Can Dogs Eat Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut can be found on sandwiches, hotdogs, and lots of other delicious foods – and it can be eaten raw with nothing else. Sauerkraut is nothing more than finely cut cabbage that’s been fermented. In other words, it’s pickled cabbage. The cabbage is shredded, covered in salt, and then fermented over about 5 weeks.
But can dogs eat sauerkraut? Yes, dogs can eat sauerkraut, but it needs to be in moderation. There are some benefits for your dog like gut health from probiotics and some antioxidants. However, sauerkraut can be high in sodium so moderation is required.
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Do Dogs Like Sauerkraut?
Humans love sauerkraut and enjoy its health benefits, but is this food good for dogs? The answer is a little confusing. First of all, dogs can definitely eat sauerkraut. Sauerkraut isn’t going to poison your dog. But there are some important facts you need to know before filling up the dog bowl.
Dogs don’t like sauerkraut. There are lots of other human foods that dogs do like.
The issue is that sauerkraut has an intensely powerful stench that dogs despise. Remember that dogs have a much better sense of smell than us. Seeing as you can probably smell sauerkraut from a mile away, your dog can smell it even more strongly. The pungent odour makes your dog want to stay away from the sauerkraut.
To get your dog to eat sauerkraut, you’ll need to mix it with something else. It’s recommended that you mix sauerkraut with normal dog food, that way your dog will actually eat it and not just turn its nose away.
Just be sure that you only add a small amount of sauerkraut at first, else wise you’ll scare the dog away with the overpowering smell. Over time, you can try increasing how much sauerkraut you feed your dog.
Remember that your dog might really dislike sauerkraut and not eat it at all. In this case, just leave your dog be and find something else to feed them!
Is Sauerkraut Good for Dogs to Eat?
Sauerkraut is indeed good for dogs. Just be careful where you’re getting the sauerkraut from. Most sauerkraut from the store is going to come in a can, and that means a whole lot of sodium. Dogs should not eat extra sodium. If the sauerkraut is drenched in salt, don’t feed it to your dog.
Always choose the sauerkraut with the least amount of salt, or better yet, make it yourself. Homemade sauerkraut is almost always healthier than store-bought.
But no matter which sauerkraut you feed the pup, always keep your eyes open for adverse reactions. Sauerkraut isn’t toxic, but it can make your dog have gas. This can happen with any new food, but sauerkraut is notorious for making dogs and people gassy. If your dog has stomach troubles after eating sauerkraut, maybe try a different snack.
Will Sauerkraut Hurt Dogs if They Eat It?
Sauerkraut itself won’t hurt a dog. After all, it’s just cabbage. But the salt levels can be extremely dangerous. Your dog should never eat too much salt or they can suffer salt poisoning, which can actually be fatal.
What Are the Health Benefits of Sauerkraut for Dogs?
There are huge health benefits that come with eating sauerkraut. One of the biggest is gut health. Sauerkraut works as a natural probiotic for dogs. The only catch is that it must be cold and fresh. Probiotics are tiny organisms that help to make your dog’s immune system better. However, these organisms can’t survive in the heat, so they need to stay cold.
Sauerkraut is a very healthy probiotic for dogs. Sauerkraut can help protect a dog from gastrointestinal diseases like canine gastroenteritis. There are at least a dozen types of good bacteria in sauerkraut. Without good bacteria in the gut, your dog can suffer all kinds of infections, skin problems, and even frequent diarrhea.
Sauerkraut can help reduce the risk of cancer, tumour development, and the symptoms of seasonal allergies. Sauerkraut provides excellent minerals like potassium, manganese, magnesium, and copper – with these minerals helping to keep your dog’s skin healthy.
Sauerkraut is filled with antioxidants as well, which are known to keep your dog’s eyes functioning properly. Antioxidants help defend against cataracts. Then there are the omega-3 fatty acids, which are fabulous for the development and continuing function of the brain.
Sauerkraut is great for the skin and coat of your dog too thanks to vitamin A and carotene. If your dog has itchy or dry skin, or an unusually dull coat, try adding a bit of sauerkraut to their diet.
Finally, sauerkraut can help to reduce joint pain because of phytonutrients which act as anti-inflammatories. If your dog’s joints are inflamed, a healthy dose of sauerkraut could help.
How to Feed a Dog Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is one of those rare human foods that you can feed to your dog frequently. Assuming you have found a healthy source of sauerkraut with either no sodium or extremely low sodium levels, your dog can eat it several times a week to gain the health benefits.
To start feeding your dog sauerkraut, hide a small amount inside their normal food at first. This will get them used to eating it. Then, slowly add more and more sauerkraut until there’s a reasonable serving mingled with their doggie chow.
But what about cooked sauerkraut? We know that fresh, cold sauerkraut is healthiest because it’s a natural probiotic, but cooked sauerkraut can be eaten as well. It’s the same food, it just won’t have as many health benefits. If you can choose between cooked or cold sauerkraut, always go with cold.
Can Dogs Eat Caraway Seeds?
Adding caraway seeds to sauerkraut is delicious – but can dogs eat caraway seeds? The answer is no. When feeding a dog sauerkraut, never add caraway seeds. Caraway seeds are considered toxic. Accidental ingestion can cause diarrhea and vomiting. But this is only if your dog eats a small amount of the seeds. If they eat a lot, the damage can be significantly worse. Your dog could potentially suffer damage to their liver and kidneys if they eat a lot of caraway seeds.
The takeaway here is to never feed your dog caraway seeds with sauerkraut. Dogs can eat sauerkraut, it’s very healthy, but it should be free of additives and large quantities of salt.