Canine companions are not obligate herbivores but are actually omnivores. It means that dogs can eat both meat and plant stuff. It would be a great choice to add healthy vegetables to dog food. It is because meat alone might not be able to provide the essential minerals and nutrients to the dog’s body. So feed your dog plants, fruits, and veggies for a healthy lifestyle.
Some plants can be added to the dog’s diet as an occasional treat only, while some are safe enough to be fed as regular food. There are also some veggies which shouldn’t be included in the dog food due to the toxicity problems they pose to a dog’s health. Here is the complete detail of whether you can feed purple cabbage and related vegetables to your dog or not.
Can Dogs Eat Cabbage in General?
Dogs can eat cabbage safely. The common green cabbage, a leafy green vegetable, is beneficial for dogs if added to their diet. Besides it, other varieties of the family are beneficial too. They can add many nutrients to your dog’s diet without increasing the carbohydrate content.
Cabbage is also used in stews, salads, and many other recipes. If other ingredients of the recipe are safe for dogs, owners can feed them a small bite from it as well.
Can Dogs Eat Red Cabbage?
Yes, dogs can eat red cabbage. Red cabbage, also known as purple cabbage, is a highly nutritious vegetable family member. The family includes vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, arugula, mustard, collard, and many more.
Feeding cabbage can give your dog healthy bones and a healthy heart. It can also boost your dog’s gut health. These benefits show that it is worth giving your pup cabbage. Moreover, it generally does not pose any health problems unless overeaten.
Can Dogs Eat Cabbage Raw?
There is a natural compound in red cabbage called thiocyanate in raw form. Well, it’s present in green cabbage too. This compound can suppress the dog’s thyroid gland. If you give a dog raw cabbage for multiple days, it can cause hypothyroidism in him.
In this disease, a hormone called thyroxine is not made by the thyroid gland or is not produced enough. The hormone controls the metabolism in the dog’s body. Its underproduction can cause many complications like failure to produce metabolic heat and burn fats.
Common symptoms of hypothyroidism in dogs include dull and thin skin, hair loss, sluggishness, decreased heart rate, ear infection, and weight gain despite loss in appetite. So, it can be a problem for an overweight dog. In addition, long-period hypothyroidism can make a dog prone to seizures, heart problems, and infertility.
Raw cabbage is safe as long as given in small amounts casually. In fact, raw cabbage has more nutrients than cooked one in addition to this chemical.
Can Dogs Eat Cabbage Cooked?
If your puppy has never eaten cabbage before, the best option for a novice is to serve him cooked cabbage. If you lightly cook the cabbage, the thiocyanate compound present in the raw cabbage is inactivated by the heat. As a result, cooking eliminates any possibility of hypothyroidism.
The optimal option is to boil the cabbage leaves in water, but you can also steam them up by simply rinsing the leaves and placing them in a pot with a lid on the stove for a few minutes. Then, simply add these boiled leaves to the dog’s dinner or his wet food, and you’re done!
It’s wise to keep a watch on your dog while he’s eating cooked cabbage. He might choke if he tries to gulp down all of the leaves at once.
Also, seasonings of any kind should be avoided while cooking cabbage for him because they will negate its health benefits and do more harm than good. You can slightly bake the cabbage if you want to retain its crunchy texture, but never cook it in oil. The oil in it does not make the cabbage safe for dogs.
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Do Dogs Like Cabbage?
Yes! Dogs like cabbage. Some dogs will turn their backs on this veggie for sure. However, most dogs love the crunchy flavor of the cabbage, while the others go crazy for it. If they really enjoy eating cabbage, they can actually eat it every day, and it’s not going to hurt them if consumed in moderate amounts.
You should not avoid to feed cabbage to your dog as it is a healthy treat for him with countless health benefits. It is packed with many important vitamins and minerals, including manganese, potassium, copper, etc.
How Much Red Cabbage Can a Dog Have?
Red Cabbage is good for a dog’s health, but it doesn’t mean that he can eat as much as he desires. Every food has an intake limit, and you already know that excess of anything is bad.
The same rule applies when feeding your dog cabbage. Eating too much cabbage can be harmful to the dog, as it can cause an upset stomach and other gastrointestinal issues. In addition, it may be the reason for excessive gas and watery stool in him.
Small quantities of red cabbage are optimal for dogs as its overconsumption can lead to many health diseases in them. We recommend feeding your dog a bite or two of the cooked cabbage if he is small. In the case of large-sized dogs, some more bites of cooked cabbage or a few leaves of raw cabbage are likely to cause no gastric problems. If you think your pup has eaten a larger amount of cabbage than he is allowed to consume, seek professional veterinary help as soon as possible.
Moreover, before giving a new food to a dog to eat, always double-check whether it’s safe for dogs or not by starting with extremely small amounts.
Health Benefits of Cabbage for Dogs
Numerous nutritional benefits make cabbage good for dogs. This veggie is both healthy and tasty. Feed the veggie to your dog in moderate amounts and let him experience its benefits.
Fights Cancer
This wealthy vegetable is rich in antioxidants, including vitamins and vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavenoid antioxidants. These compounds can neutralize the free radicals produced during the metabolism of other foods. These radicals are actually damaging to cells, but their neutralization can help prevent cancer. In addition, they can fight the newly forming tumors and can prevent them from spreading.
Boosts Immune System
Like any other vegetable, cabbage is rich in phytonutrients. These nutrients are found purely in vegetables and some other plant sources(as “phyto” means plant) but are absent in meat. Phytonutrients are famous for their role in boosting the immune system; these not only repair the damage resulting from free radicals and pathogenic attacks but are also anti-inflammatory in nature.
In addition, these may also act as antiviral or antibacterial agents. Therefore, if you feed your dog cabbage, its phytonutrient content can be highly beneficial in promoting immunity and improving other body functions.
Promotes Heart Health
Cabbage is loaded with anthocyanins. The chemical compounds are flavonoid antioxidants that improve heart health when added to the diet. They lower blood pressure which in turn lowers the risk of heart diseases. In addition, it can prevent heart strokes and heart failures.
Strengthens the Bones
Vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin K, accompanied by sufficient amounts of minerals like magnesium and calcium, maintain the bone strength and make them healthy. In addition, they can prevent them from breaking easily and won’t let the cells get damaged.
Aids Digestion
Loaded with healthy fiber, cabbage can help ease the digestion process. It can help the dog eliminate its waste easily and have a healthy digestive system. The risk of constipation is also lowered. The fiber also becomes the food of some gut bacteria, which in turn produce some beneficial compounds that prevent gut cell damage.
Reduces Inflammation
Though inflammation is a natural healing and defense mechanism of a dog’s body, it can be dangerous if it becomes chronic like that of humans. Inflammation in dogs is of different types and needs food in their diet that has anti-inflammatory properties.
Cabbage is a good choice in this point of view. A sulfur compound called sulforaphane gives the cabbage its anti-inflammatory property. Besides inflammation, the red cabbage has been found to reduce some related conditions in dogs, such as pain, swelling, and discomfort.
Conclusion
All types of cabbage, including purple cabbage, are non-toxic and are safe to eat by the dogs. If the dogs eat cabbage, different nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fibers, and phytonutrients, can help in maintaining their general well-being. Both the raw and cooked form of cabbage are edible for dogs, but the slightly cooked form is recommended for its greater safety and health benefits. With the over consumption of the cabbage comes the gassy warning for dogs. If the dogs eat excessive amount of this veggie, it can lead to different gastric problems, including flatulence and intestinal gas.