Love it or hate it, broccoli is packed with nutrients we all need to stay healthy.
But what if you can’t stand the taste of broccoli? Can you give these veggies to your dog, instead?
You definitely can, because broccoli is safe for dogs to eat… as long as you don’t feed them too many. The right amount of broccoli can boost your dog’s health, while the wrong amount can make them ill.
Let’s dive into why broccoli are good for dogs!
Is Broccoli Good for Dogs?
Yes, broccoli is good for dogs! This delicious vegetable contains nutrients required for every dog’s survival, such as:
Protein
Protein provides your pooch with the amino acids necessary for the building and repair of various tissues, including the skin, hair, nails, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilages. It keeps the immune system strong. It’s also involved in hormone production, making many biological processes possible.
Fiber
Fiber allows the canine digestive system to stay in great health, therefore reducing the risk of gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and constipation.
It also allows your pet’s colon to recover rapidly from injury. It may even help stave off colon cancer.
Antioxidants
Broccoli boasts considerable amounts of antioxidants, which protect your dog from cellular damage caused by oxidative stress. This way, antioxidants can enhance the immune system response and reduce the risk of serious chronic conditions such as diabetes and several cancers.
Low fat, low calories
Broccoli is low in fat and calories, making it a great weight loss treat for overweight and obese dogs. It can also help dogs who are already in good shape maintain the ideal body weight.
Vitamins
Broccoli is rich in vitamins dogs need to stay in excellent health.
Vitamin A is good for your dog’s vision, immune system, skin, growth, and reproduction.
Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) is vital for healthy brain function and supports nervous and immune system function. It helps produce red blood cells, which transport oxygen from the dog’s lungs to their bodily tissues.
Folic acid (vitamin B9) plays a crucial role in red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, and other metabolic functions.
Cobalamin (vitamin B12) is involved in various metabolic processes and helps keep cells functioning properly.
Vitamin K helps in bone development, blood clotting, and healthy blood function.
Minerals
Several important minerals are found in broccoli.
Iron is heavily involved in the creation of hemoglobin, a protein that red blood cells use to transport oxygen from the lungs to every other part of the body. Oxygen, in turn, converts food into energy, allowing a dog to move around, stay healthy, and survive.
Potassium helps make heart and muscle contractions possible. It triggers nerve impulses, allowing the canine brain to transmit information throughout the body to make movement and many bodily functions possible. It also prevents dehydration by regulating fluid balance.
Manganese plays a role in numerous biological systems. For instance, it metabolizes protein, fats, and carbohydrates to supply dogs with the energy necessary for movement and survival. It helps develop and maintain bone and cartilage health. It also assists in fatty acid production.
Calcium maintains strong, healthy bones and teeth. It’s also vital for nerve transmission, muscle function, and blood clotting.
Phosphorus is necessary for many biological processes and is essential to protein and amino acid synthesis, cell growth, and energy use and storage.
Magnesium plays a key role in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the canine body. It’s involved in muscle and nerve function. It’s required for the maintenance of bone and immune system health as well as the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. In addition, it helps in energy production and protein synthesis.
Can Broccoli Be Bad for Dogs?
Despite all the nutritional benefits offered by broccoli, this vegetable can cause the following issues in dogs:
Digestive problems
The florets of broccoli contain chemicals called isothiocyanates. These can cause some dogs gastric irritation, whose symptoms, which can range from mild to severe, include:
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
To avoid this issue, dogs should only consume an amount of broccoli less than 10% of the food they eat daily. If broccoli makes up more than 25% of their daily food intake, they could get poisoned. In the worst of cases, isothiocyanate toxicity can even lead to death.
Keep your dog’s size in mind when feeding them broccoli. What’s a small amount of broccoli for a large dog may be too much for a small dog.
Also, some dogs have a lower tolerance for broccoli.
If your dog grows ill after broccoli consumption, contact a veterinarian for treatment options.
To avoid problems, consult a veterinarian for advice about whether or not your dog should eat broccoli, and how much broccoli they should eat.
Bacterial infection
The Salmonella bacteria can sometimes be found in raw vegetables. If your dog eats vegetables contaminated with Salmonella, they could experience the following problems:
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Increased heart rate
To avoid bacterial infection, clean raw broccoli thoroughly to get rid of the Salmonella. Alternatively, you can cook broccoli for your dog.
While dogs are more resistant to Salmonella than humans, they aren’t immune from infection. Call a vet for help if you suspect your pooch is suffering from Salmonella infection.
Choking
The vegetable’s fibrous stalks can get stuck in your dog’s throat and choke them. The risk of choking is higher in small dogs.
For this reason, you should cut broccoli into smaller pieces before feeding it to your dog. The tinier your dog, the tinier those chunks should be.
FAQs About Broccoli for Dogs
It’s time to answer frequently asked questions about broccoli for dogs!
How should I prepare broccoli for my dog?
Broccoli can be fed to dogs either raw or cooked. Just make sure to chop these veggies up into small chunks to avoid choking.
Raw broccoli should be properly cleaned before consumption. This will get rid of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella.
When cooking broccoli, avoid using seasonings or ingredients (e.g. salt, sugar, spices, herbs, dairy, fat, or oil), as such additives can harm your dog. In short, cooked broccoli should be kept completely plain.
Broccoli can be steamed, roasted, baked, or boiled. Steaming is the best option as it preserves the vegetable’s nutrients, while boiling removes some of these nutrients. Don’t give dogs fried broccoli as fried foods are bad for dogs.
How should I introduce broccoli to my dog?
Feed your dog a few small chunks of broccoli, then monitor them for digestive issues such as vomiting and diarrhea. Wait a few days before feeding them a slightly larger portion of broccoli chunks. Keep doing this for a couple of weeks to get your dog’s gut used to the new food. When it becomes obvious your pet has no problem ingesting broccoli, you can start giving them the recommended amount of broccoli per week.
If at any point your dog experiences health issues, contact the vet for assistance.
How much broccoli can my dog eat?
The best way to find out how much broccoli your dog can safely eat is to ask a vet. They will consider your dog’s size, age, breed, and existing health conditions, then determine the ideal amount of broccoli you should feed them weekly.
As a general rule, however, broccoli should only be used as a treat. This means they should make up less than 10% of the food your dog eats per day.
The 10% rule applies to all treats but is specifically important where broccoli is concerned. This is because these vegetables contain chemicals known as isothiocyanates, an excess of which can poison your dog. In fact, ingesting an amount of broccoli exceeding 25% of their daily food intake can lead to severe gastric issues and, in the worst of cases, death.
How can I make broccoli more appetizing for my dog?
Like humans, dogs can get tired of eating the same thing over and over again. If you want your pet to keep enjoying broccoli, it helps to switch things up now and then. For example, you can feed your dog raw broccoli one day, then cooked broccoli another. You can try different cooking techniques. Another option is to create salads containing broccoli and other dog-friendly treats such as cucumbers, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and the like. Or why not try broccoli smoothies? You can also try cooking a broccoli omelet—just make sure to limit the ingredients to a single egg and some broccoli chunks, and always keep the 10% rule in mind.
To Conclude…
We’re happy to announce that dogs can indeed eat broccoli! Good thing, too, because these vegetables are chock full of nutrients your pooch will benefit from.
Take note, however, that overfeeding a dog broccoli can make them ill. So remember to limit your pet’s broccoli consumption to less than 10% of their daily food intake, and don’t hesitate to consult a veterinarian if you’re having any doubts about how much broccoli to give them per week!