Imagine your dog in the wild, alone and trying to survive. What would it eat? Probably some grasses, plants, insects, bird eggs, small animals and other edible things it can find. Depends on where the dog is and the climate zone, but if different types of edible berries are available, your dog would love them. My fifteen year old poodle loves the great taste of blueberries. She likes them as a frozen snack in the hot summer as well as added in different foods. I don’t know why, but some dog owners question blueberries as a food for their pets. In my opinion they should question all the junk and processed food they feed their pets. These dog owners probably have the idea that blueberries are similar to raisons and grapes which can be harmful and can cause upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea. Your pet is not able to break down the acid in raisins as a human; however it has nothing to do with blueberries.

There are numerous studies about the benefits of blueberries given to dogs. E. Mitchell Seymour, a University of Michigan researcher did an experiment with two groups of rats. He fed one group a high fat diet and the other a low fat diet with each group also given freeze-died blueberry powder for three months. He also had a control group of rats that were not fed any blueberries for both groups. At the end of the experiment the rats given blueberries had less fat, cholesterol and triglycerides. Dark pigmented fruits and vegetables have high levels of anthocyanins, which are thought to help with lowering blood sugar, cholesterol and fat, thus are helpful in fighting cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Blueberries contain phenolics, which are good antioxidants that help with free radicals. Exercise causes oxidative stress which antioxidants will help. Two groups of sled dogs in Alaska were in a study to see the effects of exercise induced oxidative damage could help if sled dogs were given blueberries. The group of sled dogs that took the blueberries did have much higher antioxidant levels than the ones without. This study done in 2006 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks did conclude that dogs fed blueberries were better protected to muscle oxidative harm. Other good things about blueberries for your dog is fiber, vitamin K, manganese, and other studies have found that they help to reduce stroke damage in pets and heart disease.

Even North Korean scientists are studying the healing effects of wild blueberries. Their Central News Agency reported that their scientist had positive results with a study that found blueberries lowered cholesterol in liver, kidney and blood vessels as well as healing and preventing heart and blood illnesses.

When you feed your dog blueberries, make sure they are fresh, fresh frozen or dehydrated less than 115 F degrees without added preservatives or sugar. It is a very good idea to check with your holistic dog vet to make sure what you want to give your dog is okay. Many “all natural” dog food products include blueberries. Don’t get tricked with the words “all natural” as they are cooked (> 115 degrees) and most of the nutrients and enzymes are dead. Your dog in the wild will not be cooking the blueberries or any other food. Dogs are natural raw food eaters. It is very easy to dehydrate some snacks for your dog at a low temperature, which are convenient to take with you.