min – A||Boosts your puppy’s immune systemPromotes bone development and the reproductive system.Enhances eyesight, prevents night blindness and cataract in dogs.Supports proper function and quality of skin, coat, muscles, and nerves.|
|Vitamin – C||This powerful antioxidant targets and destroys free-radical molecules that can damage new cells. Anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic|
|Vitamin – E||Enriches the skin and coat Prevents skin irritation and ear infections.|
|Vitamin – K||This is an essential mineral that synthesizes the coagulation of proteins needed for blood clot|
|Potassium||It helps in the proper functioning of your dog’s kidneysAids in maintaining cardiac and digestive healthIt strengthens your pet’s bones. It regulates fluid levels, and promotes muscle development.|
|Dietary fiber||Regulates bowel movementsPrevents constipationHelps weight managementBuilds the immune systemReduces bloatingFortifies against illness and infectionLowers the risk of colon cancer|
|Folic acid||Treats deficiencies.Helps maintain normal metabolic function.Aids in the red blood cells formation.|
|Phosphorous||This mineral teams up with calcium to form bones and teeth.Acts as a catalyst for bodily functions like growth, maintenance, and cell repair.|
|Manganese||Catalyzes enzyme activity|
|Thiamin||Used for carbohydrate metabolism required for the proper functioning of the brain and other high-energy organs.|
|Selenium||Aids in thyroid metabolism.Promotes DNA synthesis.|
|Antioxidants||Serves as a good anti-inflammatory.Promotes immune system activity and helps fight allergies.Effectively removes free radicals from the body and decreases the ill effects due to aging.The glutathione antioxidant fights against free radicals that damages the cells causing arthritis, inflammation, and cancer.|
Why is Asparagus Bad for Dogs?
Despite its health benefits, asparagus comes with certain risks you need to know. Therefore, it has to be fed with caution:
- Choking Hazard:
Raw asparagus comes with a tough stalk that challenges your dog’s ability to chew. As a result, your canine may swallow it, resulting in a choking hazard. Therefore, ensure to cook the stalks and feed them in smaller pieces.
- Upset Tummy:
Consuming raw asparagus can upset your canine’s digestive system. Hence, it has to be cooked to reap the nutritional benefits. However, as asparagus is rich in fiber, you have to feed it sparingly to your dog to avoid gassiness and diarrhea.
Additionally, asparagus is often cooked in oil or butter and maybe loaded with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and cheese that can make your dog sick.
- The Asparagus Fern and seed pods
The asparagus fern comes from the asparagus plant. When these plants flower, they produce small red berries. Both these parts of the plant are said to be toxic to both plants and human beings. If consumed, they may cause the following symptoms in dogs:
- Stomach pain
- Unpleasant Urine and changed stool color
Asparagus contains asparagusic acid, which breaks down to sulphur containing by-products once it is digested. These sulphur by-products evaporate almost instantly the moment your dog pees, giving it an unpleasant smell. Additionally, your dog’s stools may also turn green as a result of eating asparagus.
How Much Asparagus to Feed Your Dogs?
In general, vets recommend incorporating up to 10% raw vegetables to your dog’s diet. To start with, you may begin adding smaller pieces to your canine’s diet and wait to see how she responds to it. Then, a generalized rule for respective dogs will be as given below:
|Breed size||Daily Amount to feed|
|Small Dogs||1-2 tsp|
|Medium Dogs||2-3 tsp|
|Large Dogs||1-2 Tbsp|
However, do remember that asparagus has to be fed sparingly to prevent your dog from developing any digestive issues due to its high-fiber content.
How to serve asparagus to dogs?
There are different ways to serve asparagus to your dogs as an occasional treat. But before feeding them in any form, you need to carry out the below-mentioned steps to ensure better digestibility. They include:
Remove the fibrous end of th