Optimeal® Blog

Can Dogs Eat Broccoli? How to Share Broccoli Safely

By Optimeal Team

03

May

Our canine companions are complex creatures that require a wide range of nutrients in order to thrive. Many assume that dogs are carnivores, but this simply isn’t the case. While dogs certainly need meat as the first ingredient, they also need whole fruits, vegetables, and even whole grains to supplement their diet.

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, there are a lot of foods your dog can eat and enjoy. If you like to cook broccoli as a side for your dinners or meals, you may be wondering whether you can share this treat with your pup.

Can dogs eat broccoli? The answer is yes, your dog can eat broccoli — in small quantities!

Let’s break down the health benefits of broccoli for dogs and how you can safely share this vegetable with your furry friend. Read on to learn what you need to know.

Health Benefits of Broccoli For Dogs

Broccoli is an excellent vegetable to keep on hand for meals, snacks, and even as a treat for your pup in small quantities. What are some of the health benefits of broccoli for dogs? Let’s take a closer look below.

Soluble Fiber

Fiber is an essential nutrient for dogs. In addition to keeping them regular, fiber helps balance healthy gut bacteria, support healthy weight management, and support regular blood sugar levels for your pup. It’s important for your dog to get a rich amount of fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Broccoli is a rich source of soluble fiber, which, in addition to keeping your pup regular, helps to balance the gut microbiome as well. Just like the human gut, there are good and bad bacteria in your dog’s gut. It’s important to support a balance of this microbiome to support better digestion and gut health.

Broccoli, in small and safe quantities, is an excellent source of fiber to help your dog’s digestive system stay healthy and to aid in a range of other processes, too.

Vitamin C

Another health benefit of broccoli for dogs is its impressive content of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for immune system support. Along with the healthy prebiotics broccoli offers, its content of vitamin C works together with the immune system to keep your dog healthy.

Your dog’s immune system is one of the most important systems in their body. This system is a complex working of different cells and processes. Its main role is to recognize foreign bodies like bacteria, germs, viruses, and disease in your dog and get rid of them.

The immune system is your dog’s inner defense. It is critical for keeping them healthy and for fighting off sicknesses and diseases. Foods like broccoli are excellent sources of vitamin C, antioxidants, and prebiotics that can help support immune system health.

Potassium

Broccoli is a rich source of potassium, a necessary vitamin for your pup that contributes to muscle function, heart health, and a range of other physical processes. Potassium is an electrolyte that is found in high amounts in broccoli, and is excellent for your dog’s health.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are chemical compounds that help fight free radicals and oxidative stress. This is essential for protecting your dog against harmful chemicals and toxins. Broccoli is packed with antioxidants.

Both vitamin C and a compound known as sulforaphane act as antioxidants in broccoli. For this reason, it’s an excellent vegetable for combating oxidative stress and supporting total wellness in your four legged friend.

Potential Dangers of Broccoli for Dogs

While there are many different benefits of broccoli for dogs, there are also some risks associated with this vegetable. Broccoli contains a chemical known as isothiocyanate, which can be toxic for dogs in large quantities.

This chemical is mainly found in the florets of broccoli. In severe cases, excessive exposure to isothiocyanate can lead to intense gastrointestinal irritation in your pup. The safest way to give your dog broccoli is to make sure the amount they consume is less than 10% of their daily total food intake.

How To Share Broccoli Safely

Broccoli offers many health benefits for your pup, but this doesn’t mean it’s 100% safe for your dog. Here are a few safety guidelines to keep in mind when sharing broccoli with your fur baby.

Avoid Any Extra Seasonings

Whenever you share a food with your dog, it’s important to keep a few safety guidelines in mind. The first is to skip the seasonings. Seasonings like salt, sugar, butter, pepper, garlic, onions, and chives may be delicious for us, but they can wreak havoc on our dog’s bodies. Plus, garlic, onions, and chives are toxic for dogs and can cause stomach upset and sickness.

Dogs don’t need extra seasonings to enjoy food. When it comes to broccoli, the bright flavors and crisp texture are enough for any dog to enjoy. Be careful to avoid any extra seasonings and to just give your pup plain, steamed broccoli.

Keep Servings Small

Another precaution to keep in mind is to feed your pup broccoli in very small quantities. If you give your pup too much broccoli, they can have a higher risk of suffering from isothiocyanate poisoning.

Instead, only feed your pup a very small amount of broccoli at a time, and keep a close eye on them after they eat. If you notice any signs or symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort or irritation, see a doctor right away.

Eliminate Choking Hazards

Raw broccoli is one of the most common choking hazards for small breed dogs — it can get stuck in your dog’s esophagus. If you’re considering sharing broccoli with your toy breed or small dog, be sure to cut it up into bite-sized pieces to make it easier for them to swallow and process, and consider steaming or lightly boiling it.

Alternative Nutrient-Rich Ingredients

While broccoli packs a powerful nutritional punch, there are some risks involved with feeding this snack to your pup. For this reason, many pet parents may prefer to avoid this ingredient. But, don’t worry. There are plenty of alternative sources of nutrients for immune support, fiber, and health that will help support your dog’s health for years to come.

Look for dog food with real meat as the first ingredient, and be sure to avoid any dog foods with chicken or poultry by-product meal, as these can include the unwanted leftover ingredients from an animal.

Next, look for safe fruits and vegetables that your dog can benefit from. These include blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, pumpkin, peas, beets, chicory root, and more. To find food that’s designed specifically for immune support, look for foods with added vitamins A, C, E and minerals like Zinc and Selenium. This is a powerful way to make sure your dog gets the nutrients they need to thrive.

Lastly, look for whole grains in your dogs’ food, but skip the gluten. Grains like brown rice and oatmeal offer high fibers that help support regularity while balancing the gut microbiome. In turn, this aids in immune system support.

Just because you don’t give your dog broccoli doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy total mind and body nutrition. There are plenty of alternative nutrients your dog can benefit from for years to come. Explore the Optimeal® collection of nourishing recipes here to find the perfect dog food for your furry BFF.

Sources:

Benefits of High-Fiber Dog Foods | American Kennel Club

Can Dogs Eat Broccoli? | American Kennel Club

Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health | NIH