Do dogs need vegetables?
Discussion
Few months ago I bought an order of our dogs raw meats online and I threw in a couple of packs of frozen veggies.
They ate them happily but they did seem to go through the system and were found next morning (during dung collection) almost entirely whole.
Several well know dog foods announce they contain essential vegetables etc.
Ours eat pedigree kibble for breakfast, with salmon oil on, and sometimes a raw egg or a tin of tuna mixed in.
Evening meal is half raw meat and half kibble mixed together.
They ate them happily but they did seem to go through the system and were found next morning (during dung collection) almost entirely whole.
Several well know dog foods announce they contain essential vegetables etc.
Ours eat pedigree kibble for breakfast, with salmon oil on, and sometimes a raw egg or a tin of tuna mixed in.
Evening meal is half raw meat and half kibble mixed together.
As you have experienced, there are lots of veg that in a raw form dogs won't digest, though they will eat.
Mine quite likes tomato juice and raw carrots.
In the wild Dogs wouldn't eat veg, but they do eat grasses of various types, mostly to aid digestion. BUt then wild dogs don't usually live to an older age.
Vitamins and minerals contained in veg are good for dogs. hence veg kibble is quite good as dogs can digest it better than raw.
I have tried our dogs here with carrots, no interest at all.
When we lived in the Philippines we heard that dogs love to suck and chew on frozen carrots. Nope, they sniffed and walked away. When they had thawed we tried again. Nada.
I was advised to eat a carrot in front of the dogs, so they see it as a treat. Made no difference, the carrots lay in the garden until I eventually tossed them out.
I could try dicing them in their food, see if they get a taste for them.
When we lived in the Philippines we heard that dogs love to suck and chew on frozen carrots. Nope, they sniffed and walked away. When they had thawed we tried again. Nada.
I was advised to eat a carrot in front of the dogs, so they see it as a treat. Made no difference, the carrots lay in the garden until I eventually tossed them out.
I could try dicing them in their food, see if they get a taste for them.
carinatauk said:
Just something to think about: raw meat and kibble tend to be digested for different lengths of time and may cause issues in the long run.
Nature's Menu is raw meat, bone and veg / rice mixed
I don't think Natures menu has any rice in it.Nature's Menu is raw meat, bone and veg / rice mixed
My three are on a raw diet; Natural Instinct, with the chicken for example, 80% is meat with bone and the remaining 20% is carrot, butternut squash, spinach, apple, sea kelp and salmon oil, it is a complete dog food.
So I guess they need a bit of veg but not alot, I guess for vitamins, from what I've researched, a dog needs primarily a protein based diet with little or no carbohydrates, I've also read that you shouldn't mix dry and wet dog food as it can mess up the digestion; stick to 1 kind.
My three do like raw carrot and also cucumber and they are partial to apple too.
I was looking at Natures Menu a while back. We have about two weeks supply of frozen raw meat and kibble, so maybe a time to change. They seem okay on what they are eating, but it is a bit of a faff around with a freezer full of meat, big bag of biscuits etc.
A change is as good as a rest, so they say.
A change is as good as a rest, so they say.
HTP99 said:
carinatauk said:
Just something to think about: raw meat and kibble tend to be digested for different lengths of time and may cause issues in the long run.
Nature's Menu is raw meat, bone and veg / rice mixed
I don't think Natures menu has any rice in it.Nature's Menu is raw meat, bone and veg / rice mixed
My three are on a raw diet; Natural Instinct, with the chicken for example, 80% is meat with bone and the remaining 20% is carrot, butternut squash, spinach, apple, sea kelp and salmon oil, it is a complete dog food.
So I guess they need a bit of veg but not alot, I guess for vitamins, from what I've researched, a dog needs primarily a protein based diet with little or no carbohydrates, I've also read that you shouldn't mix dry and wet dog food as it can mess up the digestion; stick to 1 kind.
My three do like raw carrot and also cucumber and they are partial to apple too.
Composition
Chicken (45%), Brown Rice (13.5%), Peas (10%), Carrots (10%), Swede (10%), Salmon (5%), Liver (5%), Minerals, Prebiotics MOS, Yucca Extract, Green Tea Extract, Grape Seed Extract.
We used to give ours some apple but concerned re acids on his teeth. Gets a little yogurt each morning though (cleans my bowl after breakfast 
)
Also loves blackberries, a bit picky though they have to be ripe, juicy and delicious. Often substitute these for biscuits when out walking.
)Also loves blackberries, a bit picky though they have to be ripe, juicy and delicious. Often substitute these for biscuits when out walking.
Edited by PositronicRay on Friday 8th September 07:26
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8037...
Will eat anything. Probably better to eat more vegetables yourself and be fit enough to do longer dog walks.
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