Can dogs Eat Kale?

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dogs are great animals to keep as pets. Having a pet dog is like keeping a commitment without needing to give too much commitment. These reptiles aren’t demanding and don’t require too much maintenance. They live long lives, they’ll probably even outlive their owners, so they’ll be by your side till the very end, without constantly clinging to your side. In return for all the ease they bring into your life, all they want off of you is to provide them with a well-balanced, healthy diet that meets all their nutritional requirements.

Even when it comes to what food you should be giving your pet dog, there aren’t many restrictions. Their diet is made up of a few core categories, and those categories usually have a wide selection to choose from, which is a great thing because dogs tend to want to have variety in their food. If their food becomes monotonous, they might refuse to eat. 

The only downside of having a rare pet such as dogs is that there isn’t much information about their needs and wants. So, if you want to introduce something new to their diet, you’ll need to do a lot of searching to be absolutely sure if you should offer that food to them. Even if what you want to offer calls into the acceptable food groups, you can never be too careful.

There is a very popular superfood these days that health-conscious people include in their diets. That’s right; we’re talking about kale. Kale is loaded with health benefits, although it isn’t the best tasting food out there. If it is healthy for us humans, is it healthy for our dogs? Can we include kale in their diets? 

The good news is we are here to answer all your dog-kale-related questions!

What do dogs eat?

Before we jump into the specific foods, we should have a general overview of the foods that dogs eat.

Designed especially for dogs and thus makeup around 25% of their diet are commercial dog pellets. This is an essential part of their meal as the pellets contain all the necessary nutritional elements needed by your dog in order to live a healthy life. These pellets are designed in accordance with your dog’s lifestyle and don’t crumble or break apart easily, and you’ll often find them floating in your dog’s food.

Fresh fruits and vegetables also make up 25% of your dogs’ diet. For most of the part, all fruits and vegetables are safe to be given to your dog, although dark leafy greens are preferred in vegetables. And yes, that includes kale!

Feeder fish and/or insects are also safe food to offer to your dogs. dogs need protein-rich diets, and this category is the perfect source of proteins and also has all the necessary vitamins such as Vitamin A and all the necessary minerals such as calcium.

Why is Kale so healthy?

Kale is considered a superfood and for a good reason too! It is loaded with all the healthy elements. Let’s take a closer look at what that actually means.

Kale is rich in the following Vitamins:

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin K

Kale is also rich in minerals such as:

  • Manganese
  • Calcium
  • Copper
  • Magnesium

We know that you are constantly warned that just because food is safe for your own consumption, it doesn’t mean it is safe for our dogs to eat, and that is true to a great extent. All things considered, humans and dogs are two vastly different species, and so the way our bodies absorb nutrients is also very different. So we need to consider how and if these elements are healthy for our dogs.

Kale for dogs:

So, the nutrients present in kale are just as important to our dog’s health as they are for ours. Although, where a dog’s body uses those nutrients might differ slightly in some areas while in others, the nutrients have the same job.

Vitamin A- It is essential for your dog in a number of ways. To put things in perspective, if your dog has a vitamin A deficiency, they will suffer from the following issues:

  • Poor eyesight and vision problems
  • Respiratory diseases
  • Ear abscesses
  • Runny nose
  • Raw skin and ulcers
  • The duct lining of their kidney and pancreas thickening also known as Squamous metaplasia

All of these will cause your dog extreme discomfort, which is why vitamin A rich food such as kale is of such importance in their diet.

Vitamin C- is needed in order for your dog to build a strong immune system in order to fight diseases.

Calcium – Your dog needs this mineral in order to develop strong bones.

Thus, making it clear that even a few of the long list of minerals and vitamins present in kale will do wonders for your dog’s health.

Help! My dog won’t eat kale!

Admittedly, kale isn’t the most delicious vegetable there is. While we have the advantage of using seasoning to mask the taste, that can’t be done for our dogs. If your dog seems not to be eating kale when you offer it to them, don’t worry. While kale is super healthy, it also comes down to your dog’s preference. They may be refusing to eat kale because they don’t like the taste. 

In that case, please don’t force them to eat kale. There are other dark-leafed greens that you can offer your dog, which is just as healthy as kale and are great substitutes.

Conclusion:

Kale is a great food option to include in your dogs’ diet. However, make sure not to offer kale to your dog to eat constantly. dogs enjoy variety, and if they get bored with their food, they might refuse to eat it. In order to avoid this from happening, alternate another vegetable with kale. However, there is absolutely no denying how healthy kale is for your dog!

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Can dogs Eat Kale?

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If you’ve done a bit of research about what food dogs eat, you probably are well aware of how important vegetables are for their health. They make up a good portion of your dogs’ everyday diet and are not to be skipped.

However, saying vegetables should be given to dogs is a very general statement considering how many different vegetables there are out there. To make things even more complicated is the fact that not all vegetables are safe to be given to our birds. This probably sounds strange because we always associate healthy eating with vegetables. However, birds and their owners are two very different beings altogether, and so is their internal system makeup, and thus, their dietary needs and tolerances vary a great deal as well. This is why you should always look into whether specific vegetables are safe for your dog. 

Can dogs Eat Kale?

Let’s talk about kale. Super it isn’t the most delicious vegetable out there, but kale is a superfood of sorts for us humans and is laden with all the necessary nutrients and health benefits that we need. But what about kale as food for our dogs? Do the same health benefits apply to our winged buddies, and will they even like the taste and eat it?

The good news is that dogs can safely eat kale. Kale is a nontoxic vegetable for dogs, and you can include it in their meals. However, one thing to keep in mind when feeding your dogs fruits and vegetables is to always offer it to them in a combination of at least 3, and kale is no exception to this rule.

Read on to find out why kale qualifies as a great vegetable to be given to our birds and what makes it so special.

Kale and its health benefits:

Kale and its health benefits:

Just because a food is safe doesn’t mean it is healthy for our dogs, but where kale is concerned, it ticks both boxes. dogs should be given dark green veggies in particular. These kinds of vegetables are known as superfoods because of their high content of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Here is a closer look at the health benefits kale has to offer:

  • Vitamin A is an essential vitamin for a healthy dog with a fully functioning system. Vitamin A is needed for tissue and supports cell growth and is also very important for your dogs’ vision, skeletal, and brain development. It also ensures that your dog’s feathers are healthy and shiny. dogs usually lack Vitamin A, and thus, veggies like kale are a great source of the vitamin.
  • Vitamin C is especially important for healthy blood vessels, bones, and muscles for your dog. This vitamin also helps with red blood cell production as well as iron absorption. It also strengthens your dog’s immune system helping it fight away a lot of illnesses.
  • Vitamin K is needed in order to prevent blood clotting in your dog’s system. If your dog is vitamin K deficient, it will end up bleeding profusely from injuries, which can cause severe damage to your bird’s health.
  • Calcium is of utmost importance for bone development and strength.
  • Manganese is also essential for bone growth and will help prevent persis, poor muscle coordination, and joint dislocation.

So, there is no doubt about all the health benefits that come with, including kale in your dog’s diet.

Feeding your dog kale:

If you plan on including kale into your dog’s diet, you can do so by offering this veggie to your dog between 2 to 4 times a week. It can be treated as a snack or as a staple vegetable. Just as long as you don’t feed your dog only kale and offer them a variety, there should be no problem.

When giving your dog kale, make sure to chop it up in order to avoid it becoming a choking hazard. Some dogs prefer kale in its leaf form, and you can also feed it to them like that, but that depends on the size of your dog and how well they’ll be able to eat it in the lead form.

Should kale be given raw or cooked? Honestly, there isn’t much of a difference. However, if you plan to give your dog-cooked kale, make sure you don’t season it with ingredients such as garlic. Also, avoid cooking it in oil. While dogs can stand a bit of oil in their diet, it is a high-fat content ingredient that can lead to health problems such as obesity if not given in regulated amounts.

Some studies seem to suggest if vegetables, including kale, are cooked, it reduces the nutritional value, which is why most people prefer offering kale uncooked and raw to their feathered friends.

Can dogs eat kale chips?

It all comes down to the way ale chips are being made. If you are offering them homemade kale chips, pay special attention to the ingredients you include. Avoid ingredients such as salt and garlic, which are extremely unhealthy for your dog. If you follow all the precautions, then the chips are good to go. 

However, if you plan on offering your dog store-bought kale chips, you need first to scan the ingredient list and make sure there is no presence of harmful ingredients. However, these ingredients are fairly common and can’t be avoided in commercially available human food, and thus, we generally would avoid giving your dog store-bought kale chips.

Conclusion:

Kale is a great vegetable for both humans and dogs. It comes loaded with a long list of health benefits that will keep your dog healthy and able to live a long and healthy life. However, make sure all harmful substances are kept away from our pets, and so make sure that the form in which you offer your dog kale is safe.  dogs can live over 50 years, and if they follow the right diet, your dog will be by your side for a long time!

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