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Can Dogs Eat Bell Peppers?

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You’ve started chopping up those bell peppers you had stored away in your refrigerator, and your dog is watching you. You want to give your beloved dog a healthier alternative to the processed treats you get at the grocery store anyway. So can dogs eat bell peppers?

The good news is that yes, you can feed your dog bell peppers! It’s best to give it to them in moderation, as your dog only needs 15% to 25% of their diet to be vegetables. And remember most of this will already be covered in their daily kibble!

Additional veggies such as bell peppers should be fed in moderation as too much could cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.

It will be best to start off giving your dog one or two slim slices at a time and see how they react to them. You will need to prepare the bell peppers properly and make sure that you remove any seeds.

Never feed your dog any hot peppers, as they won’t be able to digest these as well and the spice will upset their digestive system.

Table of Contents

Are bell peppers okay for dogs to eat?

Bell peppers are perfectly fine for dogs to eat. In fact, you can feed them pretty much any color bell pepper: red, orange, yellow, and green. However, your dog will see the most benefit from eating red bell peppers.

This is because they have the most nutrients in them which will be more beneficial for your pooch. They contain higher amounts of antioxidants and vitamins.

Bell peppers are rich in lots of great vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamins A, B6, C, E, beta-carotene, and lutein. In fact, red bell peppers have up to three times more vitamin C in them than oranges do.

All of these vitamins and antioxidants work to promote a healthy immune system. What’s really great about the beta-carotene in red bell peppers is that it gets converted into vitamin A within your dog’s body. This works to improve eye, coat, and skin health.

You can also feed bell peppers to your dog both raw and cooked. It will be important to prepare them properly and remove any seeds. These are too hard for your dog to digest and they won’t get any nutritional benefits from these. 

If you choose to give your dog cooked peppers, it will be important to never give them any bell peppers that have been cooked with onion or garlic.

These two ingredients are highly toxic to dogs – even more so than chocolate. You should also never feed your dog fried or seasoned peppers, as these can cause gastrointestinal problems.

Remember that spicy varieties of peppers won’t be suitable for your dog, either.

In the event that you choose to give your dog raw bell peppers, it will be worth chopping these up into smaller chunks. Your dog may find it hard to chew the outer skin, which is typically tougher than the flesh.

On the whole, bell peppers make a great low calorie treat for your pooch and are packed full of handy nutrients.

Will bell peppers hurt dogs?

In general, bell peppers won’t hurt your dog. There’s nothing toxic in this healthy vegetable that could cause your dog any harm. However, it will be best to only give your dog bell peppers in moderation.

This is because if you give them too much, it can cause an upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea. The good news is that even though too many bell peppers can make your dog uncomfortable, it won’t leave any lasting damage.

As long as you give bell peppers to your dog in moderation, they won’t hurt your dog at all. Remember to only give them sweet bell peppers, as anything spicy won’t be suitable for your hound.

And as we’ve already mentioned above, you should never give your dog bell peppers that have been cooked with onions or garlic as these ingredients are highly toxic for your pooch.

Why does my dog love bell peppers?

Two puppies eating from a dog food bowl

Dogs are always happy to eat pretty much whatever you give them. So if your dog is happy munching away on a bell pepper snack, then you’ve got nothing to worry about! Perhaps they love eating bell peppers because they find them tasty and refreshing.

Perhaps they love the crunchy texture of the raw bell peppers. Whatever the reason your dog enjoys eating bell peppers, it all comes down to individual taste.

This wonderful fruit will make a great low calorie snack for your hound while also packing a punch in terms of vitamins and antioxidants.

Can dogs eat raw red bell peppers?

Dogs can eat raw red bell peppers, yes! Your dog will love this crunchy treat, and it will be incredibly beneficial for them. It will be worth chopping up the raw red bell peppers into smaller chunks so that your dog finds them easier to eat.

Some dogs can struggle to chew that tougher skin.

Are green bell peppers safe for dogs?

Green bell peppers are perfectly safe for your dog to eat. However, you will still need to prepare it in the same way you would any other sweet bell peppers.

Green bell peppers don’t come with as many great vitamins and antioxidants as red bell peppers, but they will still make a healthy, tasty snack for your dog.

In summary

So now you know that yes, your dog can indeed eat bell peppers! Your dog is perfectly safe to eat red, orange, yellow, or green bell peppers.

However, they will get the most benefits out of red bell peppers, as these have more helpful vitamins and antioxidants in them than the other varieties. 

You can feed bell peppers to your dog both raw and cooked. However, it will be important to never feed your dog bell peppers that have been fried, seasoned, or cooked with onions or garlic, as these other two ingredients are highly toxic for dogs.

Remember to only feed your dog the sweet bell pepper variety, too. Spicy peppers aren’t good for your hound and could hurt their digestive system.