Dogs are always curious about trying any food they can access. Owners are always looking to make sure that the scraps they pick up are healthy for their pet. Asparagus is known as a healthy food choice for humans, but can dogs eat it?
Can dogs eat asparagus?
Yes, dogs can eat asparagus. It is not toxic, and it provides some vitamins and minerals that they can benefit from as well. Just be careful to make sure to cut it up into smaller pieces, so they do not choke on asparagus or overeat in one sitting.
What are the major benefits of dogs eating asparagus?
Doctors recommend eating asparagus as part of a healthy diet for humans, and a lot of those benefits translate to dogs as well. While it should not become a habit to eat asparagus all the time, this is one of the healthier snacks to give a dog if they end up developing a taste for it.
What makes it great? Below are the major health benefits of asparagus.
Soluble and insoluble fiber
Asparagus packs a ton of fiber in every serving, and two types can help out a dog overall. Soluble fiber is very beneficial for helping out the digestive system and fighting off any viruses that might pop up. Insoluble fiber is going to assist in helping with regular, healthy bowel movements. If dogs are having trouble with their bowels, it makes sense to try something like this as a natural solution.
Remember to keep in mind that too much fiber can end up backfiring slightly. Dogs are going to need at least one bathroom opportunity shortly after if they eat a lot of asparagus, and it could cause gas or bloating after consuming a lot of food.
Multiple vitamins
There are many different vitamins in asparagus that will help a dog stay healthy. They can get these vitamins from other foods without any problem, but it just makes asparagus a tasty snack as well.
The list below includes all the different vitamins that help out a dog when they are snacking on asparagus. There might be opportunities to get these vitamins from other foods, but it’s not going to do any damage to have these vitamins with snacks as well.
Vitamin C
There is not a massive need for Vitamin C for a dog, simply because they can manufacture the vitamin themselves. However, getting a natural source of this vitamin can still allow them to stay healthier overall by allowing the dog to stay healthier.
Vitamin A
Feeding a dog food with Vitamin A in it will help their vision, immune health, reproduction, skin health, and bone strength. It is one of the essential vitamins for dogs to stay as healthy as possible. There are many other sources of Vitamin A, but this is one vitamin dogs can always benefit from at any time.
Vitamin E
The purpose of Vitamin E in a dog’s diet is to control oxidation and free any radicals in the body. Not only that, but it helps keep their skin strong and their coat healthy throughout the year. Dogs getting a lot of Vitamin E will look healthier just glancing at them walking around or playing every day.
Vitamin K
Without vitamin K as part of a diet for a dog, they run the risk of having blood clot issues. While it helps explicitly with blood clotting, it also has essential vitamins for the immune system in general.
Vitamin B9
From healthy growth of cells to amino acid metabolism, Vitamin B9 is a very crucial water-soluble vitamin for dogs. They do not always get that much in some of the foods out there, so asparagus can help with that.
Methionine
This antioxidant gives dogs additional bone strength and helps them stay healthy as they continue to age. It is one of the essential amino acids for dogs out there.
Minerals
Vitamins are very beneficial for dogs, but so are certain minerals. Asparagus has a lot of good in each bite, and dogs will start to benefit from these minerals right away. They get a lot of them from other foods as well, but it makes asparagus that much better.
Calcium
There is a decent amount of calcium in every single bite of asparagus. Just like with humans, calcium helps with bone and cartilage development. It also helps with blood clotting so the dogs can stay as healthy as possible.
Copper
Without copper, dogs can find red blood cell production and nerve cell maintenance a little more challenging. Copper assists in helping form many different types of tissue in the body as well.
Iron
Dogs that do not get iron as part of their diet could have issues with enough oxygen supplies to the entire body. Hemoglobin is in charge of taking oxygen from the lungs and sending it to the rest of the body. Myoglobin is one of the proteins that deliver oxygen to muscles.
Phosphorus
Dog bodies start to break down at an advanced age, as their bones and teeth lose strength. Phosphorus is one mineral that ensures that everything stays healthy strong for a long time. Puppies can build strong bones and teeth in the beginning, while advanced age dogs can hold on to what they have.
Potassium
From muscle functioning properly to overall brain function, potassium has many benefits for dogs. Their body reacts to potassium much like humans, and it is a mineral most people do not associate with and asparagus. If they do not enjoy other foods rich in potassium, see if they develop a taste for asparagus.
The negatives of asparagus for dogs
While asparagus is mostly considered an excellent snack for dogs, it is not perfect. There are some issues that dog owners might run into if they start giving them too much asparagus to eat.
Digestive issues
Dogs that have a large amount of asparagus in one sitting could deal with an upset stomach and gas. It is not always going to occur, but it is just a matter of having too much of something in a short time frame. Time spent preparing asparagus
Some humans do not consume much asparagus, and they might be only preparing it for the dog. Whatever the case may be, there are some things to keep in mind to ensure that the dog gets all the benefits necessary.
Cutting off the end of the stock
The end of an asparagus stock is very rough and not exactly filled with all the vitamins and minerals that make it a solid snack option. A dog still might be tempted to chew this part up, so it is best to take care of it for them instead.
Cook the asparagus
There are many different ways to cook asparagus and make it healthy and easy to consume for dogs. It is usually not too challenging to prepare asparagus just a little bit, and it makes life so much easier for dogs as well.
The most common way is to either steam asparagus or cook them in water. Most people will only need to spend a little bit of time to get everything ready to go.
Cut up asparagus
The final step is an important one, just because asparagus can be a choking hazard. Make sure to cut everything up into bite-size pieces so that if they do swallow them whole, they are not going to choke. It is easy to think the dogs will be able to handle any raw food thrown their way, but they might be too excited to chew things up properly as they should
Why is asparagus so hard for dogs to chew?
Humans do not usually think about asparagus has been tough to chew because there is a lack of raw asparagus in a typical diet. Most are going to spend the extra time to prepare it properly, or they purchase asparagus already prepared.
Even if thoroughly cooked, it makes the most amount of sense to go ahead and cut asparagus into smaller pieces. This same type of advice works for all kinds of food, because they are very prone to eating quickly regardless of whether or not they chewed everything properly.
Final recommendation
Asparagus is worth having around the home as a snack for humans, as well as the dogs. It does not need to become part of their regular diet, as they do get a lot of the same minerals and vitamins from standard dog food. However, when they are craving human food, giving them a taste of asparagus is much better than many other options.
Start out giving them just a small amount of asparagus to see if they enjoy the taste. Gradually add more and more for a solid serving or two. It is safe enough to eat multiple times a week without any complications.
Shawn Manaher is a serial entrepreneur but when he isn’t working, he loves dogs. He’s owned different pets over the years, and always gives a part of his heart to each pet.
