Also known as Mexican turnips or Mexican yam beans, jicamas boast amazing health benefits to people. But can dogs enjoy such benefits, as well?
While these veggies are dense in nutrients essential to dogs, an excess of some of these nutrients can also be unhealthy for your pet. Therefore, we recommend feeding dogs jicamas in moderation.
If you’d like to know more about jicamas as food for dogs, keep reading!
What are jicamas?
Originally from Mexico, Central America, and South America, the jicama is a plant with an edible tuberous root. It’s this root vegetable that people usually refer to whenever they talk about the jicama as food. The rest of the plant is toxic.
Jicamas have thick, brown skin and crisp, white flesh. This flesh tastes like apples, except less sweet.
People eat jicamas plain and raw, though they can also be seasoned with chili powder, lime juice, and other additives. Jicamas are also used as ingredients in various dishes.
Are jicamas healthy for dogs?
Jicamas are good for dogs as they contain the following nutrients:
Vitamins
Jicamas are rich in vitamin C. This antioxidant reduces inflammation and keeps the immune system healthy, thereby offering protection against serious problems such as heart disease and various cancers.
Additionally, these vegetables contain a fair amount of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which helps supply your dog’s cells with the energy they need to function. This vitamin also helps in nervous system and blood cell function, immune response, hormone regulation, and gene activation.
Minerals
Jicamas are particularly high in potassium, an electrolyte whose chief roles include transmitting nerve signals, allowing muscles to contract, and maintaining the pH and osmotic balance of bodily fluids. It also keeps the electrical charges in the nerves, muscles, and heart functioning.
These veggies also have decent amounts of phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium.
Phosphorus is vital for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It also plays a role in protein formation and cell growth.
Magnesium helps metabolize fats and carbohydrates to provide your dog with the energy they need to move and stay alive.
Calcium keeps the bones and teeth strong. It’s also involved in nerve transmission, muscle function, and blood clotting.
Fiber
Jicamas contain a considerable amount of fiber. Dogs use this nutrient to keep their digestive tract healthy. A healthy gut is more efficient at absorbing nutrients and is less likely to succumb to problems that cause diarrhea and constipation.
Protein
Jicamas come with quite a bit of protein, which is necessary for the building and repair of tissues.
Protein builds muscle, forms new skin cells, keeps hair growing, strengthens the immune system, and provides your dog with energy. It also assists in hormone and enzyme production, which are integral to many biological processes.
Low fat
Jicamas aren’t fatty, meaning dogs can eat them without gaining unnecessary weight. These veggies are therefore great treats for an overweight dog that needs to shed those extra pounds.
Are jicamas bad for dogs?
Quite the opposite! Jicamas are healthy vegetables that can benefit dogs in various ways.
However, not every part of the jicama plant is good for dogs. Eating too many jicamas can also be bad for dogs.
Below are some of the problems a dog can experience if they’re fed jicamas irresponsibly.
Dangerous toxicity
Your dog should only eat the white flesh of the jicama’s tuberous root. Every other part of the jicama plant (including the skin and the leaves) is toxic not only to dogs but also to humans.
If your dog consumes the toxic parts of the jicama plant, contact a pet clinic or animal hospital and follow any instructions the vet gives you. If a vet isn’t available, those in North America can also call the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 or Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.
Excess vitamin C
Did you know dogs can create their own vitamin C? It’s true: the canine liver produces vitamin C. Therefore, dogs generally don’t need vitamin C supplementation whether it’s in the form of food or meds.
If a dog consumes more vitamin C than they need per day, they can experience diarrhea. Consuming vitamin C regularly can even result in the growth of calcium oxalate bladder stones, which can cause a potentially lethal bladder rupture if not removed in time.
This doesn’t mean dogs should never eat jicamas or other vitamin C-rich foods, however. A dog that’s ill and/or stressed can benefit greatly from such supplementation. In fact, some veterinarians say supplementation is important given the modern world hurls countless stressors (such as pollution, toxic chemicals, unhealthy food, etc.) at dogs daily.
If you want to find out whether or not your dog needs vitamin C supplementation, talk to a vet, first.
Too much fiber
Every dog needs fiber to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal system and prevent issues like diarrhea and constipation. Unfortunately, ingesting an abundance of fibrous food can also cause such digestive concerns.
To ensure your dog experiences no problems, feed them jicamas in moderation only.
Feeding dogs jicamas the right way
Can your dog eat jicamas? How many jicamas can your dog eat per week? These are questions best answered by a vet.
However, a few thin slices (or sticks) of jicama around 2 to 3 times a week should be safe. Just remember to consider your dog’s size and age. A small dog shouldn’t eat as much as a big dog. Puppies should stick with puppy food until their vet says they can eat other types of food.
Jicamas can be eaten raw or cooked. You can steam, roast, bake, or grill jicamas as long as you keep them plain. Avoid using seasonings and ingredients such as salt, sugar, spices, herbs, dairy, fat, and oil as these can harm your dog. Never give dogs fried jicamas as they’re exceptionally fatty and likely to cause digestive issues and inappropriate weight gain.
Remember: only the flesh of the jicama root vegetable is edible. The skin is toxic to dogs, so it must be completely removed from the flesh. As the rest of the plant is also toxic, it must never be fed to dogs.
FAQs: jicamas as food for dogs
Below, we answer more commonly asked questions about jicamas as food for dogs.
Can dogs eat raw jicamas?
Yes, dogs can eat jicamas raw as an occasional treat. Make sure not to use seasonings such as salt, spices, and herbs, however, as these can harm your dog. Peel the skin off, too.
Can dogs eat cooked jicamas?
Yes, as long as they’re plain. No ingredients or seasonings should be used during the cooking process.
Remember to feed dogs jicamas in moderation only.
Can dogs eat jicama sticks?
Yes. Jicama sticks are essentially thin slices of jicama flesh. They’re convenient and fun for dogs to chomp down on. Ask your vet for advice on how many sticks your dog should eat per week.
Can dogs eat jicama leaves?
Nope! Jicama leaves are toxic to humans and dogs. Don’t feed dogs jicama leaves!
Can dogs eat jicama skin?
No. Jicama skin is toxic to dogs. If the jicama was grown non-organically, its skin is likely also coated with chemicals (e.g. pesticides and herbicides) that can harm your dog. Peel the vegetable’s skin and only feed the juicy white flesh to your dog.
Can dogs eat the jicama plant?
The only part of the plant that your dog can eat is the white flesh of the tuberous root. Never feed dogs the other parts of the plant, including the skin and leaves.
Conclusion
Jicamas are wonderfully nutritious root vegetables a dog can enjoy. Just make sure to remove the plant’s toxic parts and feed your pet the juicy white flesh in moderation. Also, consult a vet before feeding your pooch this food!