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Can Dogs Eat Vegetables?

We are all familiar with sayings about unconditional and strong friendship between men and dogs. Dogs are indeed incredible animals. No other living being can be as loyal, supportive and helpful as a dog. They have been by our side since prehistoric times. Dogs helped us survive in the cruel, wild world. We shared our food with them and they guarded our homes. Nowadays, dogs are still honored and praised animal for many reasons.

Dogs have great impacts on our behavior and health. Some studies show dog owners laugh more often then other people. Well, you certainly can’t help stop smiling seeing an adorable puppy looking at you! Dogs are also very sociable and loyal to humans. You won’t find such a faithful friend in other pets. Dogs are evolved from wolves that are used living in groups, so they naturally seek interaction with other beings.  People with dogs are also very sociable. They enjoy interacting with other pet owners and make a great network of dog lovers.

Time spent with dogs is certainly good for our health. Their company makes us feel secure and relaxed, we can play and run with them and we’ll know there is always someone who will greet us with joy. A dog should be like a family member to us. It requires a lot of time, dedication and patience. You should provide it the best possible living conditions, good nutrition and proper grooming. Basic medical care is a must, as well.

Feeding your dog

You got yourself a dog and introduce it to your household. You provided it enough space, a good place to sleep and rest and now you have to feed it. Basically, dogs are carnivores, but they actually eat other types food as well. Their organisms adapted to various types of food, since they spent so much time by humans’ side. However, that doesn’t mean you can feed it everything. A dog needs a well balanced diet that meets its nutritional needs.

Nutritional needs of a dog depend on combination of factors. Every dog needs a special diet plan, made exclusively according its needs, depending on its age, breed, gender, health condition, size and so on. Every diet plan for dogs must include proper proportions of valuable and essential nutrients. A good and balanced meal for a dog has to contain proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. You can feed your dog homemade food or purchased ready-made dog food. You can also mix the two.

If you opt for homemade food, be aware you need to prepare it in a right way. Otherwise you can really endanger your dog’s health. Be sure meat and similar viands are always well cooked, in order to prevent food poisoning from bacteria that may be found in raw products.

Be careful with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well. Other food should be considered as a treat, so try not to feed your dog leftovers from your own table. Fresh and clean water should be always available.

Do dogs need vegetables?

We all know vegetables are healthy. They are full of valuable vitamins and minerals and we eat it in large amounts. All sorts of vegetables have their health benefits for us. Vegetables are necessary in our diet, but do our pets need them as we do? What about our dogs?

Vegetable is not essential to dogs, meaning they won’t suffer from lack of valuable nutrients f they don’t eat it. But a green bean or two won’t be harmful to your pup.

However, your dog can benefit from ocassional servings of vegetables. Dogs had become omnivores, so they can safely eat most of it. Many owners give their dogs some fresh vegetables as treats. Carrots, green beans and broccoli are commonly served to dogs, without any health problems. If your dog has a well balanced diet plan, some vegetables could actually do it good. Fresh vegetable promotes digestion and prevents constipation. It is low in calories and full of vitamins and minerals, which is good. If treats take less then ten percent of your dog’s nutrition, vegetables are the most welcome choice!

Vegetable can be particularly good for overweight dogs. If your dog is obese, you need to help it reduce its weight in a proper way. Obesity leads to many serious health problems and you’re the only responsible for your pet’s health. Veterinaries usually recommend mixing some vegetables with treats your dog usually eats, in order to satisfy it with the same amount of food and less calories. It should be done gradually.

Most dogs really enjoy vegetables. A fresh, tasteful carrot could be a great healthy treat for your four-legged buddy! It is way better than some greasy snack which will only do it harm. As long as your pet has a balanced diet plan, made with care and according to its individual needs, you don’t have to worry about adding vegetables. Just take care of your dog’s nutrition plan proportions and you can safely treat it some good, super healthy veggies.