Read time: 5 mins
20 Jun 2023
Yes, dogs can eat cauliflower in controlled quantities.
Yes, cauliflower is good for dogs.
Cauliflower has a whole host of benefits for dogs. Not only is it low in calories but also rich in essential nutrients that are guaranteed to keep your dog’s tail wagging. It contains vitamins C, K, and B6, as well as folate, fibre and minerals, including potassium and manganese.
Is there anything these little trees can’t do?
Packed full of fibre, cauliflower is super helpful for aiding digestion and keeping bowel movements regular, finding that perfect balance. Goodbye to the see-saw of sloppy poos and constipation.
Cauliflower is a great source of antioxidants, including vitamin C. These antioxidants help to neutralise any harmful free radicals and contribute to your dog's overall health, keeping them in pawfect condition.
With its low calorie and high fibre content, cauliflower is the perfect addition to a weight management plan for pooches that are slightly on the chubbier side. Losing weight doesn’t mean that they can’t be rewarded for good behaviour either, it might just be a good idea to swap that meaty treat for a cauliflower floret.
Cauliflower contains lots of good things, including indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane, which are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties. Particularly helpful for pups that may suffer with arthritis and joint inflammation.
Yes, dogs can eat cooked cauliflower.
Lightly steamed or boiled cauliflower is the best way to serve this veggie to your pooch. Gentle cooking will ensure that much of its nutritional value is preserved, whilst making it manageable to eat.
You can also pop the cooked cauliflower into a food processor to blend the florets into smaller pieces. Cauliflower rice is all the rage at the minute, your pup will love joining in on the trend.
You should not use any seasonings, such as salt, or oils in the cooking process as these are actually poisonous to dogs. Butter is a no no too. This will just add unnecessary fat to a perfectly healthy treat. Trust us, they will enjoy the taste just as much without them.
Yes, dogs can eat raw cauliflower.
However, there are a few things you should consider before feeding raw cauliflower to your dog.
Cut the cauliflower into small, bite-sized pieces suitable for your dog. This way, they will be able to chew the pieces with less risk of choking.
We would not recommend feeding raw cauliflower to your dog if they have any dental or stomach problems, such as pancreatitis, as it can be difficult to chew and break down internally. Instead, you can lightly boil or steam the cauliflower. This will retain most of its nutritional value and make it soft enough to chew and digest.
Whilst dogs can technically eat cauliflower leaves, we wouldn’t recommend it.
Cauliflower leaves are non-toxic to dogs but they can be difficult to digest and can cause tummy upset if eaten in large quantities. They also tend to be much tougher to chew than the florets, making them a choking hazard.
Plus, the leaves aren't exactly the tastiest part of the humble cauliflower, so it's much better to remove the leaves and stalk before feeding it to your precious pup.
No, dogs should not eat cauliflower cheese.
Whilst it's the perfect accompaniment to our Sunday dinner, cauliflower cheese should be consumed by humans only. Paws off pooches.
The main concern with cauliflower cheese is the cheese itself. While small amounts of cheese may be tolerated by some dogs, it can be difficult for them to digest due to its high fat and lactose content. Additionally, certain types of cheese, such as those containing garlic or onions, can be toxic to dogs.
This all depends on your dog’s size, activity level and health status. As long as your dog is fairly active and does not have any underlying health conditions, you should be safe to feed them a few small florets of cauliflower.
Having said that, with any new food you should be mindful to introduce this slowly to their diet. Cauliflower is fairly mild and is unlikely to cause any tummy upset but too much could cause a sore tummy. Start with small portions to see how your dog responds.
Treats should not make up more than 10% of your dog's daily calories and that includes cauliflower, regardless of how low its calories may be. Remember that cauliflower should complement your dog's regular diet and not replace it.
For an easy way to get cauliflower into your dog’s diet and take advantage of all of its benefits, you should feed your dog a high quality, nutritionally-complete food that uses cauliflower in their recipes. Like us here at Butternut Box.
At Butternut Box, we include cauliflower in a lot of our meals, such as such as Beef It Up, Pork This Way, Plant Get Enough and You’ve Got Game.
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.
Cauliflower is joined by an army of other pooch-pleasing vegetables, such as:
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Green beans
• Celery
• Sweet potatoes
• Parsnips
• Spinach
• Butternut squash
• Kale
• Brussel sprouts
• Peppers
• Beetroot
• Cucumber
