Can dogs eat cabbage?
Yes, dogs can eat cabbage. Cabbage has a high density of vitamins and minerals, making cabbage a proud member of the superfood family.
Superfoods are a collection of foods that offer a variety of health benefits for our canine companions.
Let’s have a look at cabbage and see why it is so good for our dogs, along with how we can offer it to them as part of their diet.
Table of Contents
Is cabbage good for dogs?
Yes, cabbage is good for dogs. Cabbage offers a variety of vitamins and minerals which can help our dogs with everyday bodily functions.
However, keep in mind that cabbage should be fed as part of a wider, more varied diet and cabbage should be offered to your dog in moderation.
Benefits of cabbage include:
- Low in calories
Cabbage is low in calories, meaning that it can be offered to your dog without the worry of them piling on the pounds. Cabbage can make a great treat or snack that can give them an extra boost of goodness.
- High in fiber
Cabbage can promote regular bowel movements due to its high level of fiber. Fiber can also promote a healthy gut by creating the right environment for beneficial bacteria within the intestines.
- Natural antioxidant
Cabbage can help to protect the cells in our dog’s body from damage and mutation. In fact, antioxidants are so powerful that they can help to reduce different types of diseases and even cancers!
- Reduces inflammation
If your dog suffers from conditions, such as arthritis, cabbage may help reduce inflammation and ease symptoms. However, ensure that if your dog has arthritis, you seek advice from a veterinary surgeon. Cabbage will not offer adequate properties to treat arthritis.
- Contains Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential for the blood in the body to clot correctly. If a dog has a lack of Vitamin K, then it can have a blood clotting disorder which could have catastrophic effects if the dog was to injure themselves.
Essentially, if a dog was to sustain an injury which meant a bleed was to occur, the body would be unable to stop the bleed through the clotting process. Cabbage offers high levels of Vitamin K, which can help the blood to clot more effectively.
- Provides the body with magnesium
Magnesium helps to keep our dogs bones and teeth healthy and strong. Magnesium also helps to support the heart and aids in muscle development.
Can dogs eat red cabbage?
Yes, dogs can eat red cabbage. In fact, dogs can eat cabbage no matter what color it is, including green, red and white cabbage.
Interestingly, red cabbage can contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals than the other colors and can offer 10 times the nutritional density of green or white cabbage.
Red cabbage may be more efficient in its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making red cabbage the better choice to incorporate into your dog’s diet.
Can dogs eat sauerkraut?
Surprisingly, yes, dogs can eat sauerkraut! Sauerkraut is finely chopped cabbage that has been fermented with different types of lactic acid bacteria.
Whilst that all sounds a bit scary, sauerkraut actually has a number of health benefits for our dogs, including:
- Promoting a healthy skin and coat
- Boosting the immune system
- High in anti-inflammatory properties
- Supports the gastrointestinal system
- Promotes a healthy and functioning heart
If you want to offer your dog sauerkraut, then introduce it slowly. Due to the lactic acid found within sauerkraut, if a large amount is eaten then it can cause a gastrointestinal upset.
Can dogs eat coleslaw?
No, dogs should not eat coleslaw. Although coleslaw contains cabbage, there are a number of extra ingredients within coleslaw which makes it unsuitable for canine consumption. Risks that are associated with a dog eating coleslaw include:
- Anaemia: Coleslaw contains onions which can damage a dog’s red blood cells. This can lead to a condition called anaemia, where the body lacks red blood cells. This can be catastrophic to a dog’s health and can lead to organ failure.
- Gastrointestinal upset: Due to coleslaw containing a variety of different vegetables that are combined with seasonings and dairy products, symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea can arise.
- Pancreatitis: Coleslaw has a high-fat content and can lead to a condition called pancreatitis. This is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed and requires veterinary treatment.
If your dog has eaten a small amount of coleslaw, it is unlikely to cause any harm. If your dog has eaten a large amount of coleslaw, speak with your veterinary surgeon for advice.
Can dogs eat bok choy?
Yes, dogs can eat bok choy, as it is part of the cabbage family. Bok choy can be offered in moderation. Bok choy can be offered to your dog raw if it is chopped up into small pieces.
How to offer cabbage to dogs
Cabbage can be fed to dogs by preparing it in a variety of different ways. A dogs usual diet should provide your dog with everything that they need in order for their body to function correctly. Superfoods, such as cabbage, can then be offered as a nutrient boosting treat.
Raw cabbage
Raw cabbage can provide our dogs with a high, unchanged concentration of vitamins and minerals. However, raw cabbage should only be offered in small amounts. Ensure that raw cabbage is chopped into small pieces to avoid a potential choking hazard.
Steamed cabbage
The easiest way to cook cabbage, whilst also keeping a high level of vitamins and minerals, is to steam it. After chopping into small pieces, steam the cabbage for 5 – 10 minutes.
Cabbage can be boiled, but much of the goodness can seep into the water, instead of staying within the cabbage.
Cabbage crisps
Cabbage leaves can peeled apart and then placed on an oven tray. These can then be brushed with a small amount of olive oil and placed into a hot oven at 300F.
After 30 – 35 minutes, the cabbage crisps should be brown and crispy. These make a great treat for your dog to munch on.
When preparing cabbage for your pooch, it is important not to use any additional seasonings, such as salt and pepper.
What other vegetables can I feed to my dog?
There are many vegetables that you can safely feed to your dog including: Green beans, cucumber, kale, broccoli, bean sprouts, edamame, artichoke, beets, plantains, okra, seaweed, and carrots!
Be sure to click though to the articles above to see how to feed each food type safely.
Always introduce new foods slslowlynd watch for any adverse reactions.
Can dogs eat cabbage: Final thoughts
Cabbage can make a brilliant addition to your dog’s diet as it contains high levels of vitamins and minerals.
Cabbage can help to prevent cancer, reduce inflammation and keep our dogs’ bones strong and healthy!
Always introduce new foods, such as cabbage, slowly into your dog’s diet.
If you think that cabbage does not suit your dog, stop offering it to them immediately. Otherwise, enjoy feeding your dog different superfoods in order to give them a boost in nutrition and health.
