Raw veg to dogs + dogs appetite

[B.P.R 2,798]

Never even thought my dogs would eat raw veg. Was going to

Cook them carrots and thought I'd give them

Half each to try. Both of them ate it which surprised me.

 

Is there any reason not to give them raw veg? I've heard by cooking the veg your killing some of the goodness? Or by cooking it your killing bacteria etc?

 

Also started giving them a bowl of veg before thier food when I know they're hungry and they wolf it down then give them their

Meat rather than sometimes pick the meat out and leave the veg.

 

Also.....

 

Does anybody's dogs have on + off days with food? Lab x is a fat cow, would eat cardboard if it went in her bowl. The whippet pup can sometimes eat very little, be picky and just not be interested in food, then other days you can't get enough into her, she's always hungry, even trying to

Get into the bin! same amount of food etc

 

Seems like she has off days and days when she's feeling hungry like she's having a growth spurt or something. She's has grown 1 1/4 inches in 4 weeks so i think that's her at her max height now.

 

 

 

 

 

[LolaPat 49]

I'm led to believe its better to grate/grind the veg so its easier to digest.

 

Also my terrier has on off days with her food.. Sometimes she'll eat a horse others she won't eat a thing.

[Mooch. 177]

I put fruit and veg through the food processor before mixing it in with the minced meat. This makes it easier for the dog to digest and also means he can't pick it out and scatter it all over the floor!

 

Also, my dog never has an off day but that's labs for you!

Edited December 18, 2011 by Mooch.

[paddybarr 77]

dogs have a unsacculated ( smooth ) colon so feeding raw veg achieves nothing other than pushing whatever you fed with it through there system quicker ie makes them shite more goodness can be derived from veg the easiest way is to feed the water left from boiling veg

[Gunner123 103]

Raw veg will go straight through your dog, start the digesting process by part cooking first. Throw your dog a bit of raw carrot, keep an eye on his stool, you will see it come out the same as it went in. Cooked veg will be easier to digest and thus more nutritious to your charge.

[skycat 6,174]

If raw veg goes straight through dogs then how come mine can eat lumps of carrot, cabbage leaves, sprout peelings and I never see any sign of it in their sh*t?

 

Yes, granted, it is better to pulverise it in a mincer or food blender as it is true a dog's gut isn't designed to process large amounts of vegetable matter, but cooking isn't necessary at all, and as someone already said, a lot of the goodness comes out into the water. If you must cook veg, then either steam it or cook it slowly with something else: rice or pasta, using only as much water as you need to be completely absorbed once cooked. Also don't over cook veg: 5 minutes is fine.

 

Feeding veg isn't just for roughage, as it also contains vitamins and minerals which all animals need, herbivore or carnivore. Wild canines will eat quite a bit of vegetable matter, usually choosing young spring growth for maximum vit and min content.

[B.P.R 2,798]

So after all them scientific posts, what's recommended with veg lol raw,cooked, sliced etc thanks

[LolaPat 49]

Feed how your dog wants to eat it.. Personally I'd grate it/mince it and give it raw

[iworkwhippets 12,835]

Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, turnips, just chop em up, put in with their food, raw, they shift the lot

[pat loan 11]

i fed use to feed my lakelake terrier raw carrot all the time and my four month old pat x lake gets a raw carot nilly every day asked the vets about it and they said it will help inprove his sight and the color and helth of the dogs coat but if you feed your dog on a good dog food you dont have to bother with enythink realy.

[paddybarr 77]

If you feed raw veg i personally think you are keeping the dogs digestive system in perpetual upset yes you can make it more palatable by liquidising but is there a REAL benefit?? Herbivores such as the horse have a high ratio, since vegetative foods generally require more prolonged digestion than animal-derived materials. In omnivores such as dogs and people, the ratio is lower. And carnivores such as cats have the lowest ratio of all.

 

So, diets with a high vegetable content tend to have lower digestibility in dogs because of their indigestible fiber content, whereas the digestibility of meat-based diets is usually very high, hence why anyone involved with racing will tell you the classic way of bringing an overweight dog to race weight is to feed green beans ie dog feels as though their getting food but with very little nutritional value and passing through the system quickly hence weight loss

Edited December 19, 2011 by paddybarr

[paulus 26]

mine prefer grass and spring barley always munching on it garlic is good for a whole lot of reasons but i would stay clear of carrots the last thing you want is a dog that can see in the dark :laugh:

[sandymere 8,263]

Cooked veg etc is more easily digested as it breaks down the cellulose cell walls to allow better access to the contents, liquidising, grating do this to an extent as well but not as well. Cooking reduces some micro nutrient content but as more is available for digestion its swings and roundabouts. I give cooked as it more palatable. Either way its as much about what doesn't get digested by the stomach as what does. The indigestible fibre passes to the colon where it is digested by gut bacteria. These produce fatty acids that are thought to be important to gut health and skin condition. Bigger stools, to a sensible degree, due to excess fibre and the multitude of bacteria it produces, it's short lived so quick turnover, is often complained about but is likely a good rather than negative sign. Completes have plenty but dogs fed a lot of meat/fat would likely benefit from a percentage of veg/cereal to enable this process.

Edited December 19, 2011 by sandymere