Yes, Your Dog Can Eat Bell Peppers!
Just like you and I, it’s important that your dog eats a varied, nutritious diet. A great way to ensure your dog is getting plenty of variety in his diet is to feed him suitable fruit and vegetables as a treat. These are a great way of boosting your dogs’ vitamin intake and if he is on a raw diet, will help to increase essential fibre too.
Can Dogs Eat Green Peppers?
Not every fruit of vegetable can be eaten by your dog. Some vegetables such as onions or garlic that are healthy for us can make your dog very sick, even when eaten in small quantities.
In most cases, when a dog eats too much onions they can develop a condition called hemolytic anemia that damages his red blood cells.
Green bell peppers (along with red or any color) are safe for your dog to eat as a treat or with their food.
Bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C, A and B6 along with beta-carotine. These are obviously a healthy choice for us humans, and can also benefit our dogs too.
Dogs are primarily carnivores, so they do not need fruit and vegetables to survive. However, there can be some benefits to including them in their diet
How Much Bell Pepper Can My Dog Eat?
When introducing a new food to your dog you should always limit it to a very small amount to begin with. As we all know, some dogs will eat anything whilst others will their nose up at a pork chop!
No matter which type your dog is, its best to try a small piece of bell pepper first so as not to upset his tummy.
If it’s all good and he comes back looking for more, then it’s ok to give him a few pieces a day in between meals as a treat. Depending on the size and breed of dog, it’s best to limit him to no more than half a bell pepper per day. Any more than this can cause diarrhoea, especially in small dogs.
How Do I Feed My Dog Bell Peppers?
It’s safe to feed your dog bell peppers cooked or raw.
It’s important that you just stick to plain bell peppers. Be sure they are not mixed with sauces or other foods that could make your dog sick.
If you are having a stir fry for your dinner, it’s best to share your bell peppers before you add then to the wok!
In most cases it’s best to feed your dog raw bell peppers that have been sliced and de-seeded. This way you can be sure they are just getting the bell pepper and nothing else.
Also, raw bell peppers have a nice crunch when bitten into as they are made up of nearly 96% water. Most dogs will love chewing them, especially when given as a treat.
If you are feeding your dog vegetables such as bell peppers to supplement his diet, you will need to cook them first to help release the vitamins and minerals that most dogs can’t break down by themselves.
What Are The Benefits Of Giving My Dog Bell Peppers?
Bell peppers are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and water. However, when it comes to your dog, a lot of this good stuff can just pass through them if the vegetables are not prepared properly.
Dogs are mainly carnivores by nature, although they do have some omnivorous tendencies. For this reason, dogs will not get the full benefit of the nutrients in vegetables such as bell peppers unless they are lightly cooked.
Dr Conor Brady of dogsfirst.ie, says that “dogs can digest plant material properly when its is presented to them correctly”. This means that for your dog to access the goodness within bell peppers, you are going to have to lightly cook them or mush them up first.
This preparation releases the vitamins and minerals in the peppers that would otherwise just pass through your dog undigested. If your dog is fed exclusively on a raw meat diet, then adding cooked bell peppers can be a great source of essential vitamins.
If your dog is fed a dry food diet (even the most expensive dry food), then cooked vegetables can be a great source of Vitamins A, C, B, K among others, along with minerals such as magnesium and folic acid.
All of these nutrients are essential for a happy healthy pooch!
In the case of bell peppers, the extra Vitamin C and beta carotene may contribute to a healthy immune system, eyesight, a healthy coat, may even assist dogs that are suffering from arthritis and may even help to reduce certain types of cancer.
