Healthy Treats from Your Garden that You Can Share with Your Pet

Healthy Treats from Your Garden that You Can Share with Your Pet

               If you’ve planted a garden this year, you may be knee deep in zucchini, carrots and other produce right now.  Besides giving them away to neighbors and baking lots of zucchini bread and carrot cake, is it safe to share your bounty with your pets?  If your pet is eating a good quality commercial dog food, supplementing with fruits or vegetables is not necessary for a balanced diet, but they often make good low-calorie treats that our pets enjoy. So, what can we share with our pups from our garden?

               Zucchini and other summer squash—raw or cooked zucchini is fine for dogs and contains fiber and vitamins and minerals. Remember, with zucchini and other fruits and veggies, do not use any oil, butter or seasonings if prepping for your dog and limit portions.

               Carrots—most dogs love to crunch and chew up raw carrots. They may not digest well though, so if your dog has a sensitive stomach or dental issues or if you’re feeding carrots for nutritional value, you may want to feed cooked carrots instead.

               Green Beans—raw, frozen or canned, green beans are full of important vitamins and minerals and are a good source of fiber. Green beans can also aid in weight loss, helping dogs feel full without adding a lot of calories.  If using canned green beans, rinse first or buy a low sodium variety.

               Melons—melons are safe for dogs to eat but the rinds can be tough to digest so remove it before feeding cantaloupe, watermelon on honeydew.  Melons are high in fiber and water which can aid in keeping pets hydrated and reducing constipation and they also contain anti-oxidants and vitamin C. Melons can be fed fresh, frozen or pureed.  Because they do contain natural sugars, don’t feed too many fruits to your dog.

               Pumpkin and winter squash—pumpkin is a great source of fiber and is sometimes recommended to help pets with diarrhea OR constipation.  Remember to feed pure pumpkin or squash, not pie filling or any squash with seasoning.  Raw, frozen cubes, cooked or canned/puree are all safe for dogs to eat.

               Yams/Sweet Potatoes—cooked peeled sweet potatoes or dried sweet potato “chips” can be fed to dogs and are high in fiber and vitamins A and C. Raw sweet potatoes and yams should be avoided as they are difficult to digest.

               Cucumbers—plain, raw cucumbers are a crunchy, low calorie treat for dogs and have a high- water content which can help keep pets hydrated. However, do not feed pickles to dogs since the salt, sugar and spices are not good for dogs. Pickles aren’t toxic, they’re just not the healthiest choice for pups.

               Spinach/Kale—maybe.  Spinach and kale can be consumed in small amounts by healthy dogs. However, these leafy greens contain high levels of oxalic acid, which blocks the body’s ability to absorb calcium and can lead to kidney damage and may contribute to formation of calcium oxalate bladder stones in some individuals. Feeding spinach and kale should be avoided in dogs with kidney disease, breeds prone to formation of bladder stones or those with a history of calcium oxalate stones.

               Tomatoes—limit amounts and feed ripe red tomatoes only.  The high acid content can cause stomach upset for some dogs.  Note: tomato vines and green tomatoes contain toxins (solanine and tomatine) which can be toxic to dogs so don’t let dogs munch on vines or unripe tomatoes in gardens.

You can also consider growing catnip or a small plot of wheatgrass for your cat. Cats don’t need vegetables or grass as they are obligate carnivores meaning they only eat meat. But cats often enjoy eating grass or catnip and small amounts are fine. Note, cats may vomit after eating grass so limit the amount they eat.

As you can see, most fruits and veggies are fine but there are a few you should avoid. Not found as commonly in home gardens, but avoid veggies like onions and garlic, stone fruits such as peaches and grapes. Enjoy a happy, healthy summer and feel free to share some of the bounty from your garden with your pets!

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

https://www.seedneeds.com/blogs/seed-needs/garden-grown-snacks-for-dogs-and-cats 

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/fruits-vegetables-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/