What veggies can dogs eat daily with their meat based meals?
Vegetables support dogs draw the most nutrition and energy from the meats they’re fed. What are the roles vegetables play in a dog’s diet?
- High fibre foods for dogs, supporting gut health
- Help bulk up their meals, ensuring weight management
- They act as anti inflammatory supplements, lowering flame ups within their body
- Creates a feeling of fullness for long after meals, taking care of hunger pangs
Consider feeding your dogs 55-60% cooked meat per meal with a variety of vegetables filling the remaining bowl. A good half of the remaining bowl can be carbohydrate heavy vegetables and base vegetables.
What veggies can dogs eat daily? Is better answered when you know the function you want them to perform for your dog.
Best vegetables for dogs to maintain weight
Puppies & active adult dogs, on their growth spurt need a lot of energy. Vegetables suitable for dogs & puppies alike include vegetables high in carbohydrates that fuels their energy.
Dog safe vegetables high in carbohydrates include:
- Potato
- Sweet potato
- Carrot
- Green Peas
- Beetroot
Boiled or steamed potatoes form a healthy carbohydrate and prebiotic source. It should be just 20% of your dog’s whole meal weight per day. They help your pup maintain a good weight and also works as a resistant starch for their gut health.
What veggies can dogs eat daily along with the base potato in their meal?
- Pumpkin
- Bottle Gourd
- Bell Peppers
- Carrot
- Beetroot
Choose 2-3 of the above dog safe vegetables to balance the high calorie from the carbohydrates. Doing so adds up to the remaining 20% vegetables. Making for a balanced meat based meal for dogs of 55-60% cooked meat, 20% carbohydrate & 20% high fibre foods for dogs.
Vegetables suitable for dogs with allergies, sensitive stomach, skin issues & inflammation
Dogs with skin flare ups, sensitive skin, seasonal allergies, cancer are all fighting inflammation within their bodies. Best vegetables for dogs with these chronic diseases are the ones to reduce inflammation within their bodies. Even in the case of yeast infection in dogs or diabetes, they need vegetables that are low in sugar.
What veggies can dogs eat daily with the above health goal?
Vegetables with low carbohydrate or starch content is best suited.
Choose one of the high fibre foods for dogs to replace the potato content.
- Green beans
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
This high fibre diet for dogs, help keep them feeling fuller for longer. Especially considering, the higher calorie vegetables, are off the bowl.
Best vegetable to feed dogs to maintain weight on a low carb diet
On a low carb high fibre diet for dogs, the vegetable that best replaces the potato is cooked green banana/ raw banana / plantain. It’s one of the best prebiotic vegetables suitable for dogs on an anti inflammatory diet. With high resistant starch, low Glycemic Index in comparison to boiled potatoes, they work wonders for a dog’s gut. For more on how often one can feed boiled green bananas to dogs, refer.
Vegetables suitable for dogs on weight loss
We go back to low carbohydrate high fibre foods for dogs, like:
- Green beans
- Pumpkin
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Bottle Gourd
- Bell Pepper
- Carrot/ Beetroot (optional & occasional)
- Green Bananas (weekly twice only)
For more on weight loss for dogs, refer.
Leafy green vegetables for dogs, that can be fed daily in small quantities are:
- Spinach
- Moringa leaf
- Neem leaf
- Coriander leaf
In powder form, you can feed one of the above daily. Per day dosage depending on dog size, will start from 1/2 teaspoon for small dogs and up to 1.5 teaspoons for large to giant dog breeds. Leafy greens have healthy anti inflammatory properties that comfort dogs with arthritis & skin issues. Neem leaf also has anti bacterial and anti fungal properties.
Vegetables suitable to feed dogs raw:
- Cucumber
- Carrot
- Bell Pepper
- Celery
Best for dogs on raw diet. And even for DIY Salad recipes.