It is commonly believed that dogs will eat about anything and everything they can and whatever you put in front of them as food. It is imperative that as pet owners, we know what kind of food is healthy for our dogs to consume whenever they are hungry.
How about vegetables, surely these healthy natural plants are also good for dogs, right? While that is generally true, there are some vegetables which you do not give your dogs since consuming these vegetables can have adverse effects on the health of your dog and what are fantastic as treats for our best friends.
What Are Some Food That You Must Avoid For Dogs
Let’s start first with what you should not be feeding your dog.
Tomatoes. To be exact, unripe tomatoes because unripe tomatoes contain tomatine and a high amount of solanine, both are potentially harmful to your dog. Click here for more information about tomatine and a little bit of history about tomatoes.
Solanine is a poison that is found in potatoes and tomatoes, this is usually found in the green parts of the tomato such as the stem and leaves of the tomato, unripe or young tomatoes usually have a high concentration of solanine. Dogs that eat tomatoes with amounts of solanine usually suffer diarrhea, weakness, or even seizures.
Nuts. While not all nuts are bad for your dog, it is better to not give them any at all as nuts are high in fat. Another nut to avoid is the macadamia nut, this is very poisonous to dogs however just like raisins, grape, and prunes, exactly what substance is poisonous to dogs is yet to be determined.
Brazil nuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, and almonds while not technically poisonous or toxic to dogs should be avoided because of the high concentration of fat or are potential choking hazards.
Garlic and Onions. You should not feed your dogs onions as all parts of onion are toxic to dogs whether the onion is raw, cooked, or even processed. This is because onions contain a toxin called n-propyl disulfide which is harmless to humans but causes a breakdown of red blood cells which can lead to anemia in dogs.
Moreover, such a compound can, in the worst-case scenario, cause death. Red blood cells are essential as these supply oxygens to your dog’s body and remove carbon dioxide.
Garlic is in the same family as onion, the allium family of vegetables which all contain toxins that are harmful to dogs but are harmless to humans. This link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium contains more information on what allium is and how allium gives onions and garlic their distinctive flavor.
If you accidentally fed your dog onions or garlic or your dog decided to eat these on their own, some symptoms to watch out for are rapid breathing, weakness, and dark-colored urine. Or you can call their vet as soon as possible.
Broccoli And Other Veggies For Your Dog’s Meal
As we have said earlier dogs eat nearly everything and anything that you give them. This is also experienced by many pet owners.
Maybe your dog found vegetables in an easy-to-reach area and actually like them, unlike most of us, and sometimes you wonder why. It may be because your dog knows that vegetables like broccoli are actually good for them as these contain many essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that will keep them healthy and active.
Like us, humans, dogs also need an adequate intake of vitamins to stay healthy both physically and mentally. Some of the vitamins to look out for in Broccoli are Vitamins A, B, D, C, E, and K. Some minerals that are essential for dog’s health and proper functioning of their body are potassium and iron.
Why does my dog like broccoli? Broccoli contains a variety of vitamins that again include Vitamins K and C and in addition potassium. Potassium is a mineral that is essential to your dog’s body to function properly. Potassium helps in the functioning of electrical charges in your dog’s heart, nerves, and muscles. If your dog is suffering from a deficiency in potassium, your dog might always be tired and may even have no appetite to eat.
The meals of your dog must contain Vitamins A, K, and B6. Vitamin A helps your dog building a strong immune system and helps with eyesight. Vitamin K on the other hand helps in your dog’s ability to clot blood thus averting hemorrhaging.
Lastly, Vitamin B6 helps in a variety of your dog’s body functions such as hormone regulation, red blood cell function, nervous system function, and glucose generation. Green Beans are full of vitamins and minerals that also include Vitamins A, C, K, and B6 and minerals such as iron and calcium.
Dogs need calcium just like we humans do for the maintenance of healthy bones, teeth maintenance, and have strong muscles. Iron on the other hand is required by a dog’s body to carry oxygen in the blood cells throughout the body that in turn produce energy.
It is important to maintain a healthy amount of iron in your dog’s diet as a deficiency in iron can lead to anemia / lack of iron in the blood. Thus, always try to introduce a new food into your dog’s diet in moderation and small amounts. Observe first whether your dog will have any adverse reaction to the vegetables.