A popular vegetable among health aficionados, Brussels sprouts are packed with nutrients both humans and dogs will benefit from.
So yes, dogs can eat Brussels sprouts.
However!
Brussels sprouts can also make your dog gassy. As in very, very gassy. And if eaten in huge quantities, they can even cause your pooch more distressing issues.
Join us as we discuss the many advantages (and the few disadvantages) of feeding dogs Brussels sprouts!
What are Brussels sprouts?
Brussels sprouts are part of the cabbage family, which explains why they look like tiny cabbages. Speaking of tiny, these vegetables are typically between 1.5 cm and 4 cm in diameter, so they can be eaten in one or two bites.
Believed to be a descendant of wild kale from the Mediterranean, the Brussels sprout gets its name from the city of Brussels, Belgium, where it was first cultivated in the 13th century.
The Brussels sprout is a high-fiber, low-calorie, low-carbohydrate food, making it an excellent option for obese and/or diabetic dogs.
Brussels sprouts: the health benefits
When you feed your dog Brussels sprouts, they absorb the following nutrients:
Vitamins
Brussels sprouts contain vitamins that are essential to canine health and survival.
For instance, these vegetables are particularly rich in vitamin K, which plays a vital role in bone development and blood clotting. It also helps in blood circulation and blood calcium level regulation and even reduces the risk of heart disease.
Brussels sprouts have a fair amount of vitamin A, which is good for your dog’s vision, skin, growth, and reproduction. Its antioxidant properties also boost their immune system and help protect them against heart disease and some cancers.
These veggies are high in vitamin B9 (folic acid), which is crucial for the production of red blood cells. These cells are the primary vehicle through which oxygen is transported throughout the body to make biological processes necessary for life possible. B9 also helps drive DNA synthesis, a process that allows for the creation of new cells.
Brussels sprouts have smaller amounts of vitamin B1 (thiamin) and B6 (pyridoxine). B1 metabolizes carbohydrates to produce the high amounts of energy required by the brain and other organs. B6 also helps in the production of energy. In addition, it’s necessary for nervous system and blood cell function, immune response, hormone regulation, gene activation, and niacin synthesis.
Minerals
Feeding dogs Brussels sprouts allows them to absorb various important minerals.
These greens boast a fair amount of manganese, which produces energy, metabolizes carbohydrates and proteins, and makes fatty acids. It keeps bones and joint cartilage healthy and strong. As meat isn’t a good source of this nutrient, a dog can reap the rewards of manganese by eating Brussels sprouts.
Brussels sprouts also contain potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron in smaller amounts.
Potassium aids in many biological processes such as nerve impulse transmission and osmotic balance maintenance.
Magnesium helps metabolize fats and carbohydrates to provide your dog with the energy they need to stay alive.
Phosphorus is crucial for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It’s also important for protein formation and cell growth.
Iron is necessary for red blood cell and hemoglobin formation. Hemoglobin is the substance red blood cells use to carry oxygen and nutrients to various parts of the body.
Antioxidants
Brussels sprouts boast high concentrations of antioxidants. These are compounds that protect your dog’s cells from the damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. This, in turn, helps ward off chronic diseases and infections.
Antioxidants also offer protection against toxins, which is particularly important given dogs are exposed to toxins more regularly than humans.
Carbohydrates
Brussels sprouts are loaded with carbohydrates, a nutrient required by dogs – especially those that require lots of energy.
The canine body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is the primary energy source for their organs, tissues, and cells.
Carbohydrates also generate body heat and work with other nutrients to keep the body healthy.
Protein
Brussels sprouts are a good source of protein.
Protein is essential for the formation and maintenance of muscles, skin, nails, hair, blood, tendons, cartilage, and ligaments.
Your dog’s body also breaks down protein to create amino acids, which help produce the energy they need to stay alive.
Dietary fiber
Brussels sprouts are high in dietary fiber, which ensures the canine digestive system stays in good condition.
This type of fiber is insoluble (i.e. water doesn’t dissolve it). On its way through the intestines toward the eventual exit, it therefore stays intact and pulls along waste material. This reduces the risk of constipation, diarrhea, and other stomach issues.
In addition to helping maintain healthy bowel movements, fiber makes your dog feel fuller, which discourages them from overeating. This is good for an overweight dog on a weight loss regimen.
Low fat, low calories
Because Brussels sprouts contain no sugar and are low in fat and calories, your dog is extremely unlikely to gain unnecessary weight from eating them. This helps prevent obesity, which in turn reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious medical conditions.
For the same reasons, Brussels sprouts are the ideal food for obese dogs that are trying to lose weight.
The drawbacks of feeding dogs Brussels sprouts
As nutritious as Brussels sprouts are, they aren’t perfect. In fact, they can cause your dog several problems, especially if eaten in excess.
Gas
Brussels sprouts contain substances known as isothiocyanates, which help your dog’s intestinal muscles move food and waste along their digestive tract. Unfortunately, they also allow the proliferation of bacteria that produce excess gas in the intestines. And the only way to get rid of this gas is to expel it via the rectum.
In other words, Brussels sprouts make your dog fart a lot.
While Brussels sprouts-induced flatulence will make you want to wear a gasmask at home, it won’t harm your dog.
Digestive issues
Feeding your dog enormous quantities of Brussels sprouts can upset your dog’s stomach. And while high-fiber food is great for dogs, ingesting too much fiber can cause diarrhea.
Thankfully, because Brussels sprouts aren’t toxic to dogs, these digestive issues shouldn’t be a cause for panic.
Nevertheless, you should take your pet’s digestive concerns seriously. One way to help a dog with an upset stomach and/or diarrhea is to feed them vet-approved canned pumpkin, which is an excellent way to soothe a roiling stomach.
Alternatively, you can avoid feeding them any food for around 12 hours. After this period, give them small amounts of bland, low-fat food a couple of times a day for a few days.
Hydration is also important for a dog experiencing diarrhea. But as a full bowl of water can make the problem worse, you should provide them with smaller amounts of drinking water than usual. You can also feed them ice cubes, instead.
Contact your vet for advice before treating a dog experiencing digestive problems due to Brussels sprout consumption.
Choking hazard
The toughness of Brussels sprout stalks/stems makes them a potential choking hazard for any dog. Worse, they can result in intestinal blockages, which can be deadly if untreated.
Fortunately, there’s an easy solution to this problem: remove the Brussels sprouts’ stalks and feed your dog the bulb and leaves, only.
Allergic reaction
Around 10% of canine allergy cases are food allergies.
If your dog is allergic to Brussels sprouts, they may end up experiencing an allergic reaction, whose symptoms include but are not limited to:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea/vomiting
- Weight loss
- Aggression
- Hyperactivity
- Lethargy
- Itching
- Excessive grooming
This is why it’s crucial you seek a vet’s approval before feeding your dog Brussels sprouts. You should also bring your dog to the vet for treatment if they display any of the above symptoms after eating Brussels sprouts.
Feeding dogs Brussels sprouts the right way
There are simple measures you can take to ensure your dog doesn’t experience any problems after eating Brussels sprouts.
Consult a vet
Before you feed your dog anything new, it’s essential you get a veterinarian’s approval, first.
A vet knows their patient best. They’ll consider various factors – such as your dog’s age, breed, allergies, existing medical conditions, etc. – to determine whether or not it’s safe for your pet to eat what you’re planning to give them.
A vet can also give you advice on how much of a specific food your dog can eat.
Serving size
As healthy as Brussels sprouts are, they shouldn’t be a big part of your dog’s diet.
Around 90% of what your dog eats should be vet-approved dog food. Vegetables and fruits should therefore make up the remaining 10%, although, depending on your dog’s unique requirements, this can be as high as 25%.
Keep your dog’s size in mind when feeding them Brussels sprouts. An adult, medium-sized dog may be able to eat up to 3 per serving. A single sprout should suffice for a small dog. A giant may eat as many as five. If you give them more than that, your dog may become a stinky fart machine.
As some dogs have a habit of swallowing foods whole, you may want to chop up Brussels sprouts into tinier pieces. This will make them easier for your dog to swallow.
Whether they’re chopped up or not, Brussels sprouts can be sprinkled onto or mixed into dog food. Alternatively, you can give them to your dog between meals as yummy treats.
Cooked or raw?
Raw Brussels sprouts are tough for dogs to digest; eating them can lead to a stomach upset, diarrhea, or bloating. Bloating, which is when the stomach twists due to an excess of gas, fluid, or food, is potentially lethal, so make sure you bring your dog to the vet immediately if this problem arises.
For the above reasons, you should cook Brussels sprouts before feeding them to your dog. Just make sure not to add any seasonings or ingredients to the vegetables; any food that contains unnecessary sugar, salt, spices, fat, oil, dairy, or other such substances can harm your dog.
It’s best to serve dogs steamed Brussels sprouts. Steaming preserves the vegetables’ nutrients and makes them easy to digest.
You can also microwave, roast, or boil Brussels sprouts. Boiling reduces their nutritional value, however.
Avoid feeding dogs frozen Brussels sprouts, as these could choke them.
Organic or non-organic?
Organic vegetables are those that are grown and processed without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or bioengineered genes. In other words, they’re as natural as they come.
It’s always an excellent idea to feed dogs organic Brussels sprouts as the non-organic variety may contain substances that can make canines sick.
If you do give your dog non-organic Brussels sprouts, make sure to thoroughly wash them first to remove any potentially dangerous chemicals.
Can dogs eat Brussels sprout stems?
No, you should never feed dogs the hard stems/stalks of Brussels sprouts. These parts present a choking hazard for dogs. They may even cause an obstruction in the intestines, which can be deadly if not treated immediately.
For such reasons, remove the stems before feeding the vegetable to your dog.
Can dogs eat Brussels sprout leaves?
Yes, Brussels sprout leaves are both nutritious and safe for dogs to eat. Feel free to mix them into your pet’s food along with the Brussels sprout bulbs.
Just make sure the leaves are fresh; they should be green, not brown and wilted.
Can dogs eat stale or spoiled Brussels sprouts?
No. Any food that’s stale or rotten can make your dog sick.
Stale Brussels sprouts can cause various digestive issues, including diarrhea and vomiting. The severity of such symptoms can range from mild to extreme.
Spoiled food contains harmful pathogens that can seriously harm or even kill your dog if allowed to go untreated. Never give your dog rotting Brussels sprouts or any expired food for that matter.
Introducing Brussels sprouts to your dog
If you’re giving your dog Brussels sprouts for the first time, make sure they only eat a portion that’s much smaller than the recommended serving size. For example, give a small dog only a quarter of a Brussels sprout instead of one whole Brussels sprout.
Observe your dog for issues other than flatulence. If your dog doesn’t get sick from eating Brussels sprouts, try feeding them the veggies again after a few days. In the following weeks, keep increasing the feeding size and frequency until they’re eating the recommended amount.
If your dog experiences discomfort at any point during this time, contact your vet.
Conclusion
Thanks to their nutritional value, Brussels sprouts are wonderful vegetables to feed your dog – as long as you don’t give them too much, and you’re prepared to endure bouts of canine flatulence. Also, to guarantee your dog’s safety, make sure you consult a veterinarian before giving your pet this food.