Eating more vegetables is one of the main ways people can improve our health. But what about our favorite dog? A suite of recent TikTok videos suggest that feeding your dog vegetables is good for their health, even saying that celery freshens breath and cucumbers can help boost energy. But is that true? Do dogs have to eat their vegetables like humans do?
“Provided that the animal gets a diet that is complete and balanced, it should not need any vegetables,” Richard Hill, a professor of veterinary nutrition at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, says. Reversed. Most commercial dog foods are labeled as complete and balanced, meaning they contain all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients a dog needs in the right amounts. Hill said there is “reasonable assurance” that a commercial dog food labeled complete and balanced is truly complete and balanced.
Hill thinks part of the concern is about ultra-processed food, which – for good reason – has gotten a bad rap for its adverse effects on human health. Although kibble is technically ultra-processed, it’s fundamentally different from human ultra-processed food, Hill says.
The ultra-processed foods we eat are usually full of salt and sugar, and lack fiber. Dog food, on the other hand, is specifically balanced and formulated to meet all of a dog’s nutritional needs.
Feeding your dog lots of vegetables in addition to kibble can throw off their diet, says Hill. Although vitamins and minerals are good for us, they become dangerous in excess. “Everyone thinks vitamins are always good, but too much is bad for you,” he says.
While dogs don’t need vegetables for nutrition if they eat their kibble, there may be some benefits to giving your dog a vegetable snack every now and then. Mainly, they can be a healthy and filling treat.
Because vegetables are full of fiber, your dog may stay fuller longer and may even poop more regularly. “Sometimes we suggest giving green beans to fill dogs up if they’re very hungry,” says Hill. She also recommends that pet parents cook vegetables because “they’re more digestible if they’re cooked,” she says.
For a reliable list of vegetables your dog can and can’t eat, Hill recommends looking at the American Kennel Club. According to them, dogs are in the clear to eat broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, green beans, store-bought mushrooms (not technically vegetables), peas, and spinach. They should avoid asparagus, wild mushrooms, avocados and onions.
For pet parents who still want to feed their dogs whole foods, a compromise may be in order. A 2001 article published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association suggests a mixture of good quality commercial diet supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. These homemade diets can be beneficial for animals with medical conditions that do not eat commercial therapeutic diets. However, feeding a dog only whole vegetables runs the risk of skimping on other important nutrients.
Most important, Hill stressed, is balance. Treats — even veggie treats — shouldn’t make up more than 5 to 10 percent of your pet’s daily calories, she says. “If you’re feeding vegetables, I’d say moderation is the thing to think about.”