Vegetables That Are Good for Diabetic Dogs

Pet owners have a special responsibility to their pets and their pets' health. When a dog is diagnosed with diabetes, a customized diet is often necessary. Rather than the canned diet that is usually all grains and meats, dogs with diabetes must eat grains and meats in moderation, and owners should include more fresh vegetables in their diets.

  1. Winter Squash

    • Various winter squashes such as pumpkin, acorn squash or butternut squash, are beneficial for dogs with diabetes because of their high fiber content. According to VetInfo, diabetes-control diets should be high in carbohydrates with plenty of fiber. However, winter squash should be cooked before being served.

    Alpha Sprouts

    • Veterinarian Jennifer Fry from AllExperts.com says that alpha sprouts are a high-fiber food that are safe for dogs, making raw alpha sprouts (also known as alfalfa sprouts), mixed in with rice or oats and low-fat meat is an excellent diabetic-friendly dinner. Since alpha sprouts tend to pick up bacteria easily, make sure these sprouts are fresh.

    Carrots

    • While they are sugary, Cushing's and Diabetes, a dog diabetes information site and support group, reports that naturally occurring sugars do not affect the insulin levels the same way that sucrose or fructose additives would. Carrots are safe in moderation, either cooked or raw. If serving your dog raw carrots, be sure to pulp the carrots well to be to be safely swallowed and digested sufficiently.

    Parsley

    • Parsley, like most leafy greens, is high in fiber and low in sugar. It is an ideal vegetable for a diabetic, dog and human alike.

    Garlic

    • Fresh garlic will help the digestive track in addition to being a nutritional addition to a diabetic dog's diet. However, don't go overboard with this additive, and consult your vet before making this a part of your dog's diet. The vet experts at Pet Education report that garlic in high quantities may cause anemia. Other experts, such as the ones at Natural Dog Health Remedies, say small doses based on the size of the dog (anywhere from half a clove to three cloves daily) is safe.

    Broccoli and Cauliflower

    • Raw broccoli is very low on the glycemic index, with lots of fiber and few sugars. Broccoli should be well pulped so that the dog can digest it best, and get the most nutritional benefits from it. Cauliflower is similar to broccoli in its nutritional make-up and is an ideal food for diabetic dogs.

    Green Beans

    • Green beans are very low in carbohydrates, but they pack a lot of fiber, which is exactly what a vegetable should do when it's served to a diabetic dog. They are best served raw and well pulped.

    Leafy Salad Greens

    • These include greens like collard greens, kale, mustard greens and turnip greens, and your typical salad greens like romaine lettuce. However, do not give a dog Swiss chard or spinach, as these greens will inhibit calcium absorption, according to Cushing's &Diabetes.

    Pea pods

    • Give the dog the entire pea in the pod. The peas themselves without the pod are high in carbohydrates alone, where as the pod will balance it out with lots of fiber.

    Beets

    • Throw a little color into your dog's food with fresh beets. They can be served raw or cooked. This vegetable, while a little high in sugars, is fine in moderation. Throw in some beet greens to balance it out.