Sprouts and Dogs
Answered by: Kerry Hackett
Question from: Deborah L. Gibbons
Posted on: May 28, 2008

I grow several varieties of sprouts for my husband and I. When I am chopping them up, my dogs (Chihuahuas and poodles) sit beneath me hoping that some fall to the floor. They scarf them up before I can pick them up. Is there any harm in my dogs have a few alfalfa, mung bean, sunflower or fenugreek sprouts?

No harm at all. In fact, vegetables of all kinds are great for dogs. Please see the work of Richard Pitcairn, "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats", "The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy and "The Barf Diet" by Ian Billinghurst for further information. The best idea however is to make sure there is variety in your dog’s intake of vegetables so sprouts can be one part of that smorgasbord. Many dogs also like raw zucchini, carrots, red peppers and peas as well as cooked green beans, potatoes, yams, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Some enjoy the odd piece of apple or grapes as well! One caveat to the statement "vegetables of all kinds" though is to minimise the amount of garlic or onions your dog might consume. There is some evidence to show that excessive amounts of these foods or their use over an extended period of time could lead to a condition called Heinz-body anaemia which can have a deleterious effect on the red blood cell count in a dog (particularly in cats), leading to a potentially life-threatening situation. Some experts feel that plants such as kale, rape or turnip could also have the same affect if given in large amounts.

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