What Vegetables Can I Feed My Dog?

Vegetables are good for your entire family, including your dog!

Not only are vegetables good for you, but they are good for your dog, too. Humans eat vegetables because of their nutrients and disease-preventing phytochemicals. Dogs can reap the same benefits from eating certain veggies as well. However, unlike humans, dogs cannot properly digest all vegetables and can even be severely allergic to certain ones, so it is important to pay attention to which ones you choose to feed your dog.

1. Green Vegetables

   • You can serve your dog green vegetables such as green beans, broccoli and spinach, according to Dr. Larry McDaniel, D.V.M. Serve the vegetables raw, or, to make them easier for your dog to digest, try steaming them in a steamer or microwave. This will make the vegetables easier to digest while preserving their nutrients.

   Gourds

   • You can feed your dogs vegetables from the gourd family, such as zucchini and squash. An interesting serving method is to puree certain vegetables and mix the puree in with regular dog food or serve it alone.

   Orange Vegetables

   • Carrots are good for your dog and fun for them to eat. Sweet potatoes are also good, but make sure to limit how much you serve your pup, because the starch in sweet potatoes can cause weight gain, according to Dr. McDaniel.

   Other Vegetables

   • Cauliflower, cabbage and peppers are other vegetables that are good for your dog. Just as with all vegetables, Dr. McDaniel suggests limiting the intake of these veggies to "no more than a quarter of your dog's daily food intake," and to serve them with protein.