Can Dogs Eat Swiss Chard? | Foods That Will Kill Your Dog!

Can Dogs Eat Swiss Chard? 

Many people wonder if vegetables can be fed to the dog, and among the various questions, there is also this one about chard. The latter is a vegetable rich in nourishing properties and capable of providing many vitamins.

For this reason, it can be given to the dog without any problems. Of course, just remember to never run into exaggeration,  otherwise, you risk causing negative consequences for the dog. Among these can be the accumulation of intestinal gas.

Swiss chard is packed with vitamins A, K, and C, as well as fiber. These vitamins support the health of our four-legged companion’s eyes, blood, liver, colon, immune system, and much more.

Swiss chard is another of those foods that we can include in our dog’s diet, always in an adequate percentage, being able to give them raw or cooked.

Black German Shepherd

What are Chard benefits and properties for Dogs?

  • Chard helps to strengthen your body against external agents. now in winter with special importance in specific cases such as kennel cough that usually affects them with these weather changes and is something similar to a human cold, with cough, mucus, phlegm, fever, lack of appetite, etc.
  • It is a vegetable rich in vitamin A, ideal for vision problems and even problems like conjunctivitis . Vitamin A also contributes to the improvement of the hair, skin, and nails of our pets, helps in the production of enzymes, hormones, and a host of important substances for the body.
  • It contains high percentages of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iodine, sodium, iron, and calcium, ideal to complement a carnivorous diet.
  • Potassium is necessary for the nervous system, and for the muscles of the dog.
  • Magnesium helps the  digestive system, nerves, and muscles
  • Iodine is necessary for the thyroid, a hormonal gland with very important functions at the metabolic level.
  • The iron and calcium in this food are absorbed to a lesser extent, but for that, we have a diet rich in meat, bones, and organ meats, which complete this lack of chard.
  • High in water content, ideal for kidney stone problems, as well as constipation problems.
  • It is  diuretic
  • It helps fight anemia due to its high content of vitamin C  that helps it to be absorbed more efficiently and also acts as an antioxidant.
Pitahoula (Catahoula & Pitbull Mix)

How to prepare Swiss chard for dogs and their doses?

Raw and cooked Swiss chard are healthy options for dogs and are a nutritious addition to meals. Just like you would any other fruit and vegetable, make sure the Swiss chard is well washed to remove all dirt and pesticides.

Talk to your vet about how much Swiss chard to feed your dog per day. As a general rule, the intake of fruits and vegetables in the diet of our pet should not exceed 10-15% and should never, never form the main part of the dog’s diet, since we are talking about carnivorous animals as you can see in this article.

We can offer the chard to our dog raw, sautéed, steamed, or baked. Without salt and without any sauce. Although it is best to steam it to minimize the loss of nutrients.

If we decide to give it raw, always well washed, finely chopped or mixed and sprinkled on the food.

This article is purely informative, at Shelterapet we do not have the right to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We encourage you to take your pet to the vet in case of any kind of discomfort.

Author

  • Amanda Wheatley

    Passionate about animals, Amanda draws her expertise from her training as an educator, pet behaviorist as well as her extensive experience with animal owners. A specialist in dog and cat behavior, Amanda continues to learn about our four-legged companions by studying veterinary reference books but also university research sites (UCD, Utrecht, Cambridge, Cornell, etc..) Why Trust ShelterAPet? At ShelterAPet, our collective is composed of writers, veterinarians, and seasoned animal trainers with a deep passion for pets. Our team of esteemed professionals delves into extensive research to deliver trustworthy insights on a broad spectrum of pet-related subjects. We anchor our evaluations on direct customer experiences, meticulous testing, and comprehensive scrutiny. Our commitment is to uphold transparency and integrity for our cherished community of pet aficionados and prospective pet parents.