Can Dogs Eat Persimmons? Persimmons Benefits For Dog’s Health

Have you brought home some persimmons from the market and want to know can dogs eat persimmons? They can, but like many fruits, should only be given in moderation and just as an occasional treat. Learn about the health benefits of persimmons and any warnings you should take note of. Persimmons look like an orange tomato, taste very sweet, and in fact, are berries.

Are you curious if it’s a good thing or a bad, and what, if any, are the health implications of feeding your dog persimmons?

Read on because that’s what we’re going to discuss in this article.

What Are Persimmons?

A persimmon is an edible berry that you will find growing on several trees of the genus Diospyros. The Asian persimmon (Diospyros Kaki) being the most widely known and more heavily cultivated.

Ripe persimmons appear in several colors, from a pale yellow to a distinctive orange. They come in different sizes and shapes. Some are relatively small, while others can grow to almost four inches in diameter. Mostly they are round but can be pumpkin or heart-shaped.

The two distinct types of persimmon are Hachiya and Fuyu. Hachiya persimmon is bitter tasting, has a pale color, and is heart-shaped. These bitter persimmons are too bitter to eat until they are fully ripe and soft. Fuyu is the type of persimmon that looks more like a tomato; these are much less bitter than the Hachiya variety and can be eaten when they are young and not ripe. They are pretty firm at this stage, and I think they taste better because they are not as sweet.

There is an American variety of persimmon that goes by the name of Diospyros virginiana. This persimmon is another extremely bitter-tasting fruit and grows in the southeastern United States and the lower Midwest.

Can Dogs Eat Persimmons?

There isn’t anything toxic about the persimmon fruit, so your dog can eat that part. The rest of the fruit we’re going to get to a little later. But as with anything we feed our dogs, we should always take the time to ask ourselves one question. Should we provide a certain kind of food to our dogs simply because it’s safe to do so?

I don’t believe so. All dogs need a diet that is in the correct proportions of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. They don’t specifically need anything else to maintain their proper weight and keep them in good health. It’s typically dog owners that want to feed their dogs human food, in many cases to the detriment of the dog’s health. As a dog owner myself, I know it’s tempting to give my dog a little taste of something I might be snacking on, and I think it’s ok to do that, as long as we’re 100% certain the food is safe.

Let’s look a little more in-depth at the question of whether dogs can eat persimmons.

Persimmons For Dogs Are They Healthy?

As mentioned, the persimmon fruit isn’t harmful or toxic to dogs, but if your dog has never eaten the fruit before, it would be best to test just a small quantity to ensure eating the fruit doesn’t bring on diarrhea or vomiting issues.

Persimmons possess some health benefits, such as the high levels of vitamin C they contain, which is excellent for us but not so important for dogs because they produce their own vitamin C.

However, persimmons don’t just contain vitamin C; they have several other nutrients that might benefit your dog. Let’s take a look at those.

Persimmons are a natural source of:

All of these nutrients have health benefits for dogs, and some have an antioxidant effect that is also helpful for dogs.

When Persimmons Are Bad For Dogs?

You should not feed persimmon seeds (not all persimmons have seeds) to your dog. There is a chance they can create digestive problems, and they may even cause inflammation in the small intestines. For tiny dogs, seeds can be a choking hazard if they eat several at once. Double-check if the persimmon you are feeding to your dog contains any seeds; if so, ensure you only provide the fruit.

Persimmons contain fiber which means they might make your dog poop if he eats a lot, something to consider. I would advise against feeding persimmons to puppies, their digestive system is still immature, and they are far more likely to suffer from diarrhea than an adult dog.

Going back to the seeds of the persimmon; if your dog does eat several seeds by accident and you worry they might make him poorly, check for any of these signs:

If any of these signs show up in the hours after you suspect he ate seeds, get in touch with your vet because there might be an intestinal blockage. While persimmons, in theory, are healthy for your dog, I doubt you will suddenly see a spike in his health or even any other outward sign they are doing him any good.

You would need to feed him a massive amount to see any results, but that would lead to more negative health issues than any benefits he would get. A good diet for a dog does not mean he needs to eat fruit, especially every day, and this includes persimmons; and ripe persimmons contain fructose, and too much of that will do more harm than good.

Feeding small amounts of fruit isn’t going to harm your dog as long as it’s given in the context of a healthy balanced diet and should be a treat.

Can Dogs Eat Persimmon Skin?

Yes, your dog can eat persimmon skin. However, before you feed him persimmon skin, you should quickly check on the variety of persimmon. If you provide your dog the Hachiya persimmon, it will need to be very ripe, or it will be incredibly bitter, and your dog will wonder what you’re trying to feed him.

But the Fuyu persimmon is a different story; your dog can eat them when they are firm and not fully ripe or when completely ripe; there’s no bitter taste.

Can Dogs Eat The Leaves Of The Persimmon?

Persimmon leaves contain vitamin C, magnesium, tannins, amino acids, and fiber. In Japan, they are commonly made into tea using dried or fresh leaves. They are bitter and probably not to everyone’s taste. Sometimes the Japanese also use larger, mature leaves to wrap a sushi dish called Kaki No Ha Zushi.

I can’t think of any sound reason that makes sense why you would want to give the leaves to your dog. They taste bitter, your dog probably won’t like them, and they might even give him diarrhea because of the fiber they contain.

Should your dog eat some of the leaves of his own accord, I wouldn’t worry too much, they aren’t toxic as such, but they might disagree with him.

Are Fuyu Persimmons Safe For Your Dog?

Fuyu persimmons are safe for your dog to eat. You can eat this variety of persimmon when they are not fully ripe, and so can your dog. They lack the Hachiya variety’s bitterness, which needs to be fully mature before eating, as we talked about at the start. The Fuyu variety is easily recognizable because they look like an orange tomato.

Is It Safe For Dogs To Eat Cooked Persimmons?

It’s safe to feed your dog cooked persimmons providing you don’t cook them with anything toxic to dogs. For example, certain kinds of herbs and spices are awful for dogs, and you should never give them to your dog.

Cooking a persimmon might ruin the flavor, I don’t know because I would never eat a cooked persimmon, but you might add some sugar to give it taste. Extra sugar in a dog’s diet isn’t necessary and can be harmful because too much sugar negatively affects a dog’s blood sugar levels. If you intend to feed persimmons to your dog, then provide them fresh and don’t add anything to them.

This information also goes for dried persimmons. All dried fruit contains more sugar than raw fruit, and that’s never a good thing.

Conclusion

Many pet parents want to share their food and snacks with their loving pets; typically, the pet is usually a willing participant, especially if the pet is a dog.

Whenever you introduce anything new to a dog’s diet, especially if it’s a fruit, you must take care not to upset their digestive process; or the next thing you know you have a dog with severe diarrhea on your hands. Always do your research before feeding different food to your dog; if you can’t find any appropriate guidelines consult your vet and ask for their advice.

There’s nothing harmful going to happen to your dog if you feed him small quantities of persimmon, and you ensure there are no seeds in the pieces you provide to him. Of the two most common varieties of persimmon, I believe it’s better to go with the Fuyu variety, mainly because you can give them to your dog before they are fully ripe when they are firmer and less sweet.