Vegetables contain important nutrients that your dog needs in their diet. Dogs should have around 20% to 30% vegetables in their diet. They contain lots of healthy nutrients and some of them are also pretty tasty too. Vegetables contain nutrients such as fatty acids, vitamins and proteins. Many vegetables can also help to aid digestion and help with various different stomach issues. If you are going to cook vegetables for your dog don't cook them for too long or they will lose most of their nutrients. If you are serving raw vegetables then try and liquidize or puree them before giving them to your dog as they will be easier to digest. Your dog may not like some vegetables so you just have to find the ones they prefer. We have selected five different vegetables that are great for dogs. However, there are many more healthy vegetables that dogs can eat, we have just picked some to get you started. Consider adding some of these beneficial vegetables to your dog's diet.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potato contains lots of vitamins such as vitamin C, E, A and B-6. Sweet potato is also rich in iron, calcium, copper and potassium. It's also very tasty and easy to digest. Sweet potatoes can be cooked in the oven, boiled or served mashed for your dog.
Parsnips
Believe it or not parsnips are even more nutritious than carrots. They are a fantastic source of fibre for your dog and are packed with potassium. If you have any leftover parsnips from a roast dinner let your dog have a tasty treat. Make sure they don't have too much oil or leftover gravy on them as gravy contains far too much salt for dogs.
Butternut Squash
We have included butternut squash because it can help to eliminate parasites in the intestines and it's also a great anti-inflammatory. It contains a healthy dose of vitamin A and is a source of carbohydrates. Butternut squash also contains natural sugars.
Peas
Peas are actually one of the best vegetables for digestion. They have a very mild laxative effect which is great for dogs that suffer with constipation. They contain vitamin C, K, B1, A, B6, B3 and B2. Peas also contain fibre, protein, iron, zinc, potassium and manganese.
Spinach
Spinach is another vegetable that has a laxative effect. It's very high in iron and can help with cardiovascular issues and helps build blood. Most humans realise just how healthy spinach is but don't realise it can be beneficial for dogs too. Spinach has twice as much iron as most other vegetables.