Why should you feed your dog fruits and vegetables?

Adding fruits and vegetables regularly to your dog’s diet go a long way in ensuring they remain healthy and active, have shinier eyes, a lustrous coat and healthier teeth and are away from unwanted diseases.

Here is why you need to include fruits and vegetables in your dog’s diet:

• Vegetables help to balance alkaline and acid levels in the body. Organs like liver, pancreas, gall bladder, heart and kidney work better in a more alkalised system. So, giving only meat to your pet will make their body create more acids. To balance this you need to include more fruits and vegetables in their diet.
• Vegetables are an excellent source of nutrients. They provide protein, fats, carbohydrates, lipids and fibre. But giving your canine buddy only vegetables is not recommendable. You need to balance it with meat that are a good source of protein and amino acids to make it a highly nutritious diet.
• Fruits and vegetables are a good source of water. So, by giving your pet fruits and vegetables like radish, cauliflower, watermelon and oranges will ensure they stay well hydrated and have well functioning kidneys.
• Fruits and vegetable are a good source of Vitamin C, A, E and K. But they require Vitamin B, B12 and D that are found mostly in eggs and liver.   
• Vegetables, especially green leafy ones are an excellent source of minerals like magnesium, calcium and potassium. So you can include moderate amounts of mint leaves, coriander leaves, spinach and lettuce in their diet.
• Fruits like papaya and pineapple contain enzymes that aid in digestion.
• Fruits like apples, prunes and strawberries and vegetables like broccoli and cabbage are a good source of antioxidants.
• Fruits and vegetables provide fiber that help to combat constipation, diarrhea, diabetes and help in weight management.

So, giving a daily diet of fruits and vegetables along with meat go a long way in ensuring your pet stays healthy and happy. But it is always a good idea to ask your vet about the kind of fruits and vegetables that are most suited to your pet.

Happy parenting!