Introduction
Spinach, the little green elf from the purple saffron family, grows mainly in the lands of Asia. With its tender and tasty leaves, it has long been an old friend of our table. As an annual plant, spinach grows up to 30 centimeters, like a small green pagoda, and is both simple and full of life.
Adding spinach to your dog's dinner plate will not only enrich their diet, but also bring a lot of health surprises. Spinach harbors an abundance of dietary fiber and iron, all of which are little helpers for your dog's body. Even better, it's full of vitamin K, which adds to your dog's bone health by default. What's more, spinach is reassuringly low in calories, making it a customized low-calorie snack for dogs!
While spinach is full of benefits, its flavor is not something every dog will buy into. If you want your little furry one to try this green gift, start with a little bit and work your way up so they fall in love with this new flavor without even realizing it.
Can Dogs Eat Spinach?
It's great that your dog is obsessed with spinach! Imagine your dog wagging his tail in excitement every time you bring out the spinach, staring straight ahead, eager to savor it, it's just adorable. This means another healthy treat for your dog.
Dogs can certainly eat spinach. Spinach is full of vitamins and minerals, and it's like a little treasure trove of nutrients. Vitamin A brightens and refreshes your dog's eyes, vitamin C boosts your dog's immunity, and minerals help to maintain the normal functioning of your dog's body. As long as it is fed properly, spinach is perfectly safe for dogs.
There are a few tips for feeding spinach to your dog. First of all, spinach should be cleaned to remove surface dirt and pesticide residues - after all, your dog's health is vital. You can cut the spinach into small pieces so that it is easy for your dog to chew and digest. You can choose to cook the spinach and mix it into your dog's dog food. The hot spinach gives off an aroma and mixes with the dog food, which instantly enhances the appeal of the food. Alternatively, juice the spinach and add it to your dog's drinking water. But be careful, don't overfeed, the right amount of spinach will bring out its best.
If your dog's love of spinach is overflowing, you may want to give him a spinach feast once in a while. Spinach fuels your dog's health and allows him to thrive while enjoying a delicious meal and becoming an energetic cutie by your side.
Benefits of Spinach for Dogs
What are the benefits of spinach for dogs? Let's take a look at a (100 grams) spinach's list of nutritional treasures: only 23 calories, water content of up to 91%, protein 2.9 grams, 3.6 grams of carbohydrates, 0.4 grams of sugar, 2.2 grams of fiber, 0.4 grams of fat. Not only that, spinach is also rich in various vitamins and minerals, which can be called the dog's super food.
Vitamin A is the guardian of your dog's eyesight, acting as a protective shield for your dog's eyes and allowing them to see more clearly when playing. Studies have shown that it can also keep your dog's skin smooth, and if your dog is injured, Vitamin A can help wounds heal quickly and revitalize your dog.
Vitamin C has powerful antioxidant properties that are beneficial to the health of your dog's skin, and it's like a cleanser for your dog's body, cleaning out all those harmful free radicals. At the same time, it also enhances your dog's immunity, so that your dog will be more resistant when facing germs, get sick less, and play with you with full vigor every day.
Vitamin K1, also known as lobelia quinone, plays an extraordinary role in your dog's body and is vital for blood clotting and bone health. If your dog gets hurt and bleeds, Vitamin K1 can help the blood clot faster and prevent excessive bleeding. Plus, it helps make your dog's bones stronger, giving him more energy when he runs and jumps.
Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, plays a key role in the growth of normal cells and tissues in dogs. It acts as a diligent little housekeeper, assisting in amino acid metabolism and ensuring that all the cells in your dog's body are functioning properly. Folic acid is especially essential for pregnant dog moms. If you are deficient in folic acid, your dog's baby may be born with a cleft lip or palate and other problems, so it must be taken seriously.
Iron is abundant in spinach, which many vegetarians rely on for iron supplementation, and dogs can benefit from it as well. Iron is an important element in the production of hemoglobin, which acts as an oxygen courier, carrying oxygen to all tissues of your dog's body and keeping him energized at all times.
Calcium, on the other hand, is the backbone of maintaining your dog's bone health and is also an important molecule for signaling between the nervous system, heart and muscles. With adequate calcium, dogs have strong bones, can run and jump to their heart's content, have smooth nerve signaling, and have better body coordination.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, spinach has a variety of plant compounds in it. Lutein and zeaxanthin are closely related to your dog's eye health, preventing eye problems and keeping your dog's eyes bright and alert at all times. Kaempferol acts as an antioxidant, acting as a little health guard in the body, and has the opportunity to reduce your dog's risk of cancer and chronic disease. Nitrates are good for your dog's heart health and make your dog's heart beat stronger. Quercetin is also an antioxidant that prevents infections and inflammation in your dog's body.
Spinach is low in calories and is perfect as a dog snack. Although quality dog food usually includes these nutrients, giving your dog a spinach treat once in a while is like adding a healthy meal to your dog's diet. If your dog is eating a mediocre dog food (under three stars), it's even more important to feed your dog some fresh spinach from time to time to give him the nutrients he's lacking. So the question isn't just whether or not your dog can eat spinach, it's how to get the nutrients your dog needs to grow healthier and happier.
What Is Bad About Spinach for Dogs?
Although spinach has many benefits for dogs, it also harbors a little secret-- it contains an anti-nutrient called oxalic acid, which messes with your dog's body and interferes with the absorption of other nutrients.
Oxalic acid is like a little bully, preventing your dog's body from absorbing calcium. Think about it, calcium is so important for dogs, it is essential for bone development and muscle activity. If calcium is not well absorbed, the dog's small body can be affected. Moreover, a large amount of oxalic acid can also be harmful to your dog's kidneys.
The soluble oxalate in spinach is a naughty one, and as soon as it enters the dog's body, it gets tangled up with the calcium and magnesium in the bloodstream. As a result, your dog's absorption of calcium and magnesium can go down the drain. Blood calcium levels drop, and your dog's metabolism suddenly goes haywire and becomes unbalanced. Even worse, oxalic acid combines with calcium to form calcium oxalate, which has to be excreted from the dog's body through the kidneys. If there is too much calcium oxalate, the kidneys will be overloaded, and will probably be damaged, and even lead to serious kidney failure, which is not a joke.
But don't worry too much. Many studies have shown that a dog would have to eat a large amount of spinach before it could cause damage to the body. After all, talking about toxicity in terms of dosage is just plain bad taste! But if your dog ingests oxalic acid over a long period of time, you should be careful, as it's likely to induce kidney damage, muscle damage, cardiac arrhythmias, and respiratory disorders.
So it seems that spinach, like any other food, has two sides. Sometimes, it is like the dog's health guard, the benefits of the dog; but if you feed your dog too much spinach, or use the wrong feeding method, it will become a small trouble, bring harm to the dog. So ah, learn to feed your dog spinach correctly is really especially important. Only good food, with the right processing methods, can really benefit your dog.
When it comes to the disadvantages of spinach, the main one is that it contains high amounts of oxalic acid. Not only does oxalic acid prevent your dog's body from absorbing calcium, but it can also cause kidney damage. As you may not know, so many dogs have kidney problems, especially those who have been eating excessive carbohydrates for a long time, and their kidneys are already burdened. In this case, don't give your dog too much spinach.
As for why spinach can lead to kidney damage, as mentioned earlier, it is because of the soluble oxalates in it, which combine with the magnesium and calcium in your dog's bloodstream, so that the electrolytes are not able to function properly. As soon as the blood calcium level drops, the metabolism is out of balance and the kidneys have to work hard to get the calcium oxalate out of the body. If there is too much calcium oxalate, the kidneys will suffer, and in severe cases, kidney failure may occur. Of course, this is not a serious problem with normal feeding. But still have to remind all the shoveling officer, don't feed your dog too much spinach!
How to Cook Spinach for Dogs?
Dogs are lovely companions in our lives and their health touches our hearts. Cooking nutritious food for dogs is one of the ways to show our love. Today, we are going to teach you a few ways to make treats for your dog with spinach.
The first one is boiled spinach. This is an easy and nutritious dog treat. We have to prepare fresh spinach. First, gently place the spinach in water and let it soak comfortably for 10 - 15 minutes as if giving it a nice bath, then rinse it again and again to make sure that pesticide residues and impurities are removed. Next, blanch the spinach in the boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes. This is crucial to remove most of the oxalic acid and minimize gastrointestinal irritation for your dog. Once blanched, add the spinach to a pot of boiling water and cook for 5 - 8 minutes, watching the spinach slowly soften, as it gently unwinds. Then remove, drain and carefully chop into small, finely chopped pieces so that your dog can chew and digest it easily. Finally, you can either add this cooked chopped spinach directly to your dog's dog food to add a bit of flavor to it, or feed it separately to let your dog enjoy the spinach.
Take a look at spinach puree again. The ingredients are fresh spinach in addition to a small amount of water. The washing and blanching steps are the same as for lightly cooked spinach, so first let the spinach dry and clean. Then add a small amount of water to a pot and cook the blanched spinach for 5 - 8 minutes until it is completely soft. Then put the spinach in a blender, add a little more of the water in which it was cooked, and blend to a fine puree. This spinach puree is a great treat for dogs with weak stomachs or bad teeth. It can be added directly to dog food or fed to your dog on its own for a happy and healthy meal.
There are also spinach and chicken meatballs. Prepare spinach, chicken breast and a little water. First, wash and blanch the spinach and chop it, and wash and cut the chicken breast into small pieces. Then put the chopped spinach and chicken breast pieces in a blender with a little water and blend it into a puree. Then gently knead the puree with your hands into small balls, which are like carrying our love for our dogs. Place in a steamer and steam over high heat for 15 - 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. The steamed balls are nutritious and easy to digest, so your dog will love them.
Finally, spinach and egg custard. Prepare spinach, eggs and a little water. Wash, blanch and chop the spinach, then beat the eggs in a bowl and mix well. Add the spinach to the egg mixture and mix well. Steam the spinach in a steamer over high heat for 10 - 15 minutes until the eggs are firm. This Spinach and Egg Soup is perfect for dogs with weak stomachs or those in need of a nutritional boost, giving them a full dose of love and nourishment.
How to Feed Your Dog Spinach Correctly?
Dogs are some of the most loyal and lovable companions in our lives, and their health is closely related to their diet. Spinach, as a nutritious vegetable, also has many benefits for your dog's health, but the right way to feed it is crucial. Below is a detailed description of some of the pre-processing procedures before feeding spinach to your dog.
First, pick fresh spinach. Gently rinse the spinach in cold water 2-3 times, like a refreshing bath for the baby spinach, to effectively remove pesticides and impurities that may be left on the surface of the spinach, so that your dog can eat it with greater peace of mind.
Next, use a knife to chop the spinach into small pieces. You see, this not only increases the surface area of the spinach, the dog can eat it, the stomach can also be better digested and absorbed, like to give the dog's intestines and stomach to reduce the burden.
Then, cook the chopped spinach in boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes, then drain. At this point, the amount of oxalic acid in spinach will be almost the same as in other vegetables. Here we have to remind you that the water in which the spinach is boiled should not be given to the dog to drink, as it contains a lot of oxalic acid, and it is not good for human beings to drink it, so it is better to pour it out directly.
When boiling spinach, do not add any salt, seasoning or lemon and other things. However, you can add a little white vinegar, white vinegar is a little help, it can help dilute the oxalic acid in the spinach, so that the spinach is more friendly to the dog's stomach.
If your dog doesn't reject the flavor of spinach, then feed it the processed spinach directly and watch your dog happily eat it. If your dog doesn't like the taste of spinach, don't worry, mix spinach into your dog's daily diet so that your dog will be able to take in the nutrients of spinach without realizing it.
There are two other ways to handle spinach that are not recommended. Pickled spinach loses a lot of its nutritional value, so there's no point in feeding it to your dog. Raw spinach, as we mentioned above, contains a lot of oxalic acid, which is not easy for dogs to digest, but will cause a burden on the dog's body. So, for the sake of your dog's health, we must choose the right way to feed spinach to your dog.
How Often Should I Feed My Dog Spinach?
There are often confusing statements when it comes to your dog's diet. As it is, there are still a lot of people, even including many veterinarians, who believe that spinach can burden the dog's body and may also harm the dog's kidneys yet.
Actually, yeah, this statement is indeed true in some cases. But you should know that there is a prerequisite for these negative consequences. That is, the dog has to eat a lot of spinach, and the way to handle spinach is not correct.
Spinach contains a lot of oxalic acid, and if your dog is eating nothing but raw spinach all day long, the chances of them getting sick are high. If you feed your dog spinach this way, it could damage their kidneys and even cause them to develop bladder stones, which is heartbreaking to think about.
However, as long as you feed your dog spinach in the right way, your dog will not be harmed at all by eating it. Just like between us and our dogs, with the right approach, everything will be great.
So how exactly should you feed it? We recommend that you feed your dog spinach 2-3 times a week, not exceeding 3% of his daily diet. Don't underestimate this small percentage, as by following this recommendation, your dog will be able to enjoy the nutritional benefits of spinach without harming himself. It's like building a solid little castle for your dog's health, and every time you feed him correctly, you're adding to that castle.
In this way, we can ensure the health of the dog at the same time, let them taste the spinach different delicious, the dog is happy, we also rest assured, why not? So yes, to grasp the frequency and amount of spinach fed to the dog, is the care of the dog's healthy diet of small tips.
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The End
After reading the above article, I'm sure you already have thoughts in your mind about whether or not to feed your dog spinach. Nowadays, many dogs only eat dog food for their whole life, and some owners also feed their dogs some pet snacks, but most of these are highly industrialized and processed foods.
Our dogs are so cute and loyal, and as pets, why can't they savor some natural foods? Can't dogs survive without the pet food industry? Think about how dogs survived before the introduction of dog food.
In fact, we really hope that you can expose your dog to natural foods. These natural foods contain natural nutrients that are not found in dog food, so occasionally improving your dog's taste is like adding a little surprise to their boring life! It's a great way to give your dog a taste of what nature has to offer, and it's good for their health too.
