Veggies Boost Dog Longevity. According to a new study, adding veggies to your pet’s diet can significantly increase healthy lifespans. A pet diet rich in vegetables not only reduces the risk of Diabetes and heart disease but also reduces the incidence of cancer. In addition to these health benefits, pets who received primarily vegetarian versus meat based diets tended to be leaner, had lighter body mass indices and experienced less hip and joint pain.
Researchers validated the fact that pet diets rich in vegetables offered canines lower levels of saturated fats and cholesterol, along with abundant dietary fiber. What’s more is that blood pressure in these dogs also remained within normal limits.
So What Vegetables are Good for Dogs?
The list is endless as far as which veggies are safe and healthy for pets. Choices include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, green beans, string beans, spinach celery, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers, to name a few.
Vegetables may be fed raw, steamed, sauteed, grilled, boiled or broiled, according to your pet’s preference.
Veggies also make great, healthy low calorie pet snacks. In overweight dogs, adding vegetables to the diet helps to add dietary bulk and reduce calories at the same time. This way your dog’s stomach feels full so Fido is happy, while he or she benefits by shedding excess pounds.
For pet owners feeding their canines diets rich in vegetables, scientists noted that adding a daily comprehensive pet antioxidant-vitamin-mineral supplement also boosts longevity.