You can share some of the bounty from your backyard vegetable garden with your canine friend!
Supplementing your dog’s meals with small amounts of veggies is a healthy snack for your hound. By cultivating an organic garden, you ensure no traces of potentially toxic herbicides or pesticides make it into your pet’s dinner bowl …
When you’re considering the addition of vegetables to your dog’s diet, it’s important to be aware of ones that are potentially harmful to dogs. Two that should be avoided are garlic and onions since they’re known to cause anemia in dogs if consumed in high enough concentration.
Other vegetables that can potentially have adverse effects on dogs include avocados, tomatoes, and wild mushrooms. Also, never feed your dog grapes or raisins because they can cause renal failure …
Dogs digest differently than humans do, and eating the wrong foods can lead to long-term health problems and, in extreme cases, even death. As carnivores, they have no real need for fruits and vegetables as part of their diet, but an occasional fruit or veggie as a treat is OK.
Never leave your pup unattended in the vegetable garden since the green leaves and stems of many common vegetables can cause a wide range of health problems …
Many people with dogs put a chicken wire or other type of fence around their vegetable plot. It keeps the area off limits to curious canines and protects your crop from rabbit damage.
Vegetables Safe For Dogs Include:
* Carrots
* Broccoli
* Brussel Sprouts
* Celery
* Green Beans
* Peas
* Spinach
* Sweet Potatoes
To make vegetables more digestive system friendly for dogs, cut them into smaller pieces. You can also cook them by steaming in a steamer …
Using the steam method will preserve more of the healthy nutrients and phytochemicals than most other cooking methods will. Limit vegetables to no more than a quarter of your dog’s food intake a day and serve them along with a high quality source of protein …
Toxic Fruits & Vegetables for Dogs
A few fruits and vegetables, though they’re good for humans, can be poisonous for your pet. Avoid giving your dog any of these:
1. Grapes, raisins, and currants
Even a few of these fruits can cause severe kidney damage in your pooch. Keep the grapes far away.
2. Onions, garlic and chives
These can wreak havoc on your dog’s blood cells, which could cause low iron levels and harm to their kidneys.
3. Persimmons, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries
The seeds in persimmons can cause inflammation of the small intestine if consumed by your dog. Similarly, the seeds or pits in peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries contain cyanide, which is poisonous for both humans and dogs.
Note: The meat of the fruit itself is not harmful as long as it contains no toxic seeds (see above). If you decide to cut bits of fruit for your dog, it should be fine.
4. Mushrooms
Store-bought mushrooms are okay for dogs to consume, but avoid feeding wild mushrooms as they may be toxic.
If your dog has eaten a toxic mushroom, they may begin to exhibit symptoms such as wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, and changes in heartbeat. At its most severe, ingesting toxic mushrooms can cause organ failure, seizures, and comas in dogs.
5. Rhubarb
Rhubarb also contains oxalates, and consuming this type of plant can cause problems with your pet’s nervous system, digestive tract, and kidneys. Rhubarb can also reduce the calcium in your dog, causing renal failure and other health issues.
If your dog has eaten any of these foods, take them to the vet or emergency clinic immediately.
Dog Friendly Vegetables
While it’s fine to give your dog these healthy foods above, watch how much you dole out. Treats should make up 10% or less of your dog’s calories for the day.
When it comes to giving your dog fruits & veggies moderation is key. Too much of any treat, regardless of how healthy they are, can cause stomach issues for your dog — especially if it’s a treat they’re not used to.
