Growing up surely your parents might have told you at least once that eating carrots would make your eyes better. Now as a dog parent it’s your turn to determine whether or not carrots are good for your fur-baby. So, can dogs eat carrots?

Yes, your dog can eat carrots. Carrots make a healthy and delicious snack for both humans and dogs. The vegetable is low in calories, so you don’t need to worry about adding carrots suddenly to their diet. Carrots contain several vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Biotin, Potassium, and Vitamin B6. The low-fat and the high-water content in carrots make them excellent treats when taking weight loss into consideration.

Whether your pup likes the taste of carrots or not is simply dependent on them. Here’s what you need to know about feeding carrots to your pooch.

Health Benefits of Carrots

Carrot is super-vegetable with lots of health benefits in humans. The most well-known health benefit is that carrots are good for the eyes. The vegetable is rich in beta-carotene, a compound that the body changes into vitamin A, ultimately keeping your eyes healthy. Moreover, beta-carotene helps protect your eyes from the sun and lowers the chances of cataracts and other eye problems.

Carrots also contain tons of antioxidants that help fight off harmful free radicals in your body, reducing the risk of you contracting cancer. The antioxidants are also good for the heart. The potassium and fiber in carrots help to keep your blood pressure in check along with lowering your chances of heart disease.

There are a lot more health benefits of eating carrots, but the most prominent benefits are:

• They help to strengthen your bones.
• They can help to control diabetes.
• They can help with constipation.
• They boost the immune system.

Are Carrots Healthy for My Dog?

Yes, carrots make a healthy treat for your dog. This veggie is low in calories, high in fiber, vitamin A, and potassium. Both humans and dogs need vitamin A for healthy bone growth, reproduction, and cellular differentiation. Additionally, vitamin A helps to keep your dog’s eyes healthy and vision sharp. Since, carrots are loaded with phytonutrients such as lycopene and lutein, eating them also helps protect your pooch’s eyes from free radical damage and UVB radiation.

Carrots can also make a good chew toy substitute and chewing on some carrots will surely improve your pup’s dental health. Vets recommend you brush your dog’s teeth at least once a month, but if your dog is stingy about brushing, then it’s quite difficult to perform the task, isn’t it? Well, carrots can help keep your pooch’s teeth healthy. Let them chomp on some raw or lightly steamed carrots to keep their pearls clean and healthy. The plus side is you’re killing two birds with one stone. While your dog chews on carrots, it cleans their teeth along with improving their immune system.

Furthermore, carrots are high in soluble fiber. So, it can help your dog’s bowel movement significantly. If your dog has loose stools, the fiber can help add some bulk to their stool. But you should only feed them some in moderation. Too much fiber can cause gas and intestinal upset, so start slow if you’re feeding them some for the first time.

How Many Carrots Can My Dog Eat?

Vets recommend that you include any treat as only 10% of the calories in your dog’s diet. The same is true while you feed carrots to your dog. Fresh carrots consist of about 5% sugar, so giving this orange vegetable to your dog as an occasional treat might be a good idea.

Since dogs usually get the nutrients they need from their daily kibble, carrots are not a required addition to their diet. If it’s your dog’s first-time eating carrots, feed them only a few chopped slices and if they don’t show any adverse reactions, you could add one or two more slices the next time. You could also try consulting your vet for the ideal serving when introducing your pup to a food item for the first time.

Ideally, your dog should eat a balanced diet. So, make sure you feed them their daily kibble on top of any treat like carrots. The vitamins in carrots are very easily destroyed by light, so don’t leave those carrots on the counter for your dog to see when you’re not looking.

Carrots are indeed a healthy snack for dogs and it could be a good addition to their regular diet if they’re new to the vegetable.

Can Carrots Be Harmful to My Dog?

Most human foods come with the risk of choking. If your dog gobbled up a whole carrot, then there is a chance that it gets stuck in their windpipe or intestines. Refrain feeding big chunks of carrots to your dog, especially smaller breeds. While some believe that feeding large chunks doesn’t bring any problems, it is best to cut the carrot into small bite-size pieces for reducing the risk of choking.

Other than that, carrots can be harmful to your dog, if they eat a whole lot of the veggie at once. Carrots contain more sugars compared to other vegetables, so too many carrots can cause weight gain, which in turn can lead to other health problems.

Serving Carrots for Your Dog

Now that you know you can feed carrots to your dog; you should know how to feed them some too. Like with any other vegetables make sure you wash and peel the carrots thoroughly to remove dust and pesticides. You can feed them raw carrots by slicing them into rounds or cutting them into sticks or smaller pieces. And if your dog doesn’t like the flavor of raw carrots, you could try giving them cooked or steamed carrots as well. Boiling the carrots may not be a good idea, since boiling leaches out the nutrients.

You can always consult your vet on any health concerns regarding a new addition to your dog’s diet.

Conclusion

In short, yes, your dog can eat carrots. This nutrient-rich vegetable can make a healthy and tasty treat for your pooch. Like with all other food items, make sure you feed them carrots only in moderation. Wash, peel, and cut the carrots into small pieces before feeding them to your dog. You could also try giving them cooked or boiled carrots if they don’t enjoy the taste of raw carrots.

Now that you know how carrots are not only safe but also exceptionally healthy for dogs. To explore more, here are some carrots-related dog articles that you might be interested in.

Have you ever tried feeding slices of carrots to your dog? Did they like it? We would love to hear from you. Please share with our community by leaving a comment below!