Have you noticed the many dog foods, both dry and canned, that contain vegetables? Yes, veggies - for the most part - are good for dogs. My toy poodles love the fresh vegetables I receive from the local organic farm where I am a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program member.
Each week my toy poodles virtually attack my CSA share to see if they can sneak a bite out of the fresh kale jutting out from the market basket I use to collect the green bounty. When I am making a salad or preparing a stir fry, I always offer small bits of fresh lettuce, spinach, and carrot to my toy poodles. I don’t have to call the dogs to the kitchen; they’re already camped out at my feet as I chop and slice on the cutting board.
But you have to draw the line somewhere. Some vegetables are toxic to dogs; these include members of the onion and garlic family. Learn more about which people foods are safe (or unsafe) for your dog.
Even some healthful vegetables might best be avoided, if only for aesthetic reasons. I am referring here to beets. Last summer I gave each of my toy poodles a little-fingernail-size piece of cooked beet. They loved the treat. But within a couple of hours, the result showed up on the wee-wee pad I keep in the laundry room. I hadn’t anticipated this effect and started to have a minor panic attack when one dog peed pink. Next thing I knew, Caprice did the same thing! Then it occurred to me that the beets had caused the “problem.”
Turns out it’s a benign issue according to “Beets are a healthy dog treat.” Most people who walk their dogs outdoors might not even notice this side effect. If I had to guess, I surmise that toy poodles (and maybe dogs in general) lack the enzyme needed to break down the red pigment in beets to a less obvious hue. Apparently, people have the ability to metabolize beet pigment; otherwise, we’d be peeing pink, too.
Although beets might be healthy, I think we’ll be avoiding beets and “pinky tinky” here in the future. We’ll stick with leafy greens and carrots.
Until next time,
Mr. Dibs
