Beets are tasty and super healthy root vegetables for humans. They’re full of vitamins and have been known to fight inflammation and promote digestive health (plus, they’re pretty yummy in a salad).
But when it comes to feeding your dog vegetables, you might be wondering — can dogs eat beets, too?
We reached out to Samantha Henson, a certified clinical pet nutritionist with Next Generation Pet Wellness, for more information on whether beets are OK for your dog to eat, and if so, how much he can safely enjoy.
Can dogs eat beets safely?
Beet-lovin’ pet parents, the news is good on this one. As it turns out, beets are a healthy vegetable for your pup to enjoy, and in most cases, dogs really like them!
“Beets provide several micronutrients to dogs, like vitamin C, fiber, potassium and manganese, just to name a few,” Henson told The Dodo. “In my practice, we recommend adding beets to the diet to help improve dogs’ immune systems, improve the health of their skin and coat (and whole integumentary system), and to help settle upset stomachs.”
That being said, caution should be taken when it comes to buying and preparing the beets.
“You want to make sure you are only getting organic beets,” Henson said. “Beets are so affordable — spring for organic when at all possible.”
And as with all vegetables, you’ll want to make sure to wash your beets well before cooking them, as most beets come with a fine layer of soil or roots still intact.
When it comes to serving beets to your dog, boiling them until soft or baking them are two good options, according to Henson.
“I always suggest pureeing any veggie I want a dog to benefit from,” Henson said. “Dogs do not have flat molars to break down plant cellulose, so breaking it down for them makes all those nutrients readily available to their bodies. You can offer 1 teaspoon of beet puree per 15 pounds of dog daily, up to 2 teaspoons if the dog has an upset stomach that we are trying to ease.”
And because beets contain fat soluble vitamins that can show up as a reddish pigment in skin or fur (only if given in large quantities), you can feed your dog golden beets instead if you’re at all concerned about his hair turning pink.
The more you know, pet parents. Hope your dog enjoys his new vegetable snack!
Can Dogs Eat Beets? A Pet Nutritionist Weighs In - DodoWell - The Dodo
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