Vegetables are a great addition to your dog’s diet if you stick to those that are safe. So, which vegetables are good for dogs? Let’s explore the best vegetables for dogs by veggie type.
As omnivores, dogs can digest plants as well as meat. Many naturopathic/holistic doctors believe a mixture of both is important for a healthy dog.
My sweet boy was a 9-year-old St. Bernard named Sonnie. When he was 4 years old, he suffered gastric torsion. Thankfully, he survived but afterwards what used to be some digestive upset became a daily struggle and he developed irritable bowel syndrome. Two years of researching finally came to finally finding the solution. I switched Sonnie to a wholefood diet along with plant-based supplements which included probiotics, live enzymes that are blended with microorganic algae. The first thing I learned was by adding pureed raw zucchini and celery (preferably organic) into his food that within days cleared up the mucous in his stool. The zucchini and celery are so packed with minerals that helps to start to restore the balance that has been lost. Also, the meat and water from young Thai coconut stops diarrhea and works to rehydrate the body and is a great antimicrobial as well. I also have a magic tea recipe that is effective to help relieve your dog’s gas, muscle spasms and bloating. If you know our story, I reversed his IBS in eight months. That was like hitting the lottery!
So back to which veggies are good and which aren’t. As I mentioned above zucchini and celery are excellent!
Leafy Greens
Spinach, shard, cabbage, and kale are all okay for dogs. If your dog is prone to digestive issue then I would avoid these and stick with zucchini and celery. Once your dog’s digestive system is back to optimal health then you can introduce the others. Besides being rich in vitamins A, C, K, calcium, iron and potassium, leafy greens are also a good source of fiber. Much like humans, dogs get the most nutrients when the veggies are uncooked. Of course, if you want you can steam your dog’s vegetables for something a little different or bake them for a crunchy treat. The high fiber greens can cause some dogs to have an upset stomach as I mentioned above after initially added to the diet so introduce them slowly to keep your dog’s tummy safe. Equally important is to give your dog’s live enzymes to help them breakdown their meals easier.
Root Vegetables
In general root vegetables like carrots, beets, sweet potatoes are safe to feed your dog. These vegetables are starchy and high in sugar, which means you do want to limit the amount you give your dog. Carrots should be given raw and pureed not whole since a dog’s digestion cannot break down the carrot easier. Sweet potatoes and beets should be steamed and mashed and mixed with some raw zucchini puree.
Stalks
This includes vegetables like celery and asparagus. It may be a little harder to get your dog to enjoy these types of vegetables, but they are safe for dogs. The celery I mix with zucchini and blend until baby food consistency can help dogs with bouts of diarrhea and the asparagus if your dog has a digestive issue, please steer away from the asparagus until your dog’s digestion is improved.
Squash
Squash of all varieties are safe for dogs to eat. Pumpkin and butternut squash can also help dogs with bouts of diarrhea, not too much pumpkin though because it can act as a laxative plus most dogs don’t mind the taste of squash. Use up all your excess summer squash from the garden by steaming it up for your dog or cut up and bake this year’s jack-o-lantern after Halloween for your dog to eat. It is best to limit your pup’s consumption to the meat of the squash, keeping the seeds and skin away.
Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cauliflower, Corn and Cucumber
With the exception of corn, all of these veggies are safe for your dog to munch on. If your dog has digestive issues stick with cucumber which is easily digestible and made primarily of water. Puree the cucumber or chop into fine pieces and mix with some organic goat yogurt or their main meat meal.
The reason why I say no to corn is besides being hard to digest, the FDA is charged with annually testing food samples for pesticide residues to monitor for illegally high residue levels. The fact that the agency only recently started testing for glyphosate, a chemical that has been used for over 40 years in food production, has led to criticism from consumer groups and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Calls for testing grew after the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen in 2015.
Glyphosate is best known as the main ingredient in Monsanto Co’s Roundup brand. More than 200m pounds are used annually by US farmers on their fields. The weedkiller is sprayed directly over some crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat and oats. Many farmers also use it on fields before the growing season, including spinach growers and almond producers. Even though I love corn, I’ve been staying away from it for this reason.
Whenever changing your dog’s diet to a wholefood diet, the diet must accompany two bioidentical requirements which are probiotics that are DDS1 strain, live enzymes that have not been heated in the process and minerals. All which have been blended with micro-organic wild algae which makes them more powerful. When switching your dog from a commercial dog food diet to a wholefood diet go slow and pay attention to your dog. If you follow these guidelines, adding vegetables to your pup’s food can help him/her receive a more varied, nutritionally complete profile in their diet.
Tips for Feeding Your Dog Vegetables
If your dog wants nothing to do with vegetables and you want to add to his/her diet, you can finely chop or puree and mix into your dog’s meals. But from what I’ve seen when you mix which some antibiotic/hormone free wild game meats, they will love the veggies 😉
When you are steaming the veggies, please make sure the veggies are room temperature before serving.
Remember, fresh is always best but if you find frozen bags of veggies on sale, stock up. Never give your dog’s frozen or cold vegetables, always defrost in a bowl of hot water.