Carrot, a vegetable rich in antioxidants and fibre
If carrots are quite beneficial for dogs, it's because they contain:
- fibers, useful for the dog's intestinal comfort and good transit,
- various vitamins like vitamins B, C, D, E and K,
- iron, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
- anti-oxidants like the famous beta-carotene (or provitamin A). It gives carrots their beautiful orange color and helps neutralize free radicals in the body.
How much carrot for my dog?
The carrot is therefore one of the vegetables that the dog can eat without any problem.
You can include carrots in the bowl of a dog fed with a household ration or simply give them as a "he althy" treat.
When carrots constitute the part of vegetables in your animal's household ration, the quantities of carrots to be distributed to the dog are to be calculated on a case-by-case basis in the same way as the quantities of meat, oil, rice and vitamin and mineral supplements. Our article en titled "calculate a household ration for your dog" explains how to do it step by step.
When carrots are distributed as treats, the quantities distributed must not exceed 10% of the dog's energy needs so as not to unbalance its ration (which is already a lot of carrots given its energy value moderate).In other words, limit yourself to a few small carrot sticks per day and adapt this number of sticks to your dog's size.
Warning!
In dogs who are not used to it, raw carrots can cause some digestive disorders because of their high fiber content. Always introduce it very gradually into your dog's diet, starting with very small quantities that you will increase later (within reason, of course!) and see what happens to his stools. Remember that all dogs are different and some of them may have difficulty digesting it properly.
In what form should carrots be given to my dog?
When carrots are your dog's vegetable share in his household ration, it is better to give them well cooked, mashed with a fork or mashed. Steaming or boiling carrots makes them much easier to digest.
As a treat, carrots can be given raw to the dog in the form of small sticks. But, as indicated above, it is then necessary to limit the quantities.