Read time: 5 mins
16 May 2023
As a responsible pup parent, it's natural to be curious about the safety and nutritional value of various foods for your pooch. Broccoli, a popular vegetable packed with essential nutrients, often finds its way into our meals. But, can dogs eat broccoli too?
Yes, dogs can eat broccoli in moderation.
Broccoli is a great addition to your dog’s diet with a whole host of benefits.
This vegetable may resemble a small tree, but there’s nothing miniature about its nutritional value. Broccoli is full of essential vitamins and minerals that can contribute to your dog's general wellbeing.
It contains high levels of vitamin C, which boosts the immune system, supports collagen production and promotes healing. Broccoli is also a rich source of vitamin K, which plays a vital role in blood clotting and maintaining bone health.
The list doesn’t end there. Some of the other nutrients that are found in broccoli include folate, potassium, and dietary fibre.
Broccoli contains antioxidants, such as lutein, beta-carotene, and glucoraphanin, which help neutralise harmful free radicals that can occur in your pooch's body. Antioxidants also play a crucial role in reducing inflammation, supporting cardiovascular health and protecting against certain types of cancer.
The anti-inflammatory properties of broccoli can be particularly beneficial for dogs experiencing joint issues, such as arthritis. The presence of compounds, such as sulforaphane, can help to reduce inflammation and alleviate discomfort. Don’t worry pup, broccoli has your back.
The presence of dietary fibre in broccoli can help to aid digestion, regulate bowel movements and support the growth of healthy gut bacteria. A smooth-running digestive system will help to reduce the likelihood of your dog experiencing things like bloating, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation.
Broccoli is a low-calorie vegetable, which makes it the perfect snack for dogs that are prone to chomping their way to chubbiness. It provides essential nutrients without adding excessive calories to their diet, helping to keep them on track.
The naturally-tough texture of broccoli means that dogs have to do a lot of chewing to break it down. This will stimulate saliva production to reduce bacteria and plaque build up.
Yes, dogs can eat raw broccoli.
However, dogs have shorter digestive systems than their humans and lack the necessary enzymes to break down raw broccoli properly. This can lead to digestive issues and bloating, gas or even diarrhoea. Raw broccoli can also pose a choking risk as it is quite tough, making it hard to chew.
Therefore, it's recommended to lightly steam or boil broccoli before feeding it to your dog. This process makes it easier for dogs to chew, digest and absorb the nutrients.
Yes, dogs can eat cooked broccoli.
Cooking broccoli is actually the best way to feed this green goodness to your pooch. However, you should ensure that the broccoli is served plain and unseasoned, that means no oil, salt, pepper or garlic.
Yes, dogs can eat frozen broccoli.
Although, we wouldn’t recommend it as the best way to feed your dog broccoli. It will be much better if served raw or gently cooked.
Yes, dogs can eat broccoli stems and stalks.
However, they should be cut up and served in bite-sized pieces to avoid choking.
Whether it’s frozen, raw or cooked, you should be sure to bear the following things in mind to keep your pooch safe:
• Cut into bite sized pieces to avoid choking
• Introduce it to your dog’s diet gradually
• Keep an eye on your pooch to make sure they don’t have a reaction
For an easier alternative, you can opt for a dog food that uses broccoli in their meals, such as us here at Butternut Box.
Whilst broccoli is generally safe for dogs to eat, you should be aware of potential risks. Overfeeding broccoli can lead to gastrointestinal upset, such as gas, bloating, or diarrhoea.
If you decide to introduce broccoli to your pooch’s diet, it's really impawtent to do so gradually. Start with small portions as a treat or mixed in with your dog's meals.
Monitor your dog's reaction and look out for any digestive issues or allergic reactions. If your dog shows no signs of intolerance, you can gradually increase the amount. However, it should only make up a small amount of your dog’s overall diet.
Always consult with your vet before making any significant changes to your dog's diet.
Broccoli is joined by an army of other pooch-pleasing vegetables, such as:
• Carrots
• Sweet potato
• Peas
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Green beans
• Parsnips
• Spinach
• Butternut squash
• Kale
• Brussel sprouts
• Peppers
• Beetroot
• Cucumber
At Butternut Box, we include broccoli in a lot of our meals, such as Beef It Up, Wham Bam Lamb, Salmon To Love and Plant Get Enough.
We only use the best-quality ingredients in our meals. As well as 60% human-grade meat, vegetables form the basis for our recipes, alongside things like lentils and pearl barley. Because we believe dogs deserve better.
You don’t have to worry about guesswork either, we use the perfect balance of ingredients in our meals to ensure that they are nutritionally complete, providing your dog with all the nutrients that they need to thrive.
At sign up, we will ask you a few questions about your dog, such as their breed, age and activity level. This will help us to calculate exactly how many calories they need, as well as the flavours that would best suit their preferences and lifestyle.
Click the Build Your Box button below to get an exact price and plan.
