Introduction:
Roger A. Caras once said,
“Obviously, dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
When you adopt a dog, obviously you wish to do all you can to keep him pleased and healthy. Most pet owners always remain in search of a tasty and healthy treat for their pets. But sometimes dogs drag themselves to their dish, and they get bored with the same old food you serve in routine to them.
Many human healthy foods are non-toxic to dogs and can be served as a special treat to your pet dogs. But it is also essential to know and understand the benefits or possible side effects of feeding human food to your dog.
Dogs and vegetables:
Vegetables are a great addition to the dog’s diet; they are omnivores and can digest meat as well as plants. The vegetables easily fit in the budget; have the ability to add volume to help your dog feel full and without many calories, and slow down the gobbling up of their food. Cabbage is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables that have been used to prevent and treat a variety of diseases, illnesses, ailments, and cancers. The history of cabbages and cauliflower is ancient, and they were used in Ancient Greek and Roman times to help cure different types of illnesses.
Cauliflower for dogs:
In recent times, cauliflower is considered an awesome densely nutritious superfood. It is not a favorite vegetable for many people, but cauliflower is a vegetable having various types of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and nutrients. Cauliflower is useful for having:
- Low calories
- Vitamin C & K
- Good fiber content
- Phytonutrients & isothiocyanates
- Nutrients that control inflammation
Giving your pup this nutritious vegetable from time to time provides a heap of benefits. But it can make your dog gassy too. The use of cauliflower regularly may cause some stinky gas and a little bit of stomach upset.
Can dogs eat cauliflower?
The short and straight answer is YES!
Dogs can eat cauliflower; in fact, it is the safest vegetable for dogs without having any toxins for your four-legged furry friend. Cauliflower is the plant food for fido that contains powerful phytonutrients and isothiocyanates that are beneficial to prevent cancer.
Generally, pet dogs can eat just about everything, especially when their owner is eating it as well. Luckily, cauliflower has not a sufficient amount of fiber present in it. Too much fiber in your dog’s diet may become the reason for gastrointestinal issues that may lead to constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, and stomach discomfort.
Benefits of eating cauliflower for dogs:
Cauliflower contains the bulk of healthy nutrients, including Calcium, Fiber, Folate, Potassium, and vitamins K, vitamin C that makes your puppy healthy and fit in many ways:
- The vitamin C and K present in cauliflower improve the immune system of your dog, muscles, eyesight, and even the blood circulation system.
- The soluble fibers in cauliflowers help in digestion and clean your dog’s teeth.
- Cauliflower also has healing properties that help in reducing inflammation.
- Cauliflower is stuffed with Sulforaphane, in which the sulfur content is responsible for destroying the cancer stem cells.
- The sulfur content in Sulforaphane is also helpful in boosting the blood pressure of your dog.
- The addition of cauliflower to your pet dog’s diet is valuable for the better health of the heart and kidney.
- Many of the nutrients present in cauliflower are responsible for the excellent health of the digestive system of your dog.
- Cauliflower also contributes to the boosting of learning and remembering things by improving brain health.
Side effects and risks of cauliflower for dogs:
You have to keep in mind that moderation is the key, and you have to serve cauliflower to your pooch in minimum quantity. Overeating of cauliflower can lead to the following issues:
- Gastrointestinal problems include nausea, loose stool, or gas.
- The dog may experience stomach flu or diarrhea.
- Excess feeding of cauliflower irritates the lining of the intestine and disturbs your dog’s health.
Raw or cooked cauliflower for a dog:
Dogs can eat raw cauliflower easily, but it can produce gas. Cooked cauliflower reduces the risk of gas and bloating, and it is easy to chew. Dogs are more carnivores, and the structure of their teeth is different from herbivores. Their digestive system is designed for meat, and it is hard for the digestive system of your dogs to digest and accept crunchy vegetables like cauliflower. So it is clear now that you can serve your dog with raw cauliflower, but the best option is serving it boiled, steamed, or roasted form.
Leaves and stem of cauliflower for the dog:
Always try to serve your dog with a fresh cauliflower head because it has all the benefits for the dog you are in search of. The leaves of cauliflower are also tasty and safe; you can give leaves of cauliflower to your dog with no issues.
The stem of cauliflower is also edible, but it is tough to chew for your pet. The cauliflower stem may cause choking hazards and stomach upsets.
How much cauliflower can dogs eat regularly?
However, the cauliflower is perfectly safe for your faithful friend, but it must be fed to the pet dog occasionally in small quantities. For using cauliflower in the regular diet of your dog, the best option is to sprinkle small chunks of cauliflower into their everyday meal.
Although cauliflower never causes some serious health troubles for your pooch, it can still leave your dog with a gassy stomach and loose stool. Dealing with your pet dog’s gassiness is the last thing you would want to experience, so be careful with the serving quantity of cauliflower.
Ways to serve cauliflower to your dog:
The ideal ways to serve your pet dog with cauliflower or other cruciferous vegetables are:
- Boil, steam, or roast cabbage before serving it to your pup.
- Never serve frozen, canned, or jarred cabbage to your dog.
- Avoid seasoning cauliflower with spices, salts, and other seasoning ingredients, or it may cause inflammation.
- Don’t cook cauliflower for dogs with onion, garlic, or the ingredients derived from onion and garlic powder.
- Avoid cooking cauliflower with oil or butter as it can upset the stomach of your pooch.
- To best serve cauliflower to dogs, add it to a homemade meal for the dog.
- Soak cauliflower in olive oil, then grill it to serve to your dog.
- Boil and mash the cauliflower to serve.
Signs to know your dog like cauliflower or not:
It often happens whenever they tried to serve your dog a new kind of food, they reject it and don’t like it. The same situation may occur with introducing cauliflower into your furry friend’s diet. But, with little effort and patience, you can train your dog to like cauliflower.
Generally, your pup doesn’t like the taste or texture of cauliflower. It is the real challenge to get your dog to easily eat cauliflower in its plain form. You can disguise the texture and taste of cauliflower to make this superfood more enjoyable.
NOTE: A perfect way to disguise the texture and taste of cauliflower is cooking, draining, and then adding it in a baked treat for your dog. Try baked cauliflower pizza for your dog.
Signs to know your dog like cauliflower:
Here are a few signs that will confirm that your loving pup likes to have cauliflower in his diet are:
- Your pet will start snooping and revolving around the kitchen if they seek you cooking, or eating cauliflower.
- They will begin drooling and licking their lips just after having a mere glance at cauliflower.
- During eating their food with cauliflower, they will show impatience and take bigger bites that may even cause choking.
Signs to know your dog dislikes cauliflower:
The signs that your dog does not like cauliflower are:
- No matter how hard you try to make it delicious for your dog, they won’t eat it.
- They will eat their food slowly and leave most of it.
- They will vomit or get sick just after eating a minimal amount of cauliflower.
- If they eat it unwillingly, they end up with a gassy and bloated stomach.
How to ease an upset stomach with cauliflower:
Overeating cauliflower may result in an upset stomach for dogs. There are few helpful tips to help your dog for easing excessive dog gas:
- Avoid feeding your pooch for 12 to 24 hours and allow his stomach to become empty.
- Give your dog sweet potatoes, oatmeal, bananas, or pumpkin to firm his stool.
- Serve it boiled chicken and rice to help him in firming up his stool.
- To avoid dehydration, serve it some bone soup.
- Consult with a vet to get medication for the dog if the situation worsens.
Conclusion:
At the end of this discussion, it is clear now that dogs can absolutely eat cauliflower. Avoid canned or frozen cauliflower, and serve it cooked, without any seasoning. Feed cauliflower to your dog in only small portions.
Cauliflower is very low in calories, and it is a perfect healthy snack for dogs that are overweight. You can also get advice from your vet about feeding your dog cauliflower. Good luck!