Have you ever wondered which vegetables are safe for dogs to eat? For instance, can dogs eat celery? And if so, is celery actually good for dogs? The answer is definitely yes, dogs can have celery and it is OK and not bad for dogs to eat.
Not only is it safe for dogs to eat, celery is loaded with health benefits. In fact, celery is low in calories and rich in fiber, making it one of the best human foods to give an overweight dog. Here’s how much good celery can do for your dog.
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Benefits of Celery For Dogs
If you are looking for a healthy treat to give to your dogs, look no further than celery. This delicious vegetable offers vitamins and minerals that dogs need to be healthy, including vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, manganese, and folate.
Furthermore, celery is high in fiber, and low in fat, calories, and cholesterol. This is the ideal treat for dogs that are on diets, because it is going to help them feel full while eating less. Other health benefits of celery for dogs include:
- Fresher breath – Much like parsley, which is also good for dogs, celery can help to freshen their breath
- Blood pressure – Eating celery can help lower blood pressure, especially when it is combined with certain juices. It contains phthalides, which are known to relax the muscles around the arteries, thereby lowering blood pressure. The magnesium, potassium, and calcium also help to keep blood pressure regulated
- Immune system – Celery is loaded with vitamin C, which is going to help to keep your dogs’ immune systems healthy
- Cholesterol – Another way the phthalides in celery can be beneficial is by helping to increase the secretion of bile acid which, in turn, helps lower cholesterol levels
- Urine production – Celery is a known natural diuretic that can help to increase urine production so the body can get rid of excess fluids and encouraging better kidney health
How Much Celery Can My Dog Eat?
Obviously, your dogs should be getting most of their nutrients from their regular dog food. They don’t actually need any extra nutrients to be healthy if you are giving them quality dog food, but it never hurts to make sure that their treats are nutrient-rich.
Celery is a great treat for dogs, provided that it is not given to them all the time. Your dog’s diet should be mainly dog food, and treats should make up only 10 percent of their nutritional intake. So, if your dogs eat two cups of food daily, two ounces of celery is more than enough.
Does Celery Pose Any Health Risks To Dogs?
There is really only one thing to worry about when giving celery to your dogs as a treat, and that is that it can pose a choking hazard. This is particularly true with smaller dogs. If you are going to give celery to your dogs, make sure that you cut it into small, bite-sized pieces that they can easily chew and swallow. If you are unsure about how small to make the pieces, talk to your veterinarian about how to safely feed celery to dogs.
Making Celery Treats For Your Dog
You know how much you love eating celery with peanut butter? Your dogs would probably love it too. It is so easy to make celery treats, and when you combine celery with other healthy foods, you are giving your dogs even more of the important nutrients that their bodies need. Here are some ideas for quick and easy celery treats to give to your dogs.
- Celery and peanut butter treats – Dogs love celery, and they love peanut butter. All you have to do to make these treats is smear some peanut butter on celery pieces. For smaller dogs, make sure that you cut the pieces no larger than 1” long.
- Celery and cheese treats – As long as your dogs are not lactose intolerant, you can slice cheddar cheese and put strips in the middle of the celery. You can use cream cheese as well, or an even better and healthier option because it contains less lactose is cottage cheese.
- Celery and meat treats – Cook up some meat (chicken, beef, pork, etc.) without any seasonings, and boil rice without salt. Combine the two with a bit of low-sodium broth, and make a paste. Spoon some of the paste onto the celery for a tasty doggy treat.
Yes, Dogs Can Eat Celery
There are many human foods that dogs can safely eat, and celery is one of them. This is a food that when added to their diets is going to give them even more nutrients than they are already getting from their regular dog food, making it a healthy treat that they can have any time.