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Vegetables are great for dogs. Because of their low calorie content, veggies make a delicious treat that won’t add bulk to your baby’s body. And, they can provide your dog with some of the essential nutrients he needs, reducing the need for vitamin supplements. Like in humans, the rich vitamins and minerals from numerous vegetable sources can offer countless alimentary benefits to dogs as well.
Veggies to Keep Dogs Healthy
1. Healthiest vine veggies. Squash, cucumbers, and green beans are generally identified to be the most nutritious vine vegetables for dogs. Squash and cucumbers, whether raw or cooked, are rich in potassium which is beneficial in keeping your dog’s kidneys healthy while at the same time reducing his propensity for heart failure. Plus, squash has high amounts of Vitamin A, folate, and calcium. Green beans, on the other hand, contain high contents of cellulose which can be good in helping a hefty pooch lose weight.
2. Top leafy greens. Celery generally provides a sufficient amount of vitamins like A, C, and K, and minerals such as fiber, riboflavin, folate, and lots of other nutrients that are beneficial to your dog’s health. However, it contains high levels of sodium, and should be fed in moderation. Another nutritious vegetable for Fido is parsley. Aside from vitamins A, C, and K, the plant is also rich in potassium, manganese, copper, and folate. In addition, spinach is also abounding with many vitamins such as A, C, E, and, K, and minerals like iron, thiamine, folate, potassium, calcium, zinc, and niacin. Like celery, spinach is also rich in sodium.
3. Best root veggies. Asparagus, carrot, and sweet potato are considered to be the top three most nutritious root vegetables readily available for dogs. Asparagus is rich in vitamins like A, B6, C, E, and K, and various minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, and copper. While carrots have rich cellulose content, Vitamin A, as well as beta-carotene, sweet potatoes, on the other hand, contain high levels of Vitamin A and B6, and potassium. Additionally, sweet potatoes contain high amounts of fiber, making them a great treat that also helps your dog to become “regular.” Both carrots and sweet potatoes make great low-calorie treats for pooches.
There are many other vegetables that not only appeal to Fido’s taste, but can keep him healthy as well. Nevertheless, not all vegetables are safe to be eaten by your dog. Because there are lots of human foods that can cause harm to your pooch, make sure that you consult your vet before giving him anything that seems palatable. And, check out this list of foods to avoid feeding your dog.
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linda
Apr 29, 2014 at 3:07 pm
Wondering about comments referring to eating raw only. wouldn’t that be more difficult on digestion? I make the food for my dogs -chicken, fruit, veg. & cook it all. they’re perfectly healthy.
thank you.
Shelly PoochParkWear
Apr 29, 2014 at 3:00 pm
I blend her veggies and then mix them in with her beef so she does not know she is eating them as if I put them in as chunks etc she spits them out BOL
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Jennifer
Oct 24, 2013 at 5:57 am
My two Little Monsters, 3 year old Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher brothers eat a completely raw diet. They get Liver, Heart, and Muscle along with a variety of Veggies every day. They weigh between 8 and 9 pounds, so the get 1/2 of a Raw Brown Egg from Local Organic Pastured Chickens, .6-.75 ounces of each of the Heart, Liver, and Muscle along with .3-.4 ounces of a variety of Fruits and Veggies such as Spinach, Bean Sprouts, Alfalfa Sprouts, Beets, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Brocolli, and Apple every day. I also rotate in Cucumbers, Squash, Strawberries when they are ripe in my garden, Pumpkin and others from time to time for variety of nutrients. They also get Raw Bones, Raw Milk and other parts of an animal when available, but ALWAYS Raw. The Fruits and Veggies are ALWAYS grated to make them very easy for my little guys to digest. To the Meats, Fruits and Veggies I add 1 Rounded Teaspoon of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth(Internal Cleansing, Internal Parasite Control & Nutrition), 1 Level Teaspoon of Brewers Yeast(Flea Control & Nutrition), 1 Teaspoon of Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar(Flea Control & Nutrition), 1 Teaspoon of E.V. Olive Oil or Fish Oil(Nutrition), and 1/2 Capsule for each of Milk Thistle, Dandelion, or Red Clover(4 weeks on and then 4 weeks off as a Detox regime for any toxins that built up in their body before I got them because they were given Deadly Pesticide Based Spot-On Flea treatments monthly, Heartworm Medicine, and fed Commercial food. This will remove the toxins from their tissues and organs by cleansing their Liver, Kidneys and Intestines).
I was feeding Dr. Harveys Veg to Bowl Fine Ground, but every day in their poopey I would find the whole pieces of virtually all the items that were in the Dr. Harveys. Plus, by adding boiling water to rehydrate the Dr. Harveys it would raise the temperature high enough to kill the Enzymes, some Vitamins and other nutrients that were in Dr. Harveys which negated some of the advantages of feeding Raw. The day that I switched to fresh Fruits and Veggies that I chopped and grated myself I no longer found any undigested particles in their poopey at all any more.
I know that it may seem extreme to do all this, but I want them both to live a Very Long, Very Healthy and Very Happy Illness and Disease Free life. My last two Companions were illness adnd disease free for their whole life right up to the very end, and I would like for these two to be the same way if at all possible. Plus I love to see the dance they do and hear the cute little noises they make while they watch me prepare their food every day. They very obviously like what they are fed and to see them this happy, to me at least, this is worth its weight in Gold!!!!
Ashley
Oct 15, 2013 at 1:24 am
I dehydrate sweet potatoes for my pup and she LOVES them. I’ve started making huge batches and giving some to my friends with pups as well.
Mobius
Oct 14, 2013 at 6:37 pm
This is great, thanks for posting it. On the other hand, I don’t think the author knows what “On the other hand…” means.
Jym
Oct 14, 2013 at 8:49 am
a bone of contention 😉 Asparagus is not a root vegetable.
Louise
Oct 11, 2013 at 5:25 am
The article doesn’t say how to give them to your pets. My understanding is that for a dog to properly digest veges they have to be raw (no cooking although dogs should never eat cooked food) and either very finely grated or vitamised.
Kelley C
Oct 14, 2013 at 10:22 am
Louise we shouldn’t eat cooked food either LOL! I’ve seen dogs who just love the really big carrots that are too tough for people anyway.
I’ve found some great recipes by searching the internet for home made dog treats that are pretty easy to make and healthy too. Also look at Amazon, they have dog recipe books. I learned not make too many at once though, as alot do need to be in the fridge.
Have fun!
Louise
Oct 15, 2013 at 2:45 am
I follow and have for years an amazing Australian vet Bruce Syme of Vets All Natural and he’s done years of researching what pets should eat. He maintains, and I agree, that dogs should eat what they used to eat in the wild when they lived to 24 and more. So they would kill an animal and eat the meat, the bones and they would rip open the guts and eat the contents which is grass, seeds, fruit, nuts etc. I absolutely agree with him. People don’t realise that dogs used to live to their mid and late 20’s back then – it’s all about diet.
Jennifer
Oct 24, 2013 at 5:59 am
Bravo, Bravo!!! I wish more pet owners would realize what you obviously know!
Kip
Nov 6, 2013 at 11:40 pm
that was a long time ago and dogs have become far too domesticated for that today… don’t believe me? Take your dog up to a forested area up in Northern, WI and have it fend for itself… bet it doesn’t last long…. not 24 years, probably not 24hrs… today’s dogs are not the dogs of yesterday, sorry.
Camille
May 28, 2013 at 6:03 pm
My pittie girl would go NUTS for broccoli stalks. Not the florets, but the hard stalk. I guessed to her, it was like a stick she could eat! Luckily, it didn’t bother her stomach.
ddemos
May 28, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Just fyi…Stay away from brocolli…it has a stomach irritant for dogs. My dog threw up for 3 days, but I know some dogs eat it w/o a problem. Go figure!
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Mary Lou Stevens
May 28, 2013 at 1:35 pm
I make and sell homemade dog treats and have used several vegetables in them…My dog loves them and I get a great re-action from other dog owners.
The Only issue I’ve had with them is having to keep them refrigerated…harder to sell! For some, guess too much work to put in their frig! But Many thanks for the info! I didn’t know about some of those veggies!
Cathy
May 28, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Do you live in Moore,Oklahoma?
Sharon Wollenberg
May 28, 2013 at 12:01 pm
Great reminder of what veggies to feed your pet. Such good benefits too. It also helps as a filler when your dog is overweight.