Can Dogs Eat Vegetables? Why My Dogs Do And How I Feed Them

Can dogs eat vegetables? Or better stated, SHOULD dogs eat vegetables? This is the question, on the mind of many raw feeders, that we will wrestle with today.

You may be asking, “Why, if dogs are carnivores, do we need to feed them carbohydrates in the form of veggies and fruit?” This is a great question!

While I don’t claim to be an expert, today I’m sharing where I’ve landed on this somewhat controversial topic and how I have chosen to incorporate vegetables and other carbohydrates into my Mastiff’s raw dog food diet.

I will share my thoughts on this as well as how I prepare and feed vegetables to my large dogs.

Are Dogs carnivores or omnivores?

This question is the source of some controversy, so I hope you will stick with me as I share where I’ve landed on the question for my raw fed Mastiffs and how I approach feeding veggies.

You might be wondering… what’s all the controversy about?  After all, vegetables are healthy and necessary for humans, why would we believe any differently for our dogs? 

As you probably know, dogs are carnivores.  In other words, they get their primary nutrition from animal sources – meat, bone, and organs. (1) 

While wolves get some plant matter through the stomachs of their prey, and through some scavenging and foraging, my understanding is that the carbohydrates they consume are not a necessary part of their diet.  

Meaning they don’t need them for their optimal health.  

Unfortunately, as a society, we have strayed very far from this ideal and moved our dogs to a diet that is almost exclusively carbohydrate (i.e sugar) in the form of dried commercial kibble. 

Without the protein and fat, however, a wolf or domesticated dog will fail to thrive and worse. 

Vegetables for Raw Fed Dogs

Many raw feeders, particularly those feeding what’s called a prey model raw diet, do not include fiber or carbohydrates in the form of veggies and fruit, as a part of their dog’s base diet. 

This was me for many, many years. 

I focused on just getting the balance of meat, bone, and organ correct and anything else I fed was a topper that wasn’t calculated or factored into my dog’s daily caloric needs.

So if carbohydrates and veggies are not necessary for a dog to thrive, why am I now feeding veggies to my raw-fed dogs?  

The answer for me is simple.

First, Sulley loves the veggie blend I’m sharing with you below. It takes very little time or effort to make and serves as a little treat in his bowl. 

The larger issue is this: as is the case with any diet for dogs, I don’t know with 100% certainty that my dog is getting every nutrient he needs for optimal health.  

When you are feeding a diet that is just made up of meat, bone, and organs, the sourcing of those ingredients is incredibly important.  The nutrient density of grass-fed beef compared to grain-fed, for example, makes a huge difference. 

Additionally, even with the highest quality meat, bone, and organs, there will be nutritional gaps that are unavoidable.  

No diet is perfect or perfectly balanced.  No matter what anyone tells you.  

For this reason, I have started to add a small amount of a homemade vegetable blend to my Mastiff’s raw diet.  

The added fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are only found in vegetables and fruits can only benefit my dog’s health and my hope is by doing this I’m filling in any of those nutritional gaps that might exist in his raw diet alone. 

VIDEO: Can Dogs Eat Vegetables? Why My Dogs Do and How I Feed Them | RAW FEEDING 101

How To Feed Vegetables To Dogs

Keep in mind, a dog can’t digest veggies straight from the bag like we can.

You need to process them first before feeding. 

There are a few ways to do this…

First, you could just throw everything straight into a strong blender like this Vitamix, pulverize it into a blend, and feed it raw.  

This method will provide the most nutrients to your dog and should be considered if you have a blender strong enough.  

The other method, the one I’m showing you today, requires some light steam and pressure to lightly cook the veggies first before blending them up.

While this second method will reduce the nutrient density a little bit, either way, works well. 

I use an instant pot to lightly cook my veggies.  

I simply toss in all of the veggies to just below the max fill line.

Click below for the fruits and vegetables you can feed your dog safely. 

I add all the veggies to just below the max fill line and add a little bit of filtered water. 

I set my instant pot to 4 min at high pressure. Keep in mind, you may be able to use lower pressure for less time and retain more of the nutrients. 

I quick-release the pressure after four minutes then pour the entire mixture into the blender and blend it up to a thick liquid.  

Normally, I do this on the day I’m prepping 30 days of raw meals and I simply divide the entire amount into each of the raw meals. 

However, in this tutorial, we will pour the veggie blend into ice trays and freeze them for later.  

Given the size of my Instant Pot, two batches of veggies will fill four standard-size ice trays.

This is enough for Sulley to get 2-3 veggie cubes per day for 30 days with his raw diet. 

What About Fruit For Dogs?

In addition to the vegetable blend, on the day of feeding, I add various fruits to Sulley’s bowl as well. I do not cook the fruit ahead of time. 

I just toss whatever I have on hand that is safe for dogs into the bowl each day. This typically includes things like apples, blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, cantaloupe, etc.

I don’t feed much in the way of fruit given the higher sugar content, but Sulley loves a little bit each day to add to the rainbow in his bowl.

How Much Vegetable Should You Feed Your Dog?

You might be asking, “How much vegetable content should I be feeding my raw-fed dog?” 

The consensus is somewhere between 5-10% of your dog’s diet can be made up of vegetables and fruits.  

I’m quite certain I’ve never come close to 10% for my Mastiffs. I’m probably close to 5% or less. 

I use a balance-over-time approach – between his nutritional supplements, and this veggie blend – on top of the highest quality raw food I have access to, I believe his diet is as optimized as I can get it on my own.

But now it’s your turn…

Fellow raw feeders, do you feed vegetables to your big dog?  Why or why not?

Share your thoughts and experience in the comments below!

References

1. Is Your Loving, Kind, Fluffy Dog Friend A Carnivore Or An Omnivore?
2. What Fruits Can Dogs Eat?
3. What Vegetables Can Dogs Eat?