What spices are safe for dogs?

Indian cooking is a fusion of various spices. The aromatic spices and herbs like coriander, dill and turmeric not only adds pleasure to our taste buds but is known for its medicinal value as well. While we indulge in spices that are high on medicinal value what about our canine buddies? Can they have spices like garlic, turmeric or basil?

Here is all you need to know about safe spices for our canine pals!

• Basil or Tulsi is antibacterial and anticancer. It protects the liver and help to fight diabetes. It also helps to reduce pain and inflammation. So, it is especially useful for dogs suffering from arthritis.
• Coriander helps to alleviate nausea, soothes intestinal gas is antiparasitic and antidiarrheal. It also helps to detoxify the body.
• Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory. It regulates the blood sugar levels and helps to fight cancer. It protects the heart against diseases and also lowers the risk of your dog contracting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson disease.
• Dill is antibacterial and antifungal. It improves digestion and lowers blood sugar levels. It also regulates menstruation and relieves diarrhea.
• Fennel or saunf detoxifies the body. It aids digestion and has anti-cancer properties. It relieves constipation and soothes diarrhea and intestinal gas.
• Ginger is anti-inflammatory. It alleviates nausea and upset stomach. It boosts cognitive function and regulates blood sugar levels. It can stop the growth of cancerous cells and reduces pain of osteoarthritis. Feeding ginger to a senior dog helps to boost their cognitive function and reduces joint pain that usually comes with old age.
• Peppermint or pudina eases spasms in colon. It relieves indigestion and intestinal gas and soothes an upset stomach. It also helps to treat diarrhea.
• Turmeric has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. It boosts brain function and reduces the symptoms of arthritis. Just add a small pinch of it to your dog’s meal as too much of it can turn them off their food.

While serving the above ingredients it is advisable to serve them in moderation as anything served in excess will always cause problems. Make sure your pet is not allergic to any of the above ingredient before serving it to them on regular basis. It is always advisable to contact your vet for further advice.

Once you understand what spices are safe for dogs, its time you also learnt what is unsafe for them:

• Garlic when served in small amounts is safe and good for health but too much of it can lead to toxicity.
• Onions can cause haemolytic anaemia in dogs. So, it is best to avoid this particular ingredient.
• Black pepper is considered toxic to dogs as the piperine in black pepper enhances the absorption of the prescription medicines thereby increasing the chances of an accidental overdose.
• Nutmeg has myristicin that is toxic to dogs and will cause symptoms of disorientation and seizures.

Now that you know what spices are safe and unsafe for your pet you can go ahead and prepare a healthy and flavour filled meal for them!