Can a Dog Taste Orange Juice?

Orange juice is a tasty beverage and is an essential breakfast drink. It is sweet, tangy, and brightly colored, making it a great addition to dressings, sauces, and even desserts! People don't just drink orange juice because it is tasty, but also for its wonderful health benefits like vitamin C. 

But just because a drink or a food has health benefits for humans, does it mean it has the same health benefits for dogs as well? In some cases this is true, but in the case of orange juice, your dog doesn't need extra levels of vitamin C and the juice is much too high in sugars and fructose. 

Just because your dog likes a certain food, it does not mean that they should be eating or drinking it. Dogs will eat just about anything you give them, not to mention the stuff they eat that you don't give them...we're talking about things like plants, grass, and even bugs - yuck! This just goes to show if your dog thinks something looks good, they are probably going to try it. 

Even though orange juice should not be given to a dog, other than a lick from a finger once or twice, your dog is probably going to like the flavor of the juice. Orange juice is fruity, slightly tangy, and sweet and these are all flavors most dogs really love and enjoy. 

If you give your dog a lick of orange juice, you can tell right away if they like it or if they are not crazy about the flavor. If your dog eagerly licks the juice and appears like they want more by begging, it is safe to say your dog likes the drink. Your dog may also drool a lot, lick their lips, bark, whine, cry, or howl for more when they want it. Many dogs will also paw at you, stare at you eagerly, look alert and put their ears up and/or forward, and they may even jump up at your and the food as well. 

Interestingly, orange juice was not always a popular breakfast beverage. Orange juice was created in the 1920's when orange farmers in Florida had so many oranges they were growing they did not know what to do with all of the fruit before it went bad and rotted. 

Before this happened, orange juice was seen as a seasonal luxury because oranges only ripen during certain times. Therefore, oranges were freshly squeezed for their juice and it was a labor-intensive process. Farming became much more industrialized in the 1920's. Mass amounts of oranges were grown by farmers and oranges could not be juiced and stored raw for long periods of time. 

They discovered the juice could be pasteurized, so it was shelf stable for much longer. This meant the juice could be shipped to other states and cities without spoiling. 

However, the issue that happens with mass production and pasteurization is the natural vitamins, minerals, and health benefits of the food become too processed and we see little actual health benefits from orange juice that isn't squeezed fresh and raw. This left us with high sugar juice that did not contain the same level of vitamins as the good, old raw stuff. 

Even though orange juice became a mass produced beverage and was readily available in the US, it was unlikely dogs were ever feed cups of ornage juice on purpose. 

Orange juice is praised for its high levels of vitamin C. Yes, vitamin C is great for you and your dog, but in reality, your dog really doesn't need any extra vitamin C. Furthermore, the vitamin C levels in orange juice are negated by the fact this juice is high in calories and contains high levels of sugar as well. Commercially produced orange juice has a lot of sugar, even with no sugar added varieties, and is too acidic as well. This can hurt your dog's tummy and digestion, causing them diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, nausea, and upset stomach. 

However, oranges are not inherently bad or toxic for your dog, so if they have a lick of orange juice and lap up some juice that spilled on the floor, they are not going to become deathly ill. Also, keep in mind the freshly-squeezed orange juice is also much lower in calories and sugar, which would be much safer and more beneficial for both humans and pups! 

Avoiding giving your dog orange juice is super simple! Do not intentionally give your dog the juice. Make sure you leave full glasses of orange juice you pour for yourself out of reach so your dog can't lap any juice up from the cup. 

If your dog gets a few licks of orange juice or you share some with Fido on your finger, this is generally ok and will not pose any issues, but don't make it a habit. There are plenty of other foods and fruits your dog can actually enjoy in larger quantities and that are actually good for them. Fresh fruit like melon, blueberries, apples, and bananas are awesome, healthy fruits to share with your dog. They have fantastic health benefits your dog can benefit from and it will keep them happy and healthy. 

If you are looking to give your dog the health benefits orange juice does have, you can also try a few slices of fresh oranges or give them a very small amount of freshly-squeezed, raw orange juice. Raw orange juice is going to have a lot of vitamins and minerals, have a lot less sugar, and is not processed like the orange juice you buy in the supermarket.