Beetroot for Dogs: What’s the Deal With Beets?
Bright red, slightly sweet, and probably not the first vegetable you’d expect to find in your dog’s bowl.
So, can dogs eat beetroot?
Yes — when prepared appropriately, beetroot can be included as part of a balanced diet for dogs.
Why Put Beets in Dog Food?
Beetroot contains fibre and naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. It also adds a little variety to the vegetable component of a dog's diet.
But more isn't always better.
Beetroot should be considered one ingredient in a balanced diet, rather than a miracle food that your dog needs in large amounts.
And yes, that gorgeous deep-red colour is completely natural.
Beets + Raw Dog Food
When it comes to raw dog food, vegetables can complement the animal-based ingredients in a properly formulated recipe.
For example, Origo Wild's Beef n’ Beets combines beef meat, bones and organs with vegetables including carrots, bok choy, green beans, chayote, beetroot and purple yam.
The important part isn't simply adding a vegetable to raw meat. It's creating a recipe where the ingredients work together as part of an appropriately balanced diet.
Don't Panic About the Red
Here's a fun little heads-up for beetroot newbies: beets can naturally change the colour of your dog's stool or urine.
So if your dog has been enjoying beet-containing food, don't immediately assume you've discovered a crime scene in the garden.
However, persistent or unusual changes in stool or urine that aren't explained by diet are worth discussing with your veterinarian.
Final Thought
Beetroot might not be the most obvious dog-food ingredient, but there's a reason it can have a place in a thoughtfully formulated recipe.
Sometimes, a little colour in the bowl isn't such a bad thing.
And your dog certainly isn't judging the aesthetics.
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