Collard greens are very popular in southern cooking. These leafy vegetables are both delicious and nutritious, and we add them to pastas, salads, wraps, and a lot more. But can dogs eat green collards? Well, yes — for the most part.
Collard greens can be a healthy snack for your canine friends as long as you serve it properly. Keep reading to find out why this fibrous vegetable is dog-friendly, how it can benefit your pup, and how you can make it a component of your dog’s diet.
Can I Give My Dog Collard Greens?
When looking to add vegetables to a dog’s diet, the main concern of most pet owners is whether or not they’re safe for canines to consume. This is because dogs have a shorter digestive tract compared to people, so what we would easily digest may not be so to our dogs.
That being said, the leaves and flowers of collard greens can be a nice snack for dogs since their digestive system can easily break down and absorb these parts of the vegetable. Additionally, these parts are rich in valuable nutrients that can support the overall health of your canine pet.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t give your dog the stems of collard greens as they contain too much fiber that can cause diarrhea and stomach upsets. Also, don’t feed your dog canned collard greens because there may be harmful additives included.
Raw collards are not great for your dog and could cause upset stomach. It’s always best to cook collard greens before feeding them to your dog.
As long as the canned collard greens are packed in a broth containing ingredients toxic to dogs, like garlic or onions, then canned collard greens are a safe occasional treat for dogs.
Are Collard Greens Good For Dogs?
Collard greens are packed with a variety of nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These include Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Thiamine, Niacin, Vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus
These elements offer many benefits to dogs. Collard greens can support your dog’s immune system, promote healthy bones, improve digestion, reduce risks of heart disease and cancer, as well as maintain a healthy coat.
However, make sure you stick to the feeding portion and frequency recommendations we’ll discuss below to avoid unwanted side effects.
How Much Collard Greens Can My Dog Eat?
Collard greens can be good for your dog’s health, but how much of this vegetable should you give it? Well, there’s no set rule here.
Generally, you should only feed your dog small amounts because too much collard greens can cause kidney or bladder stones due to the presence of gases calcium oxalate and isothiocyanates.
As such, if your dog is suffering or prone to kidney or bladder problems, we recommend you avoid giving it collard greens. Other than that, you can give your dog collard greens as you’d give it a treat: a small amount that makes up no more than 10% of your canine’s diet per day.
How Do I Give Collard Greens To My Dog?
The best and safest way to feed your dog collard greens is to cook them either steamed or sautéed. Also, don’t add onion, garlic, salt, or any other spice, which can all be harmful to dogs.
Don’t give your dog raw collard greens because they can be too difficult to digest. Also, avoid feeding your dog canned collard greens because the additives present may be harmful.
That’s a wrap
The verdict? Dogs can eat small portions of collard greens as long as they have been cooked and don’t contain seasonings like garlic or onions.