We don’t expect dogs to feed on vegetables but they do; what’s more surprising is that it is a pretty common behavior.Dogs eat a variety of vegetables; they don’t really need to eat fruits and vegetables, but they can and so they do. They can eat carrots, green beans, peas, kale, celery and so on.At the same time, they cannot eat some vegetables since they are toxic to a dog’s health. Mushrooms, onions, asparagus, and some other foods are not safe for your pet. How about spinach then? Can you feed your dog spinach along with these vegetables? I’ll give you a short answer. Yes. Dogs can eat spinach. So if you feel like feeding your dog some spinach on a sunny day, please feel free to do so. Not raw though, cook it a bit. Spinach is good for dogs, but can they eat too much too? Ever heard of spinach causing harm to a dog’s kidneys? If you have, then this might make you a little hesitant to feed spinach to your dog.So, let us get some information about spinach to know about its benefits and harm to your cute doggies. Afterward, you should also read is beef good for dogs and can dogs eat carrots?Is spinach safe for dogs?Spinach is not one of the top foods to feed your pet. Even though this vegetable may not be so suitable for many pets, your dog is not one of those. Dogs eat spinach with no great problems. But the real concern is, is spinach good for dogs? That is what needs to be addressed here.The leafy green vegetable called spinach is packed with nutrients. It is not so rare to come across a situation where your dog is feeding on leafy greens. Your pup might even love it. Since spinach is a great green vegetable for dogs, since it contains vitamins, minerals, and other good stuff, we might even go overboard by feeding them a large amount of this vegetable. That is when even good spinach becomes a health concern for your pet dog.The oxalic acid in spinach is the main concern for dogs. The oxalic acid contains oxalates that are soluble. These oxalates bind with magnesium and calcium in the blood of a dog. This results in a low amount of calcium in the blood. Also, calcium oxalates create damage to kidneys by causing kidney damage and kidney failure. Do not feed your dog too much spinach; only small amounts are safe for them. Also, it is better to give them spinach less frequently. You don’t need to treat your dog to spinach every day; that is too much for your pet to handle. A healthy amount of spinach given less frequently is safe for your dogs, for sure.Benefits Of Spinach For DogsNow that we know that dogs eat spinach, it is quite normal to want to know what the spinach comes with. What are the benefits of spinach for dogs? What makes these vegetables among the foods that keep your pet dog healthy?Spinach contains vitamins that are great for your dog’s diet. Spinach contains vitamins A, B, C and K in a considerable amount which makes them vitamin-rich foods. That’s not all. There is iron, antioxidants, beta carotene, calcium, folate, fiber, manganese, and potassium in spinach. All these healthy nutrients and minerals improve the heart, digestive tract, and immune system of a dog.Your dog’s health will improve with this green vegetable. So including this vegetable in your dog’s diet can benefit them to fight off inflammatory issues, cancer, and cardiovascular health issues. The iron, potassium, fiber, calcium, and other antioxidants and vitamins will improve energy levels in your dog for sure. Your dog’s health is your wealth, from a pet owner’s point of view. So, adding spinach to a dog’s diet brings in many benefits for the pet. So never hesitate to feed your dog a bit of spinach every once in a while.Spinach Nutritional FactsSpinach contains many health benefits for dogs, as we have discussed. But it is still unhealthy if fed in large amounts. Why? What does spinach contain that makes it not so healthy?The same spinach that contains all the good vitamins and minerals for dogs also contains oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can weaken the ability of the body to absorb calcium. Even if the spinach contains calcium, oxalic acid can cause kidney damage.Apart from that, the other nutritional items are plenty in spinach, ranging from magnesium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and potassium to vitamins. This rich amount of nutrients is what makes the spinach for dog idea a good one. Good food that can contain plenty of good things for health will always be appreciated by your pup.How do you feed spinach to a dog?Can dogs eat spinach? Yes. We have established that. But how do they eat spinach? Do you just feed them raw spinach and say eat? That seems a bit weird, right? So how do you feed this food to dogs? The digestive system is not the same in us as it is for dogs. So the pup needs to be fed differently too.It is best to prepare organic raw spinach for dogs since it is more healthy and free from pesticides. You can cook the vegetables mildly and chop the leaves to serve them. There is no need for extra salt and spice in the leaves. Adding such salt and other spices can be toxic for your dog. If you are giving a dog spinach for the first time, it is better to introduce it at a slow pace.There is a chance that spinach can cause diarrhea or vomiting, so slowly add spinach to dog food or other food that they consume. After a while, when they get accustomed to this food, you can feed them separately or along with other vegetables. Raw spinach can also be given in other ways too. You can steam, make a puree or blanch this leafy green vegetable to serve your dog.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Is spinach good for dogs?’, then why not take a look at ‘Can dogs eat lettuce?’ or ‘English Bulldog facts’?
We don’t expect dogs to feed on vegetables but they do; what’s more surprising is that it is a pretty common behavior.
