Which vegetables and fruits should I avoid?


  • @JazzysMom:

    Is that necessary? Mine eat sizable chunks and there is no evidence it's not digested well.

    Like Quercus, mine raid the garden when they can. I have a fence around it, but snow peas and green beans hang out through the fence, LOL.
    and the blueberry bushes behind my house are never safe {I know that's fruit, but …. :p}

    I have found this on a number of websites.
    Dogs cannot digest vegetables unless they are cooked or pulverized, as they are unable to digest cellulose, which makes up the plants cell walls.


  • I feed mine large pieces of raw veg too. I've never noticed any probs with digestion. They especially like raw brocolli, carrots, peas and Chance's fav.. strawberries!

  • Houston

    I have read that as well, that the veggies, to give the dogs any benefit, will need to be pulped or chopped very finely. Imagine how it would be if found in a preys stomach…almost digested, that is when the veggies will benefit your animal the most. Now you can keep on giving it to them in chuncks, but most of the nutrition will bypass their system, thus rendering the veggies useless.


  • I will start blending the veg and see if I notice any improvement or difference in the Bs. (not that they need improving of course!!)


  • @Benkura:

    I feed mine large pieces of raw veg too. I've never noticed any probs with digestion. They especially like raw brocolli, carrots, peas and Chance's fav.. strawberries!

    hmmm..mine won't touch strawberries or bananas…..funny...


  • Mine won't touch strawberries or bananas either…

    And with bananas...if I put slices down for them...they won't come within 10 feet of it...they act like it is poison - they scatter away from it...silly dogs. 😃

  • Houston

    So funny, I just ate a whole carton of strawberries and my dogs are begging for the strawberry hulls…silly dogs.


  • Favourite veg of my current basenjis are cauliflower stalks, carrots, swedes and broccoli.Favourite fruits are strawberries, oranges, grapes (although I never give them red ones) and apples. I have read too that dogs can't digest raw veg but this has not been borne out by my experience.
    Veronica always said that basenjis shouldn't be given potatoes and so I never have although I don't know if they are harmful or not. (just a case of obeying without question!!!)
    Has anyone heard of this and does anyone give their basenjis potatoes ?


  • Go easy on the Nightshade veggies like potatoes.


  • @Patty:

    Favourite veg of my current basenjis are cauliflower stalks, carrots, swedes and broccoli.Favourite fruits are strawberries, oranges, grapes (although I never give them red ones) and apples. I have read too that dogs can't digest raw veg but this has not been borne out by my experience.
    Veronica always said that basenjis shouldn't be given potatoes and so I never have although I don't know if they are harmful or not. (just a case of obeying without question!!!)
    Has anyone heard of this and does anyone give their basenjis potatoes ?

    I don't know..but mine love french fries 😉 What are swedes?

  • Houston

    Being a swede I guess I should let my voice be heard…swedes are rutabaga or turnip type root vegetables.


  • @Quercus:

    What are swedes?

    People from Sweden!! :rolleyes: Only Joking!! HAHA. Swedes are turnips.

    My dogs too love satsumas and other orangey fruits. Chance will rub himself all over anyone who has used orangey flavour shower gel!!! 😕


  • Houston

    Nobarkus,
    Thank you for that article, I found it very interesting indeed. I am giving my dogs raw bones, but mainly chicken necks, so it is more like cartilage (sp?), and I will keep on doing that ..I think. The dehydrated food I use also has some no-no's, like kelp and alfalfa, but I have no issues giving them that, so I will keep that up as well. What diet are you doing again for Buddy?


  • Great article and advice!! Thank you everyone. Now looks like I need a food processor and we can get started.


  • @Basenjimamma:

    Nobarkus,
    Thank you for that article, I found it very interesting indeed. I am giving my dogs raw bones, but mainly chicken necks, so it is more like cartilage (sp?), and I will keep on doing that ..I think. The dehydrated food I use also has some no-no's, like kelp and alfalfa, but I have no issues giving them that, so I will keep that up as well. What diet are you doing again for Buddy?

    I'm using a little Organix dry, some Vitality wet, some Pet Promise Bison and brown rice wet and Steve's Raw (chicken formula), some raw veggies like zucchini and asparagus, Solidgold Seameal and a fish oil cap (1 per day). And maybe I'll throw in the kitchen sink just to make sure he's getting everything. (-:

  • Houston

    Wow, I was gonna say..Do you prepare every days meal at a time or a few days out?


  • @Basenjimamma:

    Wow, I was gonna say..Do you prepare every days meal at a time or a few days out?

    I put it together right then. That list looks worse than it is. 98% is already made. Just grind/chopping the veggies which on takes a minute or throwing in some cut up pieces of chicken breasts I've made for myself.


  • It is a really interesting article and thank you for posting the link, Nobarkus. Swedes are as the others have said, Swedish turnips with a yellow flesh. I hope the term wasn't insulting to people from Sweden but that's what they are called here. (The politically correct police haven't caught up with it yet!!!)
    Re bones - I believe that bones of free range chickens shouldn't be fed to dogs as they are more brittle than factory bred chickens who are killed at an early age before their bones have matured!
    Incidentally, for you who are like me raw food freaks - I had a little dog under a veterinary college for research into a mystery illness that he had (which actually turned out to be vaccine damage) and after treatment was told by the vets there 'When he's better you'll be able to give him real food'. They meant by 'real feed' a complete kibble feed instead of natural raw!!!!!


  • So I was very excited to follow everyones advice and was convinced to start adding fruits and vegetables in my Basenji's diet. Unfortunately, my B did not share my enthusiasm. The first day I scooped a bit of pumpkin onto his food. He ate around it leaving only the scoop. The next day I mixed the pumpkin in with some dry food and raw meat, he only touched the raw meat. So then I "stuffed" meat with pumpkin, like little raviolis. I got one in him before he caught on. Next came the green beans and sweet potatoes. I mushed them up and mixed them with his food. He managed to pick out every piece of vegetable pulp and politely set it in a pile next to his dish and ate all the dog food. I also tried some lettuce and was convinced he ate it until I went to vacuum and found a small pile of shredded lettuce under my couch!! I haven't given up on the idea, just need to convince the pup.

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