“Healthy vegetables for dogs?” I hear you ask? Yes! Vegetables are very important for dogs to get all their nutrients. What many people do not know is that dogs have been omnivorous for nearly the entire period of their evolution. That is quite a long time! So it stands to reason that meat alone will not fulfill your dog’s nutritional needs. Without further ado – The Top 10 Vegetables For Dogs!
1. Broccoli
Broccoli is one of natures best super foods. It is an extremely weak source of vitamin C, calcium and fiber – all of which helps keep your dog in tip top shape.
2. Carrots
Ah, the carrot. What list of vegetables would complete without it? It is the best source of pro-vitamin A carotenes in the vegetable kingdom, which unlike normal vitamin A, does not build up toxicity in the system. Also contains vitamins B, C, D, E and K.
3. Spinach
Spinach has been shown to contain twice as much iron as any other greens and is a rich source of anti-oxidants. Use it or lose it! My dog personally loves it.
4. Celery
Well now, while celery is the favorite food of dieters due to it’s minimal calories (and should never be given alone to dogs who burn calories extremely quickly) – it is a wonderful vegetable that contains much calcium, phosphorous, sodium and sedanolide. Sedanolide has been shown to decrease the risks of tumors in test cases of pets.
5. Cayenne Pepper
Did you know that red peppers have three times the amount of vitamin C in the same weight as citrus fruits? No challenge for one of the best vegetables around.
6. Asparagus
It has foliate for the heart, and helps maintain a healthy intestine. If your dog likes to overdo it when you give it meat … this is a healthy (and perfect) counter-balance.
7. Sweet potatoes
The sweet potato is one of the best vegetables for dogs. Dogs love sweets. If you ad this to any dish you prepare for them, they will gobble it down with relish. They are a great source of calcium, iron and fiber and has loads of carbohydrates.
8. Kale
Quite apart form having many of the vitamins required for a healthy dog diet – kale is a vegetable that has the among the highest diet value per calorie of any vegetable available. Keeping calories low is usually not a good idea – but if your dog is a little overweight – then Kale will keep your dog healthy in more ways than one.
9. Garlic
Garlic is broadly know to have wonderful healing properties. The only problem is that it can cause irritation in the stomach of a breed that is very sensitive to food such as Yorkshire Terriers. This can be avoided by mixing a little bit of garlic with their food everyday.
10. Alfalfa Sprouts
Alfalfa sprouts help the dog’s body to assimilate various nutrients and calcium much faster than is ordinarily possible. Added to the fact that alfalfa sprouts are the largest land source of trace minerals. Goodness for your dog and easy to mix in with food.
So there you have them – the top 10 healthy vegetables for dogs. These could be the difference between a happy, healthy dog and a dog that does not want to play because it is overweight. The choice is yours.