Broccolis are one of the healthiest vegetables and are intended to serve many health benefits to individuals. As a parent, you will be tempted to feed your children with this vitamin-packed veggie so that they gain a sufficient amount of nutrition. But what about your dogs? As a dog owner, you might be thinking of giving some tidbits of broccoli to your dogs too, so that they too gain some healthy contents with some satisfying crunches. So can dogs eat broccoli? Is it safe for them? Can this vitamin-packed tree like a vegetable stand out at the top of their diet chart?

The questions are too many but the answer is just simple. Read on and get to know about the answers along with the elaborated reasons. Also, read Can Dogs Eat Carrots?

can dogs eat broccoli

Is broccoli safe for dogs?

Broccoli is safe for dogs and there is no harm in feeding it to them. Broccoli can make an impactful addition to your dog’s food diet as it’s safe, healthy, and nutritious. So long as simple rules and safety measures are followed, it will be a great treat for your dog besides its regular dog food. Briefly stating, dogs can have broccoli and there’s not a single margin of doubt in that.

How eating broccoli can benefit your dog?

Dogs can evenly sustain a healthy life even if it is solely dependent upon dog food but eating broccoli can reap some pretty amazing health benefits along with increased lifespan. 

Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of feeding your dog a special cruciferous vegetable, broccoli!

• Vitamin C

Unlike humans, dogs can produce Vitamin C in their bodies on their own, which means they generally don’t need to have regular doses of Vitamin C like humans. But with age, they lose the potential production of Vitamin C and this is where green vegetables like Broccoli act as the best alternative.

Broccolis, which is highly rich in Vitamin C, can help your doggos boost their immunity and eliminate various diseases and cancerous cells as well.

• Vitamin K

Vitamin K is directly linked to your dog’s bone strength. Hence, Vitamin K ingested by eating broccoli can help your dog improve their bone strengths, conditioning, and structure. 

Broccoli has the highest amount of Vitamin K present in them than any other veggies, hence broccoli should come first to your mind when you think of any vegetables rich in Vitamin K.

Dogs that have grown old require more of these broccolis in their diet. This is because dogs, on being old, start losing their bone density which results in limited mobility. Hence, Vitamin K present in the broccoli can act as one of the nicest aids to regain their bone strength and provide sufficient toughness to their bones so that they can carry out their daily tasks without any pain and discomfort.

• Potassium

Potassium present in broccoli is ideally valuable as it provides several health benefits for your dog’s heart. Low levels of potassium in your dog’s body can cause them to suffer from arrhythmia, which makes the heartbeat too fast, or too slow, or sometimes irregular. Feeding them broccoli will help your dog to maintain a healthy heart and will reduce the risk of arrhythmia with growing age. 

Apart from this, it also helps to regulate various myriad bodily functions that are vital for your dog’s health.

• Soluble fibers

Broccoli is rich in dietary fiber which can help dogs in regulating their digestive system and eliminate high cholesterol.

Packaged food contains some amount of fats, which on regular eating can cause the production of cholesterol on the inner linings of the arteries. On crossing the borderline, it can cause heart-related diseases to the dogs like stroke, cardiac arrest, etc. 

Broccoli in such cases has proven to be a powerful aid to fight against this waxy and fatty substance.

The high amount of soluble fiber in it helps to extract the cholesterol and prevent any further building of cholesterol. 

Not all fibers are digestible but the dietary fiber present in broccoli is easy to digest and thus is highly recommended for dogs that have an upset stomach.

• Sulforaphane

Broccolis are rich in sulforaphane which is effective in slowing down the destruction of cartilage in joints. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, keeping the joints functional. It also contains omega-3 fatty acid, which helps to treat arthritis and by eating it, the dogs can keep their mobility as high as possible.

Things to keep in mind before serving broccoli to your dog:

Even though broccoli is safe for dogs, you as a dog owner should take care of some points before feeding your dog broccolis so that you do not end up with complications.

1. Feed your dog with steamed or boiled broccoli to soften the hard parts like stems, else it can lead to choking hazards.
2. Don’t feed large pieces to your dogs as it can lead to digestive blockage.
3. If you have a puppy, try not to feed them broccoli as they won’t be able to digest its rich nutritive components and fibers.
4. Consult the veterinarian regarding the diet plan of broccoli, what quantity to feed, and at what intervals to feed.
5. The broccoli florets contain isothiocyanate, hence consuming too much broccolis at a time can lead to diarrhea and other gastric problems.

Final Thoughts:

Broccoli should be considered as an occasional treat and not a part of the full-day meal. It should be fed in moderate amounts and under proper precautions. Feeding your dogs broccoli will be one step closer to enhancing your dog’s health, it is the healthiest. The only thing you have to keep in mind is to keep your dog’s craving for broccoli under control and keep following the precautions & the instructions, and as long as you can do that, then the answer to ‘Can Dogs Eat Broccoli‘ will always be YES! Also, read Can Dogs Eat Cucumbers?