Taking care of dogs requires extensive knowledge of the foods that will keep them healthy. We all know that chocolates are bad for them. However, can dogs eat green beans just like humans?
If you are wondering about the answer to this question, then you are on the right page. In this article, we are going to answer the question: can dogs eat green beans?
Green Beans: Is It Safe For Dogs?
Green beans are pods of young and unripe fruit. Those that humans usually eat are from the runner beans. Green beans have many different names such as string beans, french beans, snap beans, and Baguio beans.
There are several varieties of beans. At the same time, there are also different preparations, but some of the most common ones are steamed, baked, stir-fried, or boiled. These are also an excellent additive to several dishes, such as casseroles, stews and soups.
However, in terms of dog consumption, one may ask: can dogs eat cooked green beans? Well, the answer is yes. According to the AKC or American Kennel Club, green beans are safe for dogs to eat.
Similar to broccoli and spinach, green beans may be great treats for your furbabies. Although they do not usually require a significant amount of fruit and vegetables in their diet, some dogs enjoy these crunchy treats.
The Benefits of Green Beans to Dogs
Green beans are packed with vitamins such as A, B6. C, and K. They also contain minerals such as Calcium, Iron, and Protein. Green beans are also very low in calories and high in fiber, which can help dogs who are on a diet.
Green beans are great alternative treats for store-bought snacks for your dog. However, you have to make sure that you prepare it properly to avoid irreversible harm.
How to Prepare Green Beans to Dogs
If you have decided to give your dogs some green beans as treats, then you should prepare it appropriately for your dogs. Ideally, your green beans should be given, steamed, raw, or chopped. Using canned beans are also excellent.
The important thing is that they retain their crunchy texture. This is what most dogs love about this.
However, there are also several ways of preparation that you should avoid. Here are some of them:
Salted Green Beans
When preparing beans for your dog, whether it is chopped, steamed, or raw, never add salt. Salt may lead to your dogs contracting sodium ion poison, especially when they ingested too much. This is also why when purchasing canned green beans, make sure to check the label for salt content.
Green Beans with Spices and Oils
Although you want your dog’s meals to be as delicious as possible, using spices and oils in preparing their green beans can be dangerous to them. These items may induce bloat or allergic reaction, which are not favorable to their health.
Spices such as onion and garlic are harmful to dogs. As much as possible, do not include this in your preparation.
Large Size Green Beans
Large Green beans can cause choking incidents, especially with smaller dog breeds. This is why it is better to chop them into bite-size to avoid such incidents from occurring.
When preparing green beans for your dogs, it is crucial to be as necessary as possible. Going the extra mile and adding additive may only cause harm and for the beans to lose their nutrients.
Will Dogs Eat Green Beans?
Different dogs have different palates, as well. This is why it is not absolute whether your dogs will like eating them. However, if you have puppies, introducing Green beans to their diet will increase the likelihood that they will like it.
Are Green Beans Helpful to Obese Dogs?
Dog obesity is a real issue. In the United States alone, 100 million dogs are considered obese as of 2018. This is an excellent spike from the 80 million figure from just five years ago.
There are several reasons why dogs are obese. Two of the most common cause is lack of exercise and overeating. Basically, similar to humans.
Dog obesity post a severe threat to their bodies. It can cause heart complications and bone issues. Sometimes, it can even lead to death. This is why veterinarians strongly urge owners of obese dogs to help them lose weight.
That being said, it begs the question, can green beans help a dog lose weight? Yes, green beans can help dogs lose weight. You can do this by doing the green bean diet.
The Green Bean Diet
The Green Bean Diet is the equivalent of the vegetarian diet of humans. It is a plan that replaces the dog’s usual food with green beans.
Most owners do this by gradually introducing green beans from their dog’s diet until it becomes mostly green beans. They do this until their dogs lose 50% of their target weight. By then, owners slowly reintegrate the typical meals of their dogs in the right proportions.
What makes Green beans ideal for dog diet is that they are low in carbohydrates and calories. Foods that like this are effective for weight loss.
However, such a diet must be under the approval and supervision of a veterinarian as doing it on your own has several risks that you are unaware of.
An example of this risk is a nutritional imbalance. With proper laboratories, your dogs may lose the source of nutrients that is essential to their health.
Another risk is that if you do not do the green bean diet right, your dogs may still gain back the weight that they lost. This would render all your efforts useless.
Final Thoughts
The love that most people have to their dogs is immeasurable. But, sometimes, that kind of love may lead to them having a bad diet because the owner thinks what they are giving them is delicious and healthy. However, what may be good for humans can be harmful to dogs, such as avocados.
So, the answer to the question “can dog eat green beans” is yes. In fact, green beans make healthy dog treats.