inedible latex, which is dangerous for your canine friend. These latex or glue-like substances may cause severe allergic reactions in your dog.Remove the seed: Secondly, you need to deseed the jackfruit to separate the edible jackfruit meat. These seeds contain toxic compounds like tannins and trypsin inhibitors and act as a choking agent as well.
- Slice the jackfruit meat: Now, you can just cut the jackfruit flesh into smaller portions and offer these to your adorable companion. Don’t forget to see the reaction of your dog after eating the first slice. For any problem, get the support of your veterinarian immediately.
Homemade Jackfruit Recipes
As a dog owner, you have various options to offer jackfruit meat or pulp to your dog. With a moderate amount, you can offer jackfruit to your dog in the following ways:
- Jackfruit smoothies: On hot summer days, you can make a nutritious smoothie for your dog by blending jackfruit with garden-fresh veggies and yogurt.
- You can blend fresh jackfruit chunks with pure yogurt, pureed sweet potatoes, and frozen to make a creamy and delightful jackfruit ice cream. This can be a perfect treat for a dog on a hot, sunny day.
- For extra hydration, you can add an adequate amount of jackfruit flesh on top of your dog’s normal diet.
Is Jackfruit Safe for Dogs?
Usually, the fleshy part of jackfruit is totally safe for your dogs in an adequate amount. Sometimes, the situation might get worse if your dog becomes allergic to this fruit. Also, this fruit can be bad for dogs if they eat the rind and seeds of the jackfruit. The rind or outer part of jackfruit remains hard, sharp, and spikey, which can injure the mouth cavity and esophagus of your dog.
Jackfruit rind is difficult to swallow and acts as a choking hazard for your dog. If somehow your dog swallows the rind, there’s a high chance of developing intestinal blockages in your dog. This is a life-threatening issue for your dog, which requires immediate veterinary assistance.
You need to be alert in case your dog shows some symptoms like vomiting, abdominal swelling and abdominal pain, inappetence, upset stomach, diarrhea, hard or difficult pooping, etc. after eating jackfruit rind. While left untreated, the situation might cause serious health consequences for your dog. To make sure about your dog’s safety, best sure to remove the spikey rind, inner core, and seeds. Only provide the juicy and delicious jackfruit meat to your dog.
Final Thoughts
Jackfruit, the largest fruit in the world, is relatively new to the US market. The majority amount of jackfruit usually comes from South and Southeast Asia. As a responsible dog owner, you always need to keep close attention to any abnormal signs or symptoms while introducing new food to your dog’s diet. This will keep you safe from further trouble with your adorable dog.