Can Dogs Eat Broccoli? Is Broccoli Safe For Dogs?

Can dogs eat broccoli? Yes. Dogs can eat cooked broccoli but raw broccoli isn’t recommended. However, owners must remember to limit portion sizes as too much broccoli can cause stomach problems. Broccoli is full of fiber and vitamin C, therefore, it is full of nutrients and the perfect snack for your dogs. 

Busy? Get Your Hands Paws On The Answers Quickly…

• Is Broccoli Good For Dogs?
• Can Dogs Eat Cooked Or Raw Broccoli?
• What Nutrients Does Broccoli Provide For My Dog?
• Broccoli Treat Recipes For Dogs
• FAQs

IS BROCCOLI GOOD FOR DOGS?

Yes. However, as with all human foods, moderating portion sizes is very important, and it’s no different for broccoli. Broccoli provides a considerable amount of nutrients for your dog. However, it should only make up 10% of your dogs overall diet, any more than this may cause digestive complications. 

CAN DOGS EAT COOKED OR RAW BROCCOLI?

As previously mentioned, it is safe for dogs to eat broccoli. However, preparing the broccoli is key. It is recommended that dogs only eat cooked broccoli. Raw broccoli can be a choking hazard for dogs. It can also cause digestive issues as well as exceed their recommended daily fiber allowance. There are various ways of preparing broccoli for your dogs; 

Steamed
The most common way to prepare broccoli for a dog is steamed. This makes the broccoli soft enough for the dog to chew and swallow. To steam your broccoli treats, break the broccoli into small chunks (including the stem if you wish) and steam for around 5 minutes. 

Boiled
Similar to the above. To prepare the bite-size treats of broccoli for your dog, break down the broccoli into edible pieces and boil in hot water for 5-7 minutes. Ensure the broccoli has cooled before feeding your dog. 

WHAT NUTRIENTS DOES BROCCOLI PROVIDE FOR MY DOG?

Broccoli is an excellent source of nutrients for both dogs and humans. It provides us with vast amounts of protein but at the same time has low levels of fat, carbohydrates, and sugar. Broccoli also provides dogs & humans with vitamins A, B-6 and C as well as iron and calcium. 

Vitamin A
Incorporating vitamin A into a dogs diet will help maintain your dogs’ shiny coat, muscle strength, and visibility through the night. Broccoli provides 12% of vitamin A towards your dogs’ daily recommendation (22 to 47 IU per KG of dogs weight). Other food that includes vitamin A are; carrots, spinach, and cooked sweet potatoes. 

Vitamin B6
This helps dogs to control their hormones, specifically those related to thyroid issues. Moderate consumption levels of B6 helps dogs with regulating their weight and water levels as well as helping to maintain a healthy heart. Other foods that provide significant levels of B6 include; fish, turkey, chicken, and wholegrain rice.

Calories
Broccoli is a great treat for your dog, as it is very low in calories (34). The usual treats most owners buy from pet stores can be high in fat and calories. Therefore, this reduces the number of recommended treats your dog should have each day. If you replace these with broccoli treats, you can increase the number of treats or portions however they shouldn’t feel the need to eat more

Sugar
Just like most vegetables, broccoli has quite a low level of sugar. This is key, providing dogs with sugary foods can have serious implications. If you feel your dog has diabetes or a sugar-related illness, it’s advisable to seek assistance from a local vet regarding your dogs’ dietary requirements. 

Fiber
Monitoring your dogs’ fiber intake isn’t a necessity. However, moderate levels of fiber have shown to help with a dog’s digestive system. 

BROCCOLI TREAT RECIPES FOR DOGS 

Broccoli Bites

These are a great way of incorporating broccoli into a dogs diet as a “treat” instead of just feeding them chunks of florets. To make the broccoli bite, see recipe below. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh broccoli florets 
• 3/4 cups cubed cheese 
• 1 cup of kefir. Plain Yoghurt can be used as a replacement. 
• 1 cup flour

Directions: 

1. Using a food processor, add the broccoli and cheese to chop them into small pieces. After, add cheese and broccoli to kefir/yogurt and flour. The formed dough should be slightly sticky but easy to roll small balls using your hands. 
2. Preheat oven to 350*F. Lightly flour a baking sheet. Using your hands, form small shaped balls using the dough mixture. Please note, the larger the balls, the longer they cook and less of a treat. I made them slightly small to allow for more treats. 
3. Bake the treats for around 20 minutes. The longer you leave them, the crunchier they will be (do not burn them). Once they’re a golden brown color, remove and leave to cool on a cooling rack. They can be stored in the refrigerator and used when necessary. 

Banana and Broccoli Treats

These were a great hit for our golden (Neville). He loves broccoli and carrots and therefore, these treats didn’t touch the sides! Feel free to give them a go; 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (normals fine)
• One tp. Baking soda
• 2 5 oz. cans of your dogs’ canned food 
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots and broccoli florets 
• One egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. 
2. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until a dough forms. 
3. Roll out the dough until it’s approximately 1/2″ thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. 
4. Carefully arrange the treats on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 
5. Remove and place on a cooling rack for 45-60 mins. 

OTHER NUTRITIONAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES MY DOG CAN EAT

Beets

Beets are non-toxic food for dogs and can provide dogs with a considerable amount of nutrients and vitamins. However, if you were to feed your dog this 88% water-based super-food daily, they wouldn’t reap the benefits as us humans would. 

If you’re cooking with beets and have some leftovers, by all means, this is a great time to give them to your dog. Incorporating beets into your dog’s daily diet can cause them to become obese as beets are rich in carbohydrates and natural sugars. 

Below we have outlined the health benefits and concerns of beets for your dog. 

Vitamin B9 / Folic Acid
This is a necessity in a dog’s diet as it helps to function the brain and intestine properly. A lack of Vitamin B9 / Folic Acid can lead to anemia in dogs. This vitamin is needed most before and during pregnancy. The required amount of folic acid for dogs is relatively low; the recommended allowance for dogs is 0.270mg/kg. 

Improved Digestive System
Beets are a great source of fiber. Fiber improves a dog’s digestion and excretion of food. Foods rich in fiber ensure a dog feels full while consuming a low amount of calories, perfect for an overweight dog following a strict dietary program. 

Research suggests that dogs need approximately 2.5%-4.5% fiber in their daily diet. One cup of beets provides 3.8g of fiber. 

Increased Immunity
Beets provide excellent levels of vitamin C, which helps with your dogs’ immunity; it also helps with the strengthening of their bones and muscles. If your dog has a deficiency of vitamin C, this can cause scurvy. Scurvy causes things such as anemia, urinal bleeding, swollen & discolored gums. 

Beets provide 6.7mg of Vitamin C per one cup. Unlike humans, dogs can possess the ability to make their own and, therefore, can live a healthy life without it. 

Rich In Iron
Dogs need iron in their diet to help develop their red blood cells. A lack of iron will cause the bone marrow to produce much smaller red blood cells, thus lowering the amount of oxygen intake. A deficiency in iron is known to cause anemia. In worst-case scenarios, anemia will cause your dog to need a blood transfusion. 

Beets provide 1.1mg of iron per cup. An average dog’s iron intake will be approximately 80mg/kg of dry matter. 

Helps With The Nerve, Muscle and Enzyme Functioning
Beets provide your dogs with proper levels of potassium. Potassium helps with the nerve, muscle, and enzyme function. Hyperkalemia happens in dogs when their potassium levels are lower than usual. Low potassium in dogs can harm their cell structure and eventually affect the organs, which can ultimately be life-threatening if untreated. 

Beets provide 442mg of potassium per one cup.

Ginger

Ginger contains many antioxidants that help your dog with motion sickness, blood circulation, digestive problems, nausea, inflammation, and bloat. 

Health Benefits

Nausea 
There can be several influencing factors that cause nausea/car sickness, feeling under the weather, treatment for an underlying issue. Whatever may be the reason, fresh or powdered ginger can help your dog with nausea. 

The most common cause of nausea is a long old drive in the car. A high percentage of dogs will suffer from motion sickness at some stage in their life. A little added spice of ginger in their meal a few hours before setting off on your trip will help to reduce the chances of car sickness and nausea, give it a try! 

Inflammation
A common problem in older dogs is inflammation of the joints, commonly known as arthritis. As dogs get older, the cartilage within the joints can become easily damaged, and this makes their bones, joints, and muscles sore and stiff, ultimately affecting their ability to move or jump.  

It is essential more than ever that your dog is getting the nutrients they need. Adding a fresh or powdered ginger root to their daily diet will help to reduce the inflammation around the joints, thus helping to improve their mobility.

Digestion/Bloat
Bloat, also scientifically known as gastric dilation volvulus, can be a life-threatening illness in dogs and therefore needs to be treated straight away or completely avoided from the beginning. This condition is the stomach expanding caused by a buildup of food and gas that cannot be expelled. 

Scientific research suggests that ginger can help reduce the build-up of foods and gases as it accelerates the emptying of the stomach. 

In regards to digestion, ginger has been proved to promote saliva flow and other gastric juices, which enhance nutrient absorption and the breakdown of food. 

Health Concerns

Thins The Blood
If your dog has a surgery planned or may go into labor, you should avoid giving them ginger as ginger root has been shown to thin the blood of dogs.

Ginger may also reduce the blood sugar levels and blood pressure in dogs, therefore if your dog has any underlying health issues such as diabetes, they should avoid having ginger. If you’re unsure about this, you should seek advice from your local veterinarian regarding what your dog can and can’t have. 

Gingerbread
If you’re considering feeding your dog gingerbread, you should think otherwise. The gingerbread itself isn’t dangerous or toxic, but the nutmeg is. Nutmeg is often included in gingerbread recipes and can be highly toxic to dogs. Furthermore, gingerbread can also be high in sugars and fats, which is not suitable for a healthy dog’s diet. 

Carrots

Carrots are an excellent snack for dogs due to them being super nutritious and easily affordable. Cooked or raw carrots are full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, including; vitamin A & B6, fiber, potassium, and biotin. 

Frozen carrots are a great teething tool for young pups who have discomforting teeth pain. You can also give frozen carrots to older dogs; this will act as a chew toy and improve their dental health. 

FAQS

Can dogs eat broccoli and cauliflower?
Yes to both. In small amounts. 

What vegetables should not be given to dogs?
Onions, garlic, wild mushrooms, rhubarb and avocado. Also, pickled vegetables should not be an option. 

Can dogs eat cucumbers?
Yes. Cucumber is loaded with K, C, and B1. Ideal for overweight dogs. 

Is tuna good for dogs?
Yes. However, make sure raw tuna has all the bones removed, and canned tuna is soaked in water, not oil. 

Are peas ok for dogs?
Frozen and thawed peas – YES.
Canned peas – NO (due to high levels of sodium).

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Disclaimer: Each dog is different, and every circumstance is different. All efforts have been made to provide accurate information. However, it is not provided by a qualified Veterinarian, Veterinarian Surgeon, or Behaviorist. The information provided is purely educational. The information should not be used as an alternative or substitute for medical care. If you have any health or medical concerns, contact a qualified Veterinary Surgeon or Veterinarian immediately.