Can Dogs Eat Collard Greens? Learn About What To Feed Your Pup

Collard greens are vegetables that belong to the family of cabbage and are a staple part of the Southern diet.

Collard greens are notable for their heartiness and healthy nature. They are related to kale and mustard greens and have a very high content of fiber and water.

Frequently, collard greens are cooked with salted or smoked-out meat, vinegar, pepper, and onions. Raw collard green has a bitter taste but is not as bitter as something like kale.

Meat brings down the bitterness of this green leafy vegetable. Collard greens are an excellent source of minerals and vitamins.

It contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium and collard greens are probably one of the best sources of vitamin K, which is really important for your health and bones. You could and can find collard greens in your local supermarket throughout the year, but the peak season of collard greens is in winter.

But if collard greens are so beneficial for humans, can our dogs eat collard greens?

Is it safe for dogs to eat collard greens? Read further to know more.

To know more about dogs' eating habits, you may also check out can dogs eat hazelnut? And can dogs eat ground beef?

Are collard greens safe for dogs?

Should you take collard greens away if you see your dog eat collard greens? The answer is no; collard greens can provide many health benefits to your dog when fed in appropriate quantities.

You can definitely feed your dog collard greens.

In small amounts, collard greens can become a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals for your small pup or dog. Collard green contains a high amount of protein, fiber, vitamin K, and folate, which are all important nutrients and minerals for your canine companion.

When you feed collard greens to your dogs, keep in mind to feed the leaves of the collard greens and not the stems.

The stems are much harder for your dog to pass through its digestive system as it is highly fibrous and can cause diarrhea in your pet dog. Try to steam the leaves of collard greens that will soften them up and make it easier for your pooch’s stomach.

However, if your pet dog is suffering from kidney or bladder stones, you should consider the vet’s advice before feeding your dog collard greens as they also have a high amount of calcium oxalate and isothiocyanates in them.

Can dogs eat raw collard greens?

Indeed, collard greens have immense health benefits for your pooch, and if included in their daily diet, they can also provide a change of taste for them. However, never feed them raw collard greens.

Collard greens are rich in nutrients and have a high amount of calcium oxalate and isothiocyanates alongside minerals and vitamins such as calcium, vitamin C, and magnesium.

When you include cooked collard greens in dog food, it is a beneficial addition to your dog’s diet; however, feeding them raw collard greens can cause health issues and a potential life risk if given in large quantities.

Raw collard greens are really tough for a dog’s digestive system to process, and they cause your dog to have an upset stomach.

Raw collard greens are extremely toxic and might risk a dog’s life if your pet dog is suffering from kidney or bladder conditions. When feeding your dog collard greens, cook them and make sure to remove stems.

Another thing you should ignore is serving your dog canned collard greens.

Canned collard greens contain a lot of preservatives, salt, and ingredients that harm your dog’s digestive system and overall health. Canned foods, in general, are not suitable for dogs.

It is generally suggested to feed your dogs collard green flowers, which have a very dark green color, as that is the time when they are the tastiest.

As the vegetable turns yellow, the delicious flavor is replaced by bitterness. It is safe to feed your dog yellow leaves, but your dog might not like the bitterness of the leaves!

Benefits Of Collard Greens For Dogs

The benefits of these green leafy vegetables for your dogs has no end. Start by including half of a cup of cooked collards as an addition to your pooch’s daily food.

The absolutely amazing part of collard greens is that they contain a lot of nutrients which adds up to your dog’s health.

It is a nutritious vegetable, and even half a cup of it daily can really help your dog. Collard green contains iron, niacin, protein, vitamin E, and thiamine, there is basically a mix of everything, and it is a cheap and natural way for your dog’s nutrient requirement to be fulfilled.

Our pooches love running around gardens and homes; being active is in their nature.

As collard greens contain vitamin K, they maintain your dog’s bone health and keep conditions such as osteoarthritis away, and prevent the fracturing of bones.

A balanced diet is very important for your dog to overcome the digestive issues they might be suffering from.

Including a small quantity of collard greens in your dog’s diet can aid your dog’s digestive issues, and it protects the stomach lining and keeps bacterial growth away as it contains ‘glucoraphanin.’ Dogs can also develop heart diseases, and one of the reasons why they can develop such conditions is because of their daily diet.

If dogs have an unbalanced diet, it can lead to a number of other conditions, such as cancer.

Another benefit of including collard greens in your dog’s diet is that it maintains a healthy coat.

We all want our pooches to have a shiny, fluffy, and soft coat, but this is not possible without maintaining a proper diet that benefits your dog.

Good vitamins and minerals are needed for strong and fluffy hair growth, and collard green contains protein and vitamin E, which promotes hair growth and keeps their coat healthy. Antioxidants are essential for humans, and the same goes for our pooches.

Antioxidants help in keeping radicals away, which can prevent cancer in dogs.

Antioxidants also help in keeping your dog healthy and playful at an older age.

Being rich in iron content, green collards also help your dog against anemia and balances the hemoglobin levels of your dog.

The best part is that green collards are not calorie intensive and serve as a meal topper as well for pups who are still hungry after having their usual dog food!

It is fine to add vinegar to collard greens when you are cooking them for your pup as it does not take the healthy and nutritious factor away from this food.

Packed vegetables are to be avoided because of them being packed, a lot of preservatives are added, which are not good for dogs.

In which situation should you not feed your dog collard greens?

You cannot always serve these leafy green vegetables to your dogs, especially if they are not liking the taste or throw up after eating them. Dogs and collard greens are not always a good combination.

Before giving collard greens as a treat to your pup, be careful, as some pups might have an upset stomach after consuming collard greens. A pup with a sensitive stomach should not be fed collard greens in a large quantity.

It would be better to feed them collard greens in a smaller quantity and gradually increase the quantity over time.

Canines are always sensitive to new things in their diet at the beginning, but they eventually get around it. However, if your dog is still having trouble with collard greens, you could try other related green vegetables such as broccoli, peas, and green beans.

It is said that collard greens lead to issues such as kidney and bladder stones which can be really toxic for your dog. You must take help from your local vet before making any significant changes to your dog’s diet.

So, can dogs eat collard greens?

Yes, it is always suggested to feed this green vegetable cooked and in small quantities because of the risk of harm that might be to your dog’s gut and health. Nutritious foods like this keep your dog healthy.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can dogs eat collard greens? then why not take a look at can dogs eat cake? Or boxer dog facts.