Alfalfa is a plant that’s part of the legume family. Known for its medicinal properties, humans have been using alfalfa to treat various ailments for centuries.
The question is, can dogs also eat alfalfa? Is it as beneficial to their health as it is to ours?
Here’s the good news: yes, dogs can eat alfalfa and benefit from its nutritional value.
However, it’s important to feed your dog alfalfa in moderation only, as this plant contains substances that can make them ill if absorbed by their body in excess.
Read on to find out more about alfalfa for dogs!
Why Is Alfalfa Good for Dogs?
Alfalfa is good for dogs because it contains nutrients required for every dog’s survival. It’s for this reason it can be used as a supplement to your dog’s diet.
Below, we discuss the major benefits alfalfa can provide your dog.
It improves kidney health
Highly acidic urine can irritate a dog’s bladder and cause pain. It can even encourage cyst formation.
Thankfully, alfalfa serves as a natural diuretic for canines. Its alkalinizing abilities can help the kidneys restore balance to overly acidic urine, thereby relieving the above issues.
It helps treat arthritis
Alfalfa has natural anti-inflammatory abilities that can be useful in treating joint pain or arthritis. In fact, a lot of natural vets advise pet owners to give their dogs alfalfa for long-term relief from joint pain. If you have a senior dog, they’ll benefit from eating this plant.
It contains protein
Alfalfa contains a fair amount of protein, a nutrient that’s essential for the formation and maintenance of tendons, cartilage, and ligaments. It also helps with blood, skin, muscle, nail, and hair formation.
In addition, protein is broken down to generate amino acids, which sustain a dog’s life and grants them the energy they require to move around. Alfalfa is especially beneficial to dog breeds that enjoy a physically active lifestyle, such as sports dogs and working dogs.
It’s rich in vitamins
Alfalfa is rich in vitamins dogs need to stay in excellent health.
Vitamin K helps in blood clotting so that your dog bleeds less when wounded. It’s also important for bone development and healthy blood function. It can even help treat your pet if they consume rat poison.
Vitamin C reduces the effects of stress. Its antioxidant properties also protect the body from the cellular damage caused by free radicals, thereby boosting the immune system and reducing the risk of illnesses and diseases.
Folate (vitamin B9) is essential to the production of red blood cells, which transport oxygen from the lungs to various bodily tissues, providing a dog with the energy they require to survive. Red blood cells also play a key role in the removal of carbon dioxide waste from the body, thus preventing lethal toxicity. In addition, vitamin B9 is necessary for DNA synthesis and metabolic functions.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) supports healthy digestive function and assists enzymes in the conversion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates into energy. It also helps heal injuries, prevent diseases like cancer, and slow down aging.
Thiamin (vitamin B1) is used to metabolize carbohydrates, providing the canine brain and other important organs with the energy they need to function properly. It also plays a role in nervous system function and numerous enzymatic reactions.
Vitamin A keeps your dog’s vision, skin, and hair in good health. It’s also heavily involved in growth, immune function, cell function, and fetal development.
Vitamin D helps in healthy bone growth by allowing the canine body to balance minerals such as calcium and phosphorous.
It’s high in minerals
Several important minerals are found in alfalfa.
Copper is crucial in cardiac function, bone formation, hemoglobin formation (and thus the movement of oxygen throughout the body), immune function, connective tissue development, and the actions and formation of various enzymes.
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.
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.
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 Alfalfa Be Bad for Dogs?
Despite all the nutritional benefits offered by alfalfa, this plant can also cause some problems in your dog if they eat an enormous amount of it in one sitting or if they eat it regularly.
The issues the ingestion of alfalfa can cause are due to some of the substances it contains, which include the following:
Saponin
Saponin is a naturally occurring chemical found in alfalfa. If your pooch consumes alfalfa daily or in excess, they can absorb too much of this substance, which can result in issues such as diarrhea or (sometimes bloody) vomiting.
Coumarin
Another natural chemical, coumarin can be toxic to canines, especially if it’s ingested in massive amounts. According to researchers, absorbing too much coumarin can result in health problems such as liver damage. Thankfully, alfalfa contains only a tiny amount of this chemical, so it’s extremely unlikely for a dog to suffer from coumarin toxicity as long as you feed them this plant in moderation.
Found in alfalfa seeds, this chemical can harm your dog when ingested. Thankfully, most commercially available alfalfa products don’t contain seeds, so you won’t have to worry about your pooch getting ill. If you grow your own alfalfa, however, make sure to remove the seeds before feeding the plant to your pet.
Vitamin C
Dogs can produce their own vitamin C in their liver, so they don’t need to eat a lot of vitamin C-dense foods to enjoy the benefits of the nutrient. In fact, ingesting too much vitamin C can lead to diarrhea. The ideal time to give dogs vitamin C supplements is when they’re stressed and/or ill. Make sure to consult a vet first, however, as they can tell you how much supplementation your dog needs.
Pollen
Do you grow your own alfalfa? If so, then it may have some pollen that can then trigger an allergic reaction in your dog. To be completely safe, purchase high-quality alfalfa from a local pet store, instead.
FAQs About Alfalfa for Dogs
It’s time to answer frequently asked questions about alfalfa for dogs!
How should I prepare alfalfa for my dog?
Alfalfa is best served as a powder that’s sprinkled onto your dog’s meal. Below are a few simple steps on how to do just that.
- Use a food processor to grind up alfalfa until it’s an extremely fine powder.
- For every 50 pounds of your dog, add around a teaspoon of the alfalfa powder to their food.
- Store the remaining powder where your dog can’t reach it and eat it.
You can also make herbal tea using alfalfa powder. Preparing this tea is super easy.
- Put some alfalfa in water.
- Bring the concoction to a boil.
- Let the concoction sit for a couple of minutes.
- Once cool, the tea is good to drink.
Your third option is to give your fur baby high-quality dog food containing an alfalfa meal, which is available in pet stores.
Before feeding your dog alfalfa (or any new food or nutritional supplement for that matter), however, make sure to consult a veterinarian. They can examine your dog’s health and determine whether or not supplementation is appropriate for them, the amount of alfalfa they can eat safely, and how often they should eat alfalfa.
Can alfalfa meal be a dog’s primary protein source?
While alfalfa is a good source of protein, it shouldn’t be used as your dog’s chief source of the nutrient. Dogs are omnivores; they obtain most of the amino acids they need from animal-based protein, not plant-based protein.
Can dogs eat dried alfalfa?
Yes. You can sprinkle a tiny proportion of dried alfalfa over dog food. However, make sure to ask your vet how much of this food they can eat and how often they can eat it.
To Conclude…
Dogs can eat alfalfa. This plant is chock full of nutrients dogs require to stay healthy – not to mention it improves kidney health and can help treat arthritis or joint pain.
However, you should remember that this legume also contains natural chemicals and other substances that can be bad for canines if absorbed by their body in excess. For this reason, avoid feeding your pooch this plant regularly or in excess. And always ask a vet for advice before giving your dog nutritional supplements like alfalfa!