Dog food: 5 Benefits of eating Blueberries for your pets

Peruvian superfoods can also bring many benefits to the health of our pets. Learn about the advantages of including Blueberries on their diet.

Did you know that your dog can also eat Peruvian superfoods? That's right! Change the food dog you always buy and create a varied diet with some of the superfoods that our Peru produces. As a result of various studies – such as the one published by the American Nutrition Society in 2020– today we know that Blueberries can also be beneficial for the health of your pets. Just remember that a balanced diet for a dog should be composed of 70% to 80% protein. The rest of the diet may include these nutritious Peruvian fruits.

On this occasion, we will tell you about 5 benefits that fresh and nutritious Blueberries can bring to the health of your dog, thanks to the support of Marisol Sevilla, veterinary doctor and specialist in animal nutrition. 

CAN HELP WITH DIGESTION AND METABOLISM

If your dog suffers from overweight or digestion problems, this fruit may be ideal for him. Blueberries can help improve the intestinal transit because contain prebiotics. These are substances that feed the good bacteria of the intestinal flora. "A well-strengthened and balanced  intestinal flora helps the immune system. Thanks to this, we can say that the Blueberry is, without a doubt, a superfood", says the specialist.

DO NOT HAVE EXCESS SUGARS

Blueberry has very low glucose and fructose levels, so it is described as a fruit with a low glycemic index. This can prevent increase blood glucose level, which is important because dogs don't have the facility to assimilate sugars like humans. So if, for example, your puppy has diabetes, he has the possibility of consuming it without problems. Just remember that should not eat it excessively because in this way it would have the opposite effect.

ANTI-CANCER PROPERTIES

Did you know that Blueberry extract can prevent the growth of cancer cells? Evidence has been found that this wonderful superfood can have a positive effect on preventing the formation of tumors. This property has been well studied in humans and its benefits could be extrapolated to dogs.

HAS A HIGH CONTENT OF VITAMIN C

Vitamin C is necessary to heal wounds and form scar tissue; repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth; and helps the absorption of iron. However, that's not all. "There are dogs that relapse into problems of urinary tract infections and Blueberries can help them. Vitamin C is water-soluble. This means that, once consumed, it is eliminated through the urine. This can acidify the pH of the urine a bit, which can be beneficial because negative bacteria such as E. Coli- do not support acidic PH. In this way, an initial infection can be cushioned," explains the nutritionist.

MAY HELP PREVENT URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

E. Coli bacterium is the bacterium that most commonly affects the urinary tract of dogs. To infect the body, the bacterium need to attach to the walls of the bladder and urethra. "In a study in dogs from the University of California, for two continuous months they were given Blueberry extract and this prevented the bacterium adhering to the walls of the bladder and ended up being eliminated in the urine. That is why we say that it has prevention and protection properties," says Sevilla.

Precautions to take into account 

Having said the positive properties of Blueberries, we want tell you that you should take into account an important point to add to this Peruvian superfood in the diet of your dog. We recommend moderating the portions taking into account the characteristics and needs of your pet. The specialist recommends consulting an expert, but - as a rule - you can give only 3 to 5 pieces of Blueberry daily to the dog, depending on its size and weight.

Remember that no excess is good and that superfoods can help your dog if you give them properly. So now you know, keep consuming Peruvian product!