Yes, dogs can eat broccoli and cauliflower in moderate amounts and not to exceed the recommended daily percentage. But, what are the benefits that these foods bring them? In this article on our site we explain how to give these vegetables to our four-legged friends, how much is adequate and how often.
Natural food is ideal for basing the dog's diet on it, as long as a correct balance between proteins, minerals and vitamins is maintained, but it is also perfect for offering homemade snacks. In this way, both broccoli and cauliflower can be an excellent natural treat whenever your dog deserves it. Keep reading and discover the Benefits of broccoli and cauliflower for dogs
Benefits of broccoli for dogs
Broccoli is a variety of cabbage and is therefore a vegetable that belongs to the cruciferous family. It is considered one of the most beneficial foods for the body, especially the human. Although the impact on the dog's he alth is less noticeable, it also provides multiple benefits and properties that we will detail below.
Nutritional composition of broccoli (100 g)
According to the United States Department of Agriculture[1], 100 grams of cooked broccolihave:
- Water: 89.25 g
- Energy: 35 kcal
- Protein: 2.38 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.18 g
- Total fiber: 3.3 g
- Total sugars: 1.39 g
- Calcium: 40 mg
- Iron: 0.67 mg
- Magnesium: 21 mg
- Phosphorus: 67 mg
- Potassium: 293 mg
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Zinc: 0.45 mg
- Folate: 108 μg
- Vitamin C: 64.9 mg
- Vitamin A: 77 μg
- Vitamin E: 1.45 mg
- Vitamin K: 141.1 μg
When cooking food in water, some properties decrease while others increase. Thus, the composition of raw broccoli is as follows:
- Water: 89.30 g
- Energy: 34 kcal
- Protein: 2.82 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.64 g
- Total fiber: 2.6 g
- Total sugars: 1.7 g
- Calcium: 47 mg
- Iron: 0.73 mg
- Magnesium: 21 mg
- Phosphorus: 66 mg
- Potassium: 316 mg
- Sodium: 33 mg
- Zinc: 0.41 mg
- Folate: 63 μg
- Vitamin C: 89.2 mg
- Vitamin A: 31 μg
- Vitamin E: 0.78 mg
- Vitamin K: 101.6 μg
Rich in vitamins
Its richness in vitamins C, A, E and K means that the dog can benefit from all the properties that they entail. In this way, it acquires the healing properties of vitamin C and E, as well as the antiviral properties of the latter, favors its vision, coat, nails and teeth thanks to vitamin A, helps protect its heart and bones due to benefits of vitamin K, strengthens your immune system and promotes the detoxification of your body by all of them.
Powerful antioxidant
Both the amount of vitamins mentioned as well as the amount of carotenoids and flavonoids make broccoli an excellent natural source of antioxidants. In dogs, this translates into a decreased probability of suffering premature cellular oxidation, which would encourage the development of cardiovascular problems or the appearance of tumors.
Improves digestion
Thanks to its fiber and amount of minerals, broccoli benefits the animal's digestion as long as it is taken in the right amount. A non-recommended dose can have the opposite effect, and later we will see why. But, as we said, provided this vegetable correctly can prevent and treat constipation in dogs
Fights anemia
Due to the folate and iron present in broccoli, this food helps fight anemia and prevent it. Of course, it should be noted that this product should never be the only solution for anemic dogs, since it is necessary to follow the guidelines established by the veterinarian to treat anemia in dogs correctly.
Suitable for diabetic dogs
Dogs with diabetes can consume broccoli without any problem and, in addition, see the consequences that this disease can develop in them reduced. Due to the antioxidant properties of this food, the benefits it provides to the cardiovascular and immune systems, it is able to prevent possible damage to blood vessels, a fact that minimizes the chances of suffering problems related to the heart or brain, for example. Of course, this is not an exact science and just by including broccoli in the dog's diet we cannot guarantee that such damage will never occur, but if we add it to a proper diet and exercise, we will be able to reduce the possibilities.
Benefits of cauliflower for dogs
As with broccoli, cauliflower is a variety of cabbage and is also part of the cruciferous family. Although its nutritional composition and benefits are practically the same as those of the previous vegetable, it is true that we can observe some differences.
Nutritional composition of cauliflower (100 g)
Below, we show the composition of 100 grams of raw cauliflower according to the United States Department of Agriculture:
- Water: 92.07 g
- Energy: 25 kcal
- Protein: 1.92 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.97 g
- Total fiber: 2 g
- Total sugars: 1.91 g
- Calcium: 22 mg
- Iron: 0.42 mg
- Magnesium: 15 mg
- Phosphorus: 44 mg
- Potassium: 299 mg
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Zinc: 0.97 mg
- Folate: 57 μg
- Vitamin C: 48.2 mg
- Vitamin E: 0.08 mg
- Vitamin K: 15.5 μg
For its part, the cooked cauliflower has the following nutritional composition:
- Water: 93g
- Energy: 23 kcal
- Protein: 1.84 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.11 g
- Total fiber: 2.3 g
- Total sugars: 2.08 g
- Calcium: 16mg
- Iron: 0.32 mg
- Magnesium: 9 mg
- Phosphorus: 32 mg
- Potassium: 142 mg
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Zinc: 0.17 mg
- Folate: 44 μg
- Vitamin C: 44.3 mg
- Vitamin E: 0.07 mg
- Vitamin K: 13.8 μg
Comparison with broccoli
In general, both vegetables have the same benefits, which is why in this section we will focus on explaining the difference between them. As you may have seen after reviewing the nutritional composition of the two foods, cauliflower has a lower amount of minerals and vitamins than broccoli, and this fact is also seen reflected in the impact of the properties and benefits on the animal's organism. In this way, if you hesitate between offering broccoli or cauliflower to your dog, we recommend that you opt for the first one. However, if the question is whether you can give both foods equally, the answer is yes. In fact, the ideal is to alternate them so as not to always give the dog the same food and prevent it from getting tired.
How to give a dog broccoli and cauliflower?
Before proceeding to establish a homemade diet for dogs, it is essential to bear in mind that their digestive system is different from ours and, therefore, they do not metabolize food in the same way. Thus, a food that is excellent for humans can be harmful to them in the wrong amounts, and this is precisely what happens with the cruciferous vegetables mentioned in this article. Although we have stated that dogs can eat broccoli and cauliflower, we also ensure that, due to certain substances that make up these foods, an excess can lead to stomach problems typical of a poisoning.
In general, the presence of fruits and vegetables should not exceed 10-15% of your total diet daily, and always it is advisable to provide varied products each day. In this way, it is best to give your dog broccoli and cauliflower from time to time and trying to maintain this proportion. To vary your menu, we recommend you consult the article with the most recommended fruits and vegetables for dogs.
The dog is a mainly carnivorous animal. Due to the domestication that it has suffered for years, its digestive system has been able to adapt and tolerate certain foods typical of an omnivorous animal. However, it is still prepared to digest especially meat and fish and, for this reason, we emphasize the importance of maintaining a correct proportion between animal and vegetable protein. However, this does not mean that all dogs are the same and these figures should be applied literally. It is important to get to know each dog, observe his reactions when eating a new food and, little by little, discover what amount of it is best for him. This will also help you determine if, for example, your dog suffers from a food allergy and, therefore, you should remove it from his diet. In this sense, if after eating broccoli or cauliflower your dog vomits or has diarrhea, do not feed it again and opt for another food.
Can dogs eat raw broccoli?
Yes, dogs can eat raw broccolias long as the center stem is removed and thoroughly washed. However, on our site we always recommend lightly cooking food before offering it to the dog for one simple reason: to eliminate any presence of bacteria. Therefore, when in doubt as to whether dogs can eat cooked broccoli, the answer is yes, in fact it is preferable to give it to them that way. If you want to offer raw food, we recommend opting for organic or good quality broccoli.
And can you eat raw cauliflower?
Also. Dogs can eat raw and boiled cauliflower, as long as the central stem and leaves are removed.
