Dogs can eat many things that humans can. Ginger happens to be a root plant that dogs not only can eat, it is very good for them, as it is for humans. Ginger root has long been used by humans to ease upset stomach and alleviate arthritis pain. It would seem that it has a similar use for dogs.
For dogs, ginger can help with motion sickness, improve circulation of blood, ease nausea and upset stomach, help relieve gas and bloat. Ginger also works as an anti-inflammatory to ease arthritis and other pain. It’s chock full of antioxidants, which are known to boost the immune system. Ginger is fantastic for your dog but it may not be easy as handing it to your dog and expecting them to eat it.
How Shall I Feed Ginger to My Dog?
Don’t give more than a teaspoon of ginger at a time. It’s strong and more than that may cause acidic stomach or gassiness. Remember that there is definitely too much of even good things sometimes.
You may cook the ginger by baking it into homemade dog treats. These typically go over pretty well and there are recipes that you can find online if you are someone who likes to bake and experiment in making goodies for your dog that are natural and made fresh at home.
Adding a little to the top of your dog’s food may get them to eat but it is possible that they will smell it and not want to eat it. Some dogs are exceptionally talented at eating around things that they don’t want to consume. Sometimes they’ll pick out what they don’t want and drop it on the floor. If your dog is one of these who will pick out a seed that he doesn’t like, you might have to go to more extremes to hide the ginger in their food.
Perhaps cooking a stew with ginger incorporated within will be what hits the spot for your dog? In fact, your dog can benefit from having some home-cooked meals on occasions or even as a regular diet. Those who have a garden might find that they have more than enough carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin to share with their canine family members?
Dogs love fresh veggies and when combined with a lean meat, some rice, and a good flavorful addition like ginger root, it can be much better for them than some of the commercial dog foods on the market. Certainly, fresh food would be more palatable than dry kibble?
What Can I Safely Add to My Dog’s Home-made Food?
Ideally, your dog needs a well-rounded diet that isn’t much different than our own except that dogs don’t need very many carbs at all. Dogs shouldn’t have some of the additions to their food that we add to our own. For example, dogs do not need butter, salt, sugar, pepper and certain other spices that may upset their stomach or that are not good for them. Salt and sugar are simply bad for them.
Most vegetables are safe for dogs and even beans are fair game. Of the beans, green beans are not only safe for dogs but they seem to enjoy eating them very much. Other beans can be added to their diet for additional fiber, such as lentils or pinto beans. Dogs seem to enjoy beans very much but be careful not to do too much due to the gas that beans can cause. If you are using fresh, dried beans, be very cautious to soak them for a day or two days prior to cooking them.
Dogs love carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, corn (be careful to not add a lot as they don’t process the skin of the kernel much like what corn does to us if we eat too much), celery, and some leafy greens if used sparingly. Dark greens such as spinach can cause dogs to accumulate too much vitamin K and that isn’t good for them. Go easy on the greens but definitely add sprouts. They love bean sprouts.
Somet things to be cautious with:
- Dogs can only have white potatoes that are cooked. Raw white potatoes are bad for them.
- Dogs should not have rhubarb and other dark leafy greens should be avoided.
- Dogs should not have nuts
- Do not feed your dog grapes, raisins, apples with seeds intact, or any fruits with a pit. Apple seeds contain cyanide which is lethal and can accumulate in the system. Pits are dangerous as well as being a choking hazard.
- Feed lean meat but don’t give dogs bones! Bones are choking hazards and they also can break, lacerating internal organs, and they also can lodge and cause blockages that are life-threatening.
- Broccoli should be fed very sparingly and can be very bad in large quantities. Occasional treats of broccoli are fine as long as it is one or two pieces.
I Fed My Dog A Bowl of Stew I Made – Now He Has Diarrhea
Please, understand that the digestive system of dogs is a bit more sensitive than our own. Any changes in their diet should be made very slowly – excruciatingly slow. Move at a snail’s pace and you won’t upset their stomach.
A good practice to follow is to begin with their normal kibble diet and add just a few tablespoons of the new stew you’ve made for them. Mix it in well to ensure that they get mostly kibble and a little stew. After a few days, add a bit more of the stew. Continue adding more stew with less kibble until you are at 100% stew.
Some dogs can handle faster changes. Some dogs could handle ¼ of the kibble replaced with stew to start with and then move to ½ after a few days, then ¾ of the mix until finally they are eating no kibble. If you know that your dog has a sensitive stomach and gets diarrhea or gas easily, do yourself and them a favor and move more slowly. Your nose and their bowels will thank you.
What If I Don’t Want to Completely Cook for My Dog?
You can definitely decide that cooking for your dog is overly time consuming and complicated. Not everyone is Martha Stewart and they don’t want to be. Tossing some fresh veggies into your dog’s kibble is quick and easy. You may try adding some fat-free chicken broth, with some ginger infused into it, right over the top of your dog’s food.
You want to go low fat so you don’t cause weight-gain. It’s quick and easy to add some ginger to broth in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, pour it over the dog kibble, let it stand until cool and serve it to your dog. Doing something like this once per week is a great way to give your dog more nutrition without giving away too much of your precious time.
Some people have very busy lives and doing too much food prep for the dog is just too much for them. It’s easy to toss some fresh veggies into the dog dish as you are preparing your own supper. Always add additional goodies into their bowl so they don’t learn to beg at the table or in the kitchen. Having them under your feet in the kitchen can be dangerous for you or them. A good rule is to keep dogs out of the kitchen.
Remember that you want to add vegetables into their bowl before you season yours with salt or other ingredients. They will stay healthier and if they getting a few fruits or vegetables, some pieces of lean meat on occasions and you won’t have to feel like you are adding a huge amount of work into your day or week.
What Should I Do if My Dog Gets Diarrhea?
Most dogs will get over diarrhea on their own with little intervention on your part. If they are extremely watery and straining, you may give them an antidiarrheal like Pepto-Bismol but be sure to only give them the tablets, not the liquid.
Not all human medications are safe for dogs, so consult with your veterinarian before using other types of antidiarrheals. Some medications and tables might be very toxic and/or harmful to your dog. Pepto-Bismol for dogs is relatively safe and a tried and true remedy.
Make sure that your dog has plenty of clean, fresh water at all times. Diarrhea is very dehydrating and they will drink more water at this time. It might be advisable to skip a feeding to help give their stomach some time to calm down. Some veterinarians recommend rice or pumpkin to give them additional fiber, mixed with lean meat. You may boil ground beef, rinse very thoroughly and add rice to help their stools firm-up.
In severe cases, a trip to the vet to get a shot will typically stop diarrhea within hours. Your dog may not feel like eating for a day and you should not be overly concerned as long as they continue to drink water, they’ll be fine. Remember, make diet changes slowly and don’t feel upset if they refuse a new food. They won’t like everything you offer.