Do dogs NEED vegetables to be healthy?

Vegetables can be beneficial additions to a dog’s diet, offering antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but they should be given in moderation.

Dogs on a nutritionally complete diet don’t necessarily require vegetables; they can be offered as treats, factoring into the overall daily calorie intake.
If your dog is on a prescription diet, consult your vet before introducing vegetables or any additional foods.

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What do dogs eat?

Dogs, like wolves and coyotes, are opportunistic eaters with the ability to consume and digest a diverse diet.

Their anatomical traits, such as large molar teeth and a gastrointestinal system adapted to an omnivorous diet, enable them to process a variety of foods.

Dogs, through domestication and living alongside humans, have developed the capability to digest both plant and animal-based foods.

They possess the capacity to digest starch with assistance from pancreatic secretions and digestive enzymes.

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Dogs fed a nutritionally balanced commercial diet don’t necessarily require vegetables for overall health.

These foods meet or surpass the nutrient requirements, ensuring ingredient safety and sufficient nutrient content.

For dogs on a homemade diet, consulting a board-certified veterinary nutritionist is strongly recommended to guarantee a complete and balanced diet.

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This article was compiled with the help of Artificial Intelligence