There is a lot of conflicting information regarding whether you should include vegetables and plant material into your dog’s diet. The topic is most definitely a riot starter amongst raw feeders !

Too often the information that ‘there is no benefit for dogs to eat any vegetables, fruits or herbs’ is being presented as fact and the information provided to us can be very controversial. There are strong arguments for and against fruit and vegetables but there is no scientific data to say “yes or no” so it’s up to you whether you choose to or not.

As we know, vegetables play an important role in our diets and it’s recommended we  consume at least five portions of fruit and veg each day as part of a balanced, nutritious diet. 

So what are the benefits for our furry companions?

Well .. we already know the many benefits of feeding our dogs a species-appropriate diet in the form of raw food and following their ancestors, wolves would consume most of their prey, including the bone, skin, and organs, gaining essential nutrients. But, if you dive deeper into the wolves’ prey, you will find their digestive tract contains plant matter too and this would have come from the stomach of their prey. Not only this, wolves were known to scavenge and therefore would eat vegetation which would include fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and seeds.

So although dogs today may look different from their ancestors, their digestive system is still very similar and if you were to fully follow the prey model diet, including plant matter would be a part of this. 

However, as we can see just by looking into our dogs’ mouths, their teeth are designed primarily for eating meat so how we feed plant matter is important. Dogs are not able to digest large quantities of plant matter and if fed too much, this would result in it being passed as waste. 

Not only understanding the various health benefits and valuable nutrients that certain plants contain, knowing how best to prepare and feed them will help you significantly when including them into your dog’s diet.

For example, to ensure proper bioavailability, vegetables should be chopped up or finely minced to allow dogs to absorb the valuable nutrients.

Plants have so many important minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium and contain an abundance of vitamins such as vitamin E, A, C K and B vitamins so including them in your dogs diet has many benefits to their health! 

Many people already use plant materials daily to boost their pets health. For example:

• Garlic, used against parasites,
• Pumpkin seeds against worms,
• Coconut oil for skin conditions,
• Spirulina as an immune system booster,
• Turmeric for joint issues,
• Slippery elm for upset tummies,
• Herbs for a variety of ailments using homeopathic treatments opposed to chemical based treatments.

The list goes on.. 

… and with clear studies showing the mineral differences between organic, grass fed animal vs factory reared animals, plant materials can be of great use when concerned about the mineral depletion in the meats we feed. 

So it’s clear to see that vegetables contain many essential minerals and vitamins that can greatly benefit your dog's overall health and well-being. HOWEVER, it’s important to remember that the biggest part of your dog’s diet will come from meat and they can still thrive without the addition of plant matter. 

If you wish to add plant matter to your dog’s diet, make sure it is given in addition to their daily feed and no more than 20%. In this case, less is more!

Also, please note that not all plant material is equal – some are better than others for a variety of reasons so although many advocates of raw feeding will suggest feeding some kind of plant material please do your research into this. You can take a look at the resources in our learning centre to help find out more about feeding vegetables, fruits and herbs and which ones are most beneficial.

Be aware, some vegetables are toxic to dogs and some don’t pack the nutrients necessary. Onions for example can be very toxic to dogs!

Starchy (sugary) root vegetables like carrot, sweet potato, parsnips and pumpkin can contain many health boosting properties but they can also cause issues. Because dogs do not produce a lot of the enzyme amylase, which helps break down starches, feeding root veg can cause issues for the digestive system and therefore cause yeast infections or aggravate existing issues. So if you do feed starchy vegetables, make sure they are finely minced/broken down before feeding. 

If your dog is suffering from allergy-like symptoms, it’s suggested to cut out starchy veg to see if this alleviates the symptoms. 

Non-starchy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale, cucumber, celery, beets, asparagus, green/Chinese cabbage, collard greens, swiss chard etc. should have little or no problems when fed in small amounts. 
If you make your own veg mix, make sure leafy greens are included! 🌿

Fruits, such as berries, are known to have many great benefits also but fruit can be tricky as it also contains sugar so they don’t need a lot of it. Please do your research into which fruits are best to feed and the recommended quantities for your dog.

Holistic Vet, Dr Nick Thompson, suggests reading ‘The Barf Diet: For Cats and Dogs’ by Ian Billinghurst or ‘Real Food for Dogs and Cats: A Practical Guide to Feeding Your Pet a Balanced, Natural Diet’ by Clare Middle for a more comprehensive list of foods.

Nick himself recommends feeding vegetables alongside nuts, herbs and seeds. 
Check out his online guide for preparing raw food with vegetables: https://holisticvet.co.uk/index.php/holisticvet-raw-food-preparation-tips