I don’t know about you, but broccoli is great, isn’t it? Those little green trees are delicious whether they’re served on their own or covered in some gravy or sauce.
When serving broccoli, you might have noticed that I, your furry companion, am close by, watching, using my big old eyes to score some sweet greens.
Sometimes you take pity on me, adding broccoli and some gravy to my dish. Other times, I eat it out of your children’s hands; they hide it under the table so they can have desserts. Other times, you pause and think can dogs eat broccoli?
I know it can be scary not knowing if you will accidentally poison me; it’s a lot of pressure on you, feeding me every day.
The constant fear and worry that your fur baby could be poorly must be upsetting. I don’t like seeing you upset, or being sad myself, so today, I shall be helping you!
I will tell you whether or not broccoli is safe for dogs to eat and give you some tips about how much broccoli I should be eating. Keep reading to find out the answer to the question: can dogs eat broccoli?
Can dogs eat broccoli?
So, can I eat broccoli? Yes, I can! Dogs can enjoy broccoli as a healthy addition to their diets. Broccoli contains lots of yummy nutrients that can be great for us to ingest.
It’s best to start with small quantities, especially if you have previously deprived your dog of the tiny trees!
The vegetable is safe for us to eat in small amounts, whether added to our usual food or as a tasty treat or snack! Why not take some broccoli on a walk with us and test our recall? Just remember to ensure the broccoli is cool to avoid us burning our tongues or mouths!
You might have some more questions about your dog eating broccoli, but don’t panic; I am here to guide you through all your broccoli-related queries!
Will cooked broccoli hurt dogs?
Now that we know broccoli is safe for me to eat, you might be wondering whether it should be cooked or not? Cooked broccoli will not hurt dogs and is usually softer and easier for us to chew through!
Boiled broccoli or even broccoli that have been stir-fried will be easier for our teeth to chew than raw broccoli straight from the refrigerator. It will also be tastier too!
Be mindful when cooking broccoli that you will be fed to us that it has not come into contact with poisonous foods for dogs.
Keep the broccoli away from onions or another dangerous veg when cooking so that you can be sure none of those harmful foods are accidentally ingested!
Remember when feeding us cooked broccoli to ensure that it has been cooled thoroughly and is safe for us to eat. If you are feeding us broccoli kept as leftovers, ensure it has been kept in the refrigerator and is still within date.
Avoid anything that smells gone off or looks bad!
How much broccoli can a dog eat?
Personally, I’d eat broccoli all day, every day; I don’t know why your children make such a fuss about their greens! But to be on the safe side, I shouldn’t have broccoli too often.
About 10% of my daily food intake is safe for me and will provide some great nutrients! However, in some other doggies, too much can cause problems, such as severe gastric irritation.
It’s best to stick to the 10% suggestion and do not go over 25%! When working out how much this should be, you will need to know your dog’s weight and how much food they should be consuming.
If you are unsure of this, why not check with the vet to offer detailed information about your dog’s dietary needs? Just maybe, leave us at home for that trip, though? The amount will vary depending on your dog’s breed and size; 10% of a Chihuahuas daily intake will be very different from an Alsatian!
Remember, if your doggie is showing any painful symptoms to contact the vet for some further advice! After all, all we can do is bark and cry! Look out for signs of an irritated stomach that would suggest gastric distress.
Can broccoli kill a dog?
In certain amounts, broccoli can be fatal for us doggies! I know, a scary thought, right? Broccoli contains isothiocyanate, a substance that can cause gastrointestinal irritation that can be bad for dogs.
Like I said earlier, in small quantities, it’s perfectly safe for us to eat! But, if our daily diet is more than 25% broccoli, the amount of isothiocyanate can be fatal!
Be sure to keep the daily amount of broccoli to a minimum; tasty addition to dinner is excellent, but please don’t turn us into your meal-prepping, protein munching son!
Does broccoli make dogs fart?
Less serious than causing death, but still a valid question! Broccoli is full of fiber and, as we have seen, can cause stomach irritation if I am fed too much of it.
Well, the same can be said for gas. Think about what happens to your body if you have too much fiber, and imagine that played out in my smaller body!
Too much broccoli can cause bad gas and lots of farting for us both to have to deal with! You can avoid this easily though, simply do not feed your dog more than the maximum amount of broccoli suggested.
That way, there are no tummy problems and undesirable smells in the house!
Final Word
Here we are!
The end of the broccoli journey we have been on together! As you can see, broccoli is perfectly safe for me to eat; however, we need our owners or people to be mindful of the amount of broccoli we eat!
10% of our daily intake, or a small helping alongside one meal, is more than enough to satisfy our mini tree craving and keep us from begging at the table!
Maybe, if you have something tasty, though, expect us greedy pups to be back for more!
