If you’re looking for a healthier treat for your dog, you may have thought about giving them some black beans. Black beans are very healthy for us humans – so what about when it comes to your hound? Can dogs eat black beans?
The good news is that yes, dogs can eat black beans. In fact, giving your dog black beans in moderation will be a fantastic boost for their immune system. Black beans are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, manganese, fiber, potassium, and protein.
These vitamins and minerals work to help regulate your dog’s blood sugar, strengthen their immune system, and they can even help to burn fat.
Black beans are also a great source of antioxidants for your dog. These can help to flush out any harmful toxins, fight against several different types of cancer, and remove harmful free radicals from your dog’s body.
Because black beans are great for managing blood sugar, they will be a fantastic treat for dogs suffering from diabetes or other similar conditions.
Another great thing about black beans is that they are naturally high in protein. This gives your dog a fantastic plant based protein to add alongside their usual meaty food.
Black beans are also lower in fat than some meats, so they will be a healthy, nutritious addition to your dog’s diet.
Remember to only feed these to your dog in moderation. Dogs don’t need anything more than 15% to 25% of vegetables in their daily diet. If you give your dog too many black beans, this could cause bloating, indigestion, gas, nausea, or diarrhea.
It’s important to remember to only feed your dog plain black beans. You should never give your dog black beans that have been cooked with spices, seasonings, garlic, or onions. These additions to the black beans could hurt your dog’s stomach and make them very ill.
You should also avoid giving your dog canned black beans.
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Will black beans hurt my dog?
When given to your dog in moderation, black beans shouldn’t hurt them. In fact, when given to your dog in the right doses, black beans will be a very beneficial addition to your dog’s diet.
The only thing to bear in mind is that you must only give them plain cooked black beans. You should never give black beans to your dog raw or from a can.
If your dog eats raw black beans, these could cause blockages in your pet’s intestines or airways. It will be important to only give your dog a small amount of cooked black beans alongside their usual diet.
You should avoid giving your dog canned black beans, too. This is because canned beans often include a whole range of additional ingredients that could be harmful to your dog.
This could include seasonings, garlic, onions, as well as additional sugars. It will be much better to buy a bag of dried beans, then cook these before giving them to your dog.
How to give your dog black beans
If you cook a small amount of black beans and add them to your dog’s food, they should be able to enjoy all the benefits of this handy legume. All you need to do is get your hands on a bag of dried beans and then cook them.
You should ensure that you keep them plain and don’t cook them with any spices, as these can hurt your dog’s stomach.
Simply soak the beans overnight, drain them, and then cook them according to the packet instructions. Minus any seasonings, of course! Usually this will involve boiling or steaming them.
Once you’ve cooked a small portion of black beans, you can add this to your dog’s normal food. Mix it in well with their meat or other food, and your dog should lap it up in no time at all.
Another option will be to give your dog a small amount of black beans as a snack during the day.
Are canned beans okay for dogs?
Canned beans are generally not okay for your dog. This is because canned beans have been prepared for human consumption.
Whereas we love the addition of seasonings to our food, because it gives it more flavor, your dog’s stomach won’t love these at all.
Additional seasonings and ingredients can carry a lot of harm for your dog’s digestive system, depending on what has been added to the beans.
Canned beans will typically have a lot of sodium added to them, too. Particularly in the preservative that has been included to keep them moist.
What beans are toxic to dogs?
You should avoid giving your dog any broad beans or fava beans as they are sometimes known. Raw kidney beans are also a big no, as these have a harmful toxin in them which could hurt your dog.
You should also avoid giving your dog baked beans, as these are high in sugar and are usually cooked with additional ingredients which are harmful to dogs. Refried beans, canned beans, coffee beans, and chili beans are also best avoided.
If you’re looking for other beans to give your dog as well as black beans, we’d suggest thinking about pinto beans, green beans, butter beans, lima beans, or lentils.
In summary
So there you have it! Dogs can indeed eat a small portion of black beans, and this will actually be a very beneficial addition to your dog’s diet.
It will be important to only add cooked black beans to your dog’s diet in moderation, as they won’t see much benefit from an excessive amount of vegetables in their diet.
You should never give raw black beans or canned black beans to your dog, as these could potentially harm them.
Raw black beans could cause blockages in their intestines, and canned black beans will come with a bunch of seasonings and added ingredients which could harm your dog.
Black beans can help to regulate your dog’s blood sugar, boost their immune system, as well as help them burn fat.