Fruit and vegetables for dogs are generally the second most important and second largest part of your four-legged friend's BARF diet. Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and secondary plant substances that are important for dogs. And that's not all: the plant fibers that your dog ingests through the plant-based portion of its diet have a cleansing effect on the intestines and can actively help against constipation by loosening the stool. You can read here which types of fruit and vegetables are particularly suitable for dogs and what you should pay attention to when feeding them. In our BARF shop you can get numerous types of meat as well as pre-portioned types of fruit and vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables for dogs: important facts for BARF feeding
When BARFing, fruit and vegetables are the second largest part of the dog's diet after meat. However, the form in which your dog receives this type of food is very important. While dogs can generally eat and process chunkier meat, this is not the case with fruit and vegetables for dogs. The reason is that dogs lack the enzyme needed to break down fruit and vegetables. Therefore, portions of fruit and vegetables that are used as part of a meal to absorb nutrients should be pureed if possible or at least finely grated.
The only question that remains is: which fruits and vegetables are suitable for dogs? In general, dogs can tolerate many types of fruit and vegetables. Seasonal vegetables in particular provide variety and are generally well tolerated - in autumn, for example, you can use pumpkin. Eggplants, avocados, grapes, raw potatoes, onions and garlic should not be fed. Green leafy vegetables are very helpful because they are very fibrous and therefore ideal for digestion in moderation. As with meat, the same applies to fruit and vegetables: variety on the menu is just as pleasing for dogs as it is for people. So, if there are no food intolerances, there is nothing to stop them from eating a diet that includes different types of fruit and vegetables.
But which varieties are suitable?
As already mentioned, many types of fruit and vegetables are suitable for dogs. Suitable fruits for dogs include apples, pears and bananas, although the latter should only be given in moderation due to its high magnesium content. Vegetables for dogs can include spinach, zucchini or carrots, as well as green leafy vegetables. By the way: If you want to give your dog a carrot as a small snack or to keep them busy, you can't go wrong with it - but the nutrient yield is not as high as with a pureed portion. You can use our BARF calculator to determine how high the proportion of fruit and vegetables in your dog's food should be for your dog.
Fruit and vegetables for dogs for BARF newbies
Fruit and vegetables are often foreign elements in the diet of dogs that have not been BARFed before. If you and your dog are just starting BARFing, you can add fruit and vegetables to the food in small portions at first. It can also help to lightly steam the portions of fruit and vegetables or mix them, for example with a portion of quark or cottage cheese. If your dog likes his BARF meat in pieces, the pureed fruit and vegetables can be mixed with an egg yolk. This way, the mixture sticks better to the meat, making it more difficult for the dog to refuse the food.
