Eating healthy should always be a priority in life for everyone. It’s incredibly important for us and our pets, while trying to have a healthier life I started thinking about how I can share it with my golden retriever.
As you know dog’s diets are quite than ours because dogs can’t eat all of our food even if it’s really healthy for us it could be not safe for your dog.
One of the most important vegetables in any diet is carrots because of its low calories, and I wondered can my golden retriever eat carrots? Here’s a short answer.
Can my golden retriever eat carrots? Yes, golden retrievers can eat carrots as they are healthy for dogs both raw and cooked. They are safe for goldens to eat and they can digest them. It’s important to cut the carrots into bite-size chunks for them to prevent choking.
As with anything, there are a bit more to feeding your dog carrots and some caveats and asterisks that just can’t be included in the short answer. To learn more about how to feed your dog carrots and make sure they’re healthy, keep on reading.
The Benefits of Carrots for Dogs
Carrots are one of the best vegetables for your dog and besides providing them with all the vitamins they need, just chewing on carrots can help improve your dog’s dental health.
A carrot, in some sense, makes for the perfect chew toy.
Some vets recommend frozen or cold carrots for puppies who are teething. While your dog is chewing on carrots it helps them to keep their teeth clean.
More importantly, carrots will provide your golden retriever with:
- Potassium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Iron
- Fiber.
And just like our parents who kept telling us that carrots are good for eyes, they actually are, most older dogs have weak eyesight and since carrots are filled with vitamin A it will benefit them.
Carrots can be the perfect treat too. It has fewer calories than biscuits and other treats. Carrots contain only 44 calories per 100g or 35 calories per 3 ounces.
Make sure to check out our recommended foods for golden retrievers at every age, especially if you don’t have the time to cook every meal for them. I only recommend healthy options that are easy on your wallet. All the options there are the ones I feed my dogs and have been getting them myself for my own dogs.
How to Feed Your Dog Carrots?
You can feed your dog carrots by making a nutritious add-in to meals.
You should wash the carrots and then cut it into small chunks so they wouldn’t choke.
You can also cook it and mash it and serve it as a meal.
You can also mash the carrots with some plain baked potato or you can replace the baked potato with some green beans. Another way is to shred some carrots and put them on the top of their meal as they will add some delicious taste that they will love.
On hot summer days, you can cut the carrots into small chunks and put them in the freezer and give them as a treat, it’s a healthy, cool, and delicious snack.
A quick note before feeding them carrots is to ask your vet about the number of carrots they can eat per day. They will make sure to give you a number based on your dog’s weight and health or how many grams they can consume on a daily or weekly basis.
For a list of foods to avoid, you should check out this list of humans foods you should never give to your dog.
My Dog’s Favorite Delicious Recipe with Carrots!
After a lot of trying to make my dog fall in love with a meal with carrots, I finally found two recipes that they adore and I use them as healthy and delicious treats.
- Peanut butter carrot treats
- Carrot cake treats
Peanut butter carrot treats
This is my dog’s favorite healthy treat, and I have gotten so good at making it that I make it in bulk and just get it out when I need to.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (255g) natural peanut butter
- ¾ (180ml) skim milk
- 1 large egg or you can replace it with unsweetened applesauce
- 1 big carrot, shredded around ⅔ cup ( or instead of one big carrot you can use 8 baby carrots)
- 2 and ¼ cups (290g) whole wheat flour.
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup (30g) oats.
Mix the peanut butter, egg, milk, and the carrot together in a large bowl and mix them with a wooden spoon then add the flour and the baking powder.
Preheat the oven to 325 F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
You may need to put flour on the surface you are baking at, for the dough and of course, use your hands to work in the flour and mix in the oats.
The dough should be thick and heavy.
Use a floured rolling pin and roll the dough out into ¼ thickness.
Cut into any shape you want by using cookie cutters. Put them on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes or until they are light brown on the bottom. Flip them and bake them on the other side for 10 minutes more.
Or if you want them to be crunchy leave them for 5 more minutes.
Wait till they are completely cool and serve it to your dog.
You can leave them at room temperature or in the or you can leave them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them.
Carrot cake treats
They also love this one, and I have not found a dog that doesn’t like it. I have brought it to a couple of playdates and it was a hit most of the times.
Ingredients:
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Peanut butter or unsweetened almond butter.
- Eggs
- Oat flour
- Carrots
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
Mix them together and then bake them wait for them to completely cool down before serving them to your dog or before putting them in a container or a bag.
The tiniest amount of warmth in the treats will make them soggy. If you leave them at room temperature they will be fine up to 10 days, if you put them in the refrigerator they will good for 4 weeks.
In the freezer, they will be up to 4 months. But make sure that wherever you are keeping them that no air reaches it.
Before baking any of those two you should consult your vet about the ingredients to check that they are safe for your dog and they don’t have allergies towards any of the ingredients.
How many carrots can I feed my dog?
An average-sized dog can eat two or three baby carrots a day and they wouldn’t cause them any harm, giving any food to your dog should be in moderation because if they eat too much of human food it could cause them stomach discomfort which could lead to vomiting or diarrhea.
Always cut the carrots into small pieces to make it easier for them to swallow and prevent any choking and if you have a small-sized dog one or two baby carrots a day are enough.
Related Questions
Is it OK to give your dog carrots every day?
Yes, it is, an average-sized dog can eat one, two, or three baby carrots a day. But any kind of food that is not a part of your dog’s diet, should be given in moderation. They should be chopped into bite-size chunks to prevent them from choking.
Do carrots make dogs sick?
If they eat too many carrots it can make them sick. But small amounts are safe for most dogs.
For Some Dogs, carrots can be a problem for them. If your dog is allergic, for example, it could lead to diarrhea, itching, or vomiting. So before feeding them any carrots you should consult your vet first.
What vegetable can golden retrievers eat?
Golden retriever can eat sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, spinach, peas, celery, Brussel sprouts, papaya, zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, and eggplants.
But it’s really important to consult your vet before feeding them any vegetables or fruits to know what is safe for your dog.
You can learn about all the vegetables your golden retriever can eat here.
