Can dogs eat papaya?

Halve the papaya lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Slice off the skin, which is tough and bitter, then cut the flesh into 2 cm (under 1 in) cubes. Papaya is soft, so it suits older dogs and those with dental problems.

At about 43 calories per 100 g, it is lighter than mango or banana.

Choose fruit with mostly yellow or orange skin that gives slightly when pressed. Green, rock-hard papaya is not ripe, and it is the version most likely to upset your dog's stomach.

Papaya seeds are small, peppery and hard to digest. In quantity they can cause stomach upset or add to a blockage in small dogs. The skin and unripe green fruit contain latex, a milky sap that can irritate the gut. Ripe fruit that yields to gentle pressure has much less of it.

A toy breed of 3 kg (7 lb) needs just one small cube. A 15 kg (33 lb) dog can have three or four. Large dogs over 30 kg (66 lb) can manage five or six. As with any new fruit, start with a single piece and see how your dog's stools look the next day.

Papaya contains papain, an enzyme sold in some digestive supplements. Feeding the fruit does not replace any supplement your vet has recommended, and it is not a remedy for digestive problems. Dried papaya spears are usually candied with sugar and are better left on the shelf.