Can Dogs Eat Lemon or Lime? When it is or isn’t an Emergency

You shouldn’t let dogs eat lemon or lime, even if the fleshy part isn’t highly toxic to dogs. The sour taste of lemons will put off most dogs but some may still be adventurous and try to eat the citrus fruits.

What happens if a dog eats lemon or lime?

Dogs can fall sick if they eat too many pieces of lemon. One issue is with the acidity of lemon and lime. It’s strong to cause irritation in the dog’s stomach. Vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness are common symptoms of dogs that eat too many pieces of lemon.

Another issue is with compounds like psoralens and toxins like limonene. Dogs that ingest too much of them can fall seriously sick. The lemon rind and seeds tend to contain the highest concentration of psoralen.

Can dogs lick lemons?

No, dogs shouldn’t lick lemons. A single lick of lemon or lemon juice is unlikely to make dogs sick, but too much of it can have a negative effect. You may want to keep a close eye on your dog for the next few days if the dog did manage to have one too many licks. Pay special attention to any changes in the dog’s eating or pooping habits.

Can dogs eat lemon peels?

No, dogs must not eat lemon peels. As we mentioned before, the skin has one of the highest concentrations of psoralen in lemons. The ingestion of too much psoralen can lead to toxicity. Eating lemon peels may also grow the risk of choking in small dogs and puppies.

Can dogs have lemon or lime juice?

No, dogs must not have lemon or lime juice. Naturally-squeeze lemon juice will have the highest concentration of citric acid, which is toxic to dogs in large amounts. Processed lemon juice like lemonade should also be kept out of the dog’s reach. These products come with a lot of unhealthy additives like sugar. You can find out about other human foods which dogs shouldn’t eat by visiting our human foods database.