Can Dogs Eat Beets Cooked?

Dog parents are often plagued with questions about what their dogs can and cannot eat. The latest food item on the list is beets.

Not everyone is a fan, but do beets have benefits for your dog’s health? And can dogs eat beets cooked?

In short, yes, dogs can eat beets! In fact, they’re actually quite healthy for them if you don’t overload them. You can feed your dog cooked or raw beets, they both have benefits.

We know that dogs can’t consume everything we can, which is quite a shame since chocolate is one of many people’s guilty pleasures.

Let’s see if your dog will have to pass on your next plate of beets, or whether it’s a healthy addition to his meals.

How Much Beets Can I Give My Dog?

Beets contain a lot of sugar, which can be tough for dogs to process. This is why we don’t suggest feeding your dof too much, maybe about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of beets per day added to the dog food.

Can Beets Hurt Dogs?

You can never have too much of a good thing, and we know that beets have a lot of sugar, whether it’s raw beets or cooked beets.

Consistent high sugar content in your dog’s diet could lead to conditions such as pancreatitis and obesity. Like with protein and carbs, sugar needs to be regulated too.

Beet juice has even more amounts of concentrated sugar than canned beets, so we would suggest pet parents steer clear of those.

Beets can hurt dogs if they have too much. Aside from the high sugar content, there are also amounts of oxalate, which can cause kidney stones to develop over time.

Can Dogs Eat Beets Every Day?

Yes, dogs can eat beets every day, but in moderation. However, we would suggest consulting with your vet first before you add beets to your dog’s next meal.

Certain medical conditions present in dogs such as kidney issues may make this sweet treat unsuitable for your dog.

If the vet gives you a go-ahead, make sure not to give your dog too much!

What Do Beets Do for Dogs?

What are the benefits of feeding your dog raw and cooked beets? In moderation, your pooch can reap a lot of good things!

For example, beets contain a lot of vitamin C, which really boosts your dog’s immune system to fight off illnesses.

There’s also vitamin B9, and iron! Iron deficiency is a problem a lot of dogs suffer from in their older years, so beets could be the answer to getting some much-needed iron into your dog’s system.

There is also dietary fiber present in beets, which is very helpful to aid the digestive system, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese.

Can Dogs Eat Beet Skin?

Beet skin has a lot of fiber and vitamin C, but whether your dog likes to eat it is another story. Don’t worry if he doesn’t, because there are plenty of nutrients within the beet.

How to Prepare Beets for Your Dog

Should you just give your dog raw beets, or are there creative ways to introduce them into your dog’s diet?

Dogs can’t process heavily flavored ingredients, so there is no need to create a culinary masterpiece. Simply steaming or roasting them (without any seasoning) is best.

If possible, always choose organic beets over canned options.

You can feed beets to your dog directly without preparing them at all. Just make sure you clean them well and cut them up into bite-sized pieces.

Again, we’re going to stress dog parents avoid feeding dogs canned veggies and beet juice. Canned vegetables are usually soaked in sodium and contain a lot of preservatives.

Related: Best Diet Dog Foods

Conclusion

Beets may not be your favorite food, but your dog could like it! Dogs can eat raw or cooked beets, it’s their pick!

One thing to remember is don’t overdo it. Even too much of a good thing can be harmful, especially the high sugar content in beets – especially beet juice.

However, moderate amounts of this root vegetable can provide a myriad of health benefits that can benefit your dog at any age.

The iron content will help senior dogs and the high amounts of vitamins C and B9 will be indispensable to your pooch’s immune system!