Vegetables are important for your dog

At Big Dog Company we are convinced that a dog should also eat vegetables, fruit and nuts in addition to its regular food.

Not only because the predecessor of the domesticated dog would also do this (including through the stomach of its prey, grass, tree bark and berries), but also because our meat simply does not contain the nutrients like that of a wild prey animal. The meat is also heated and given in chunk form, where even more of the all-important nutrients are lost. In addition, a domestic dog also has to deal with factors such as air pollution, stress, and other chemicals/medicines that we as humans administer.

Vegetables contain many macro and micronutrients and fiber and are therefore an essential part of the dog's diet. Even (or especially) if you feed chunks!

How much vegetables can you give your dog?

The recommended amount of vegetables is 10-15% of the amount of food (on top of the food). This means a dog that eats 200 grams of chunks/KVV should eat 20-30 grams of vegetables. So it is not the case that you immediately turn your four-legged friend into a rabbit.

Preparation method of the vegetable

The nutrients of plants are stored in the cells of the plant and are surrounded by cellulose. So to release the nutrients, the cellulose wall must be broken. Because dogs do not have the enzyme cellulase, we need to give them a helping hand.

This can be done by:

• Grinding (juicer, blender, slow juicer)
• Boiling/steaming

Raw vegetables

If you want to add the vegetables raw, use a juicer, blender or slow juicer. This causes the cell walls of the vegetable to be mechanically destroyed and can therefore be absorbed by the dog's body. Whether you give chunks or meat, mix the recommended amount with the food, possibly with a little warm water.

Cooking/steaming vegetables

If you do not have these machines, you can also boil/steam the vegetables. The cell walls burst open during cooking and the nutrients are released for absorption. Drain the water. Many dogs are annoyed when they see pieces of vegetables in their bowl, so we recommend pureeing the vegetables with a hand blender.

Tip: Don't feel like preparing vegetables every day? Prepare a month's supply and freeze in ice cube trays or silicone muffin tins. That's a handy dose!