Can dogs eat dragon fruit?

Cut the fruit in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, or peel the leathery skin away with your fingers. Dice the flesh into cubes around 2 cm (under 1 in). There is no core or stone, which makes it one of the simpler exotic fruits to share.

Dragon fruit has around 60 calories per 100 g and a mild, slightly sweet taste.

Yellow dragon fruit, with its spiky yellow skin and white flesh, is the sweetest type and tends to have a stronger laxative effect, so give it in even smaller amounts than the pink kinds.

Red and magenta dragon fruit contain strong natural pigments called betalains, the same family that colors beetroot. A day after eating some, a dog may pass pinkish or reddish stools or urine. If you know your dog has eaten red pitaya and it is otherwise bright and well, that is the likely cause.

White-fleshed varieties do not cause this.

Two or three cubes is a sensible serving for a medium dog. Small dogs need one cube. Because the fruit is fibrous and watery, larger portions can loosen stools. Frozen cubes make a cooling treat in warm months.

Dragon fruit smoothie bowls, sorbets and dried snacks are often sweetened. Some powdered versions sold for colorful baking are pure pigment and add nothing for your dog. Fresh or frozen fruit is the version to use.