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Dogs can safely eat small amounts of plantains if cooked. However, raw fruit can be a choking hazard, especially if your dog likes to gobble it up. We recommend boiling or otherwise cooking plantains to soften them before serving them to your dog. It is also helpful to chop them into small pieces. The size depends on the size of your dog.
Of course, you shouldn’t just feed your dog plantain. They’re high in carbohydrates and don’t contain all the nutrients your dog needs. In small quantities, they can make a healthy snack. However, your dog should be fed primarily a whole commercial dog food (or a carefully formulated home diet).

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Potential Benefits of Plantain
Small amounts of plantain may be beneficial for some dogs. But, as we said, you shouldn’t feed your dog a lot. Here are some reasons why you might want to add plantain to your dog’s diet.
1. Fiber
Plantains are high in fiber. Fiber is an important part of a dog’s diet, although it’s often overlooked. Fiber helps the microbiota in your dog’s stomach thrive, preventing digestive issues and supporting the immune system. Fiber is therefore essential, and many dogs may consume more fiber than is provided in a typical diet.
Of course, we recommend that you consult with your veterinarian before adding significant amounts of fiber to your pet’s diet. Fiber is great for obese dogs, but may not be suitable for underweight dogs.
2. Blood sugar stability
Anytime your dog eats, their blood sugar will spike. When they run out of new sugar, their blood sugar drops. It works the same way in dogs as it does in humans. Both high and low blood sugar can cause problems. Fortunately, fiber helps slow down the digestion of sugar, which reduces blood sugar spikes.
Therefore, dogs who have difficulty controlling blood sugar may benefit from plantain. Many smaller dogs fall into this category, as do dogs with diabetes. However, because plantains are high in carbohydrates, they are not the best choice for dogs with diabetes unless directed by your veterinarian.
3. Immunity-Boosting Nutrients
Plantains contain a variety of immune-boosting nutrients. For example, it’s high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and vitamin A. As such, plantains could easily be considered an immune-boosting snack.
However, it must be recognized that these nutrients will not consistently strengthen your pet’s immune system. There is a maximum at which these vitamins no longer do any good. They can even hurt your dog when used in large quantities. However, these high levels are often not obtained through a regular diet. In contrast, overdose usually only occurs when supplements are used.
3. Reduce inflammation
In some cases, plantain fruit may help reduce inflammation. According to some, the plant has anti-inflammatory properties. However, the scientific literature is not very clear about this benefit. So while plantain has this benefit, if your dog needs to lower inflammation, we might recommend something that has been more researched.
Potential Drawbacks of Plantain
Of course, plantains aren’t all good. There are some potential downsides to feeding this plant that should be considered before offering anything to your dog.
1. Suffocation
Uncooked plantain can be very tough because of its high fiber content. Therefore, plantain must be cooked before feeding it to your dog. In many cases, you should also break the plant down into smaller pieces. Smaller dogs will need their food cut into very small pieces, while larger dogs may not need it.
Choking can be serious and potentially fatal, so prepare your plantain properly.
2. Gastrointestinal problems
As you can imagine, many dogs are not used to eating plantains. As a result, dogs can develop gastrointestinal problems soon after eating plantains. For this reason, we only recommend giving your dog small amounts. Smaller amounts are less likely to cause stomach upset.
If you need to give your dog more plantain, do it slowly.
Also, don’t give your dog fried plantains. Excess fat can increase your chances of stomach upset.
Fortunately, any stomach problems associated with plantain should disappear within 24-48 hours. There is usually no reason to talk to your veterinarian unless your dog has an underlying problem that could make the stomach upset serious.
3. Obesity
Plantains are incredibly high in sugar and carbohydrates. Therefore, excessive consumption can lead to obesity. Obesity is no fun and can lead to all kinds of health problems. Sadly, obesity is a serious problem in many developed countries. Almost half of all dogs are overweight — and that number isn’t decreasing.
Therefore, it is imperative that you watch your dog carefully for signs of weight gain and take the necessary correct steps to address the problem before it gets out of hand.

©iStock.com/igorr1
Are Plantains Poisonous to Dogs?
Plantain is not overtly toxic to dogs. In fact, when eaten in small amounts, they can be a nutritious snack. However, these fruits must be carefully prepared without any seasoning.various seasonings yes Toxic to dogs, so it’s crucial to avoid seasoning when cooking plantains for your dog.
Also, you should not fry plantains. Fried plantains are not necessarily poisonous. However, too much fat can lead to stomach problems. Therefore, all dogs should avoid fried foods, even if fried foods are “healthy.”
While virtually any method other than frying will work, steaming is considered the best option. It helps keep as much of the nutrients in the plantain as possible while still softening the plantain considerably. In general, plantains are cooked in the same way as potatoes.
Plantains with Vanilla
There are two different types of plantain: fruit and herb. Both are non-toxic to dogs, so you don’t have to worry about distinguishing between the two. However, this is not challenging since one is a fruit and the other is a leaf.
Both have fairly similar benefits. However, this herb is often used for topical purposes, such as on wounds. Fruit is not used for this purpose. Many people find this fruit tastier and easier to cook. Plus, fruit is often easier to find at the grocery store. (However, the herb is native to many parts of the world.)
Ways to Feed Plantain to Dogs
If you decide to feed your dog plantain, there are several ways to go about it.whatever you feed them fruit plantain or herb Plantain, both parts can be prepared in different ways. Here are some of our favorite methods:
- Fresh leaves: You can offer your dog fresh leaves of plantain. The leaves have to be crushed or crushed to release their benefits, but this can happen anytime you give your dog this plant. We only recommend a small amount, though, as too many leaves can quickly upset a dog’s stomach.
- Plantain Juice: You can also juice this plant to provide your dog with all the benefits without suffocating. However, juicing removes some of the fiber, so if you’re mainly after fiber content, there are other options. We recommend adding a small amount of juice to your dog’s regular food.
- Steamed: If you feed fruit, we recommend feeding it steamed. This makes it very soft, but it also doesn’t require any added ingredients. Steam the plantain until soft enough to mash before feeding to your dog. Do not add any seasonings as some of them are poisonous.

©iStock.com/Jogy Abraham
final thoughts
Plantain is non-toxic to dogs. In fact, it may have several different benefits, including a high fiber content. Dogs who need more fiber in their diet may benefit from occasional consumption of plantain. However, this fruit doesn’t contain everything your dog needs in its diet. As such, it should only be an occasional snack.
You will see a lot of claims about the benefits of this fruit. However, many of them have no scientific basis.
There are also some potential downsides. This fruit can upset your dog’s stomach, especially if they’re not used to it. Therefore, we recommend starting with a very low amount and increasing it slowly.
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.