Believe it or not, but this is actually one really healthy food for your dogs and most of them really love eating it. It could be a great snack, a treat for rewarding the dog or a toy to play with it. Even if the dog is only playing with the carrot, it can still get a few bites of it which is really good for your dog’s teeth. Well, of course it is not a good idea to give too many carrots to your dog because it can get sick. The rule for getting a normal portion of food is also in force here. When the dog receives too much amount of something for eating, it can only cause troubles to your dog’s tummy or health and to you of course, because you do not want to hurt your dog in any way or watch it suffer. In just a short period of time when you take your pet at your home, it becomes a part of your family, a member of your family and you would like to take care of it in a proper way so that all of you could be happy.
Are carrots good for dogs?
Carrots are of this kind of food which is absolutely non-toxic to dogs and if you take a look what the opinion of ASPCA is, you will see that they recommend it as a healthy snack even for your little doggies. This is a rare treat even for people, so you might be surprised that it is often used to feed dogs as a treat. But it actually works quite well. The only thing you should be careful with is that you always have to chop the carrots into small bites which are chew-friendly to your dog. And when you use these bites as treats, you should give just a couple of them, not a whole bowl. After all this is a reward for doing something right, so if you want to train your dog in a proper way, you should be careful with the treats.
Even though your dog may enjoy eating carrots or even celery, you need to be careful in the beginning when you give it such a treat for the first time. If you notice that your dog has any tummy issues after you have started feeding it with these products it is better to stop. It is healthy and good for your dog unless it causes any problems with your dog’s tummy. It is a rare thing to happen but as a new food to your dog, you need to pay some attention in the beginning. And it is easy to recognize what the problem is with the diet of your dog because you have made just a slight change and added only one new ingredient to the usual menu.
Raw or cooked carrots?
If you do not notice any problems, your dog can enjoy this healthy treat, no matter if it prefers it raw or cooked. Both ways is acceptable, it only depends on what the individual preference of your dog is. You just need to prepare yourself for the mess you could find after giving the carrots. There could be bits of the carrots all over the floor, or on the couch if you allow your dog to go there, but you should not get angry on that, because it is better to clean a little mess then leaving your dog chew some other things, like your shoes for example. So carrots are not only healthy for your dog, they also help in decreasing the levels of anxiety in your dog and due to this important benefit you will have fewer troubles.
Benefits of giving carrots to your dog
Carrots can be fun to play with them and they have so many healthy benefits so it is worth to mention at least a couple of them. You know that dogs could have problems with their eyes if they eat something that is not good for their health. Well, the thing with carrots is actually the opposite – they help for improving dog’s vision. This happens in the following way – carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is transformed in the liver into vitamin A. It is then converted in rhodopsin when it reaches the retina and that pigment is the one necessary for the good vision of your animal in the night.
One really important benefit of your dog eating carrots is that they help in preventing cancer development. According to the studies which were recently conducted, this vegetable can reduce the risk of lung cancer, colon cancer or breast cancer in dogs. According to the final data gathered in these researches, it is the falacarinol and falcarindiol which are responsible for reducing the risk of developing these diseases.
It also should be mentioned that carrots help in slowing down the aging of cells, which means that this vegetable is an anti-aging product.
If you still do not know any information about vitamin A, you should understand that it is important for the nails, skin and hair. As carrots are good for people, they are good for dogs too and they can protect your dog’s coat from the inside and from the outside, and it can have a shiny coat.
Getting enough amount of vitamin A has also some other positive sides – it reduces the levels of cholesterol; it also reduces the fat and the bile in the liver. It helps the liver to get rid of the toxins that present into the body of your dog. Eating carrots will make the colon of your dog work better. This vegetable can also work as toothpaste – it cleans the dog’s teeth and the mouth. Your dog can get rid of the plaque and the food particles by eating just one carrot as a dessert.
The benefits of giving carrots to your dog are so many, but if you think better, only the first two are just enough to start feeding your dog in a healthy way. So do not hesitate if dogs can or can’t eat carrots – it is good for them in any way you may think.
