Can dogs eat beets?

Beetroot is a thick, thin-skinned vegetable with a dense maroon or dark red pulp. It is a plant with a high amount of sugars, fiber and nutrients such as vitamin C, folic acid, phosphorus, iron, iodine and group B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6).

For all this it is a blood purifying and detoxifying vegetable and stimulant of the immune system and the transmission of oxygen through the organism. It is also a source of antioxidants due to the red pigment called betanin, which protects against free radicals and oxidative stress and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

For all these reasons, dogs can benefit from these properties when consuming beets, although there is a problem: elevated oxalate levels that this plant contains. These substances can cause problems in dogs, highlighting kidney problems, so it is It is preferable that your dog does not eat beets.

Beetroot presents toxicity since it contains levels of oxalic acid, a compound that produces salts called oxalates, being especially toxic in the canine species calcium oxalate or calcium oxalate, the result of this salt when it binds with calcium ions after absorption.

That is, oxalates are absorbed by your dog and reach their blood as soluble oxalates, with a precipitated portion being in the form of insoluble calcium oxalate, remaining in the feces, and another absorbed in the blood and tissues, where it ends up being deposited as of calcium oxalate in the kidney tubules and in the walls of the veins.

The formation of calcium oxalate can reduce your dog’s plasma calcium by up to 50%being able to put at risk of hypocalcemia, especially in pregnant and lactating bitches, and damaging the kidney while predisposing to the formation of urinary stones.

The oxalates are present throughout the plant, including the pulp, so it should always be offered in moderation. With a large or frequent consumption of beets, the urinary system of our dogs can be compromised, as it can predispose to the formation of uroliths or calcium oxalate crystals, crystals that cannot be eliminated with the diet, requiring surgery. to remove them.

It depends on the amount of beetroot that your dog has eaten, it can cause problems or not. If the amount is minimal and your dog is not a puppy or a toy breed there should be no problem. What’s more, some commercialized feeds for dogs contain beetroot in their composition and for this reason they are not toxic or bad; We have already seen that beets provide health benefits for your dog.

However, when consumption is excessive or too frequent, your dog may present urinary system problemsas we have commented, as well as hypocalcemia with the risk that this implies for their health due to the beneficial functions that this mineral has in dogs: bone development, allows muscle contraction and relaxation and the transmission of nerve impulses, is involved in blood coagulation by facilitating platelet aggregation, and enzymatic, nervous, hormonal, and cellular metabolism.

So, is beet pulp for dogs recommended? Can dogs eat boiled beets? Can dogs eat cooked or raw beets? These are questions that you are probably asking yourself if you have thought about offering this vegetable to your dog.

The best option is to offer fresh and unpackaged beetroot to avoid preservatives and additives of any kind, including salt or sugar that this vegetable already has. You can offer it both boiled and cooked or raw but you should always offer it in moderation, breaking it in small thin slices and offer it as a treat or mix it with their main food and never offer a whole plate of beets, a small amount is enough.

You should not offer beets to your dog if it presents sugar related diseases such as diabetes or insulin resistance, as well as if you have overweight or obese because it is a vegetable with a lot of sugar that would make these problems worse.

Nor is it highly recommended if your dog is experiencing a problem with diarrhea or increased intestinal peristalsis, since the fiber it contains improves transit, aggravating these situations.

However, the main contraindication of offering beets to a dog is if you have a calcium deficiency or are a pregnant or lactating dog, due to the risk that the oxalates of this plant have of consuming your dog’s calcium for the formation of calcium oxalate. You should also not offer beets if your dog has a kidney or lower urinary tract problem, due to the potential to cause kidney damage and form urinary stones.

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