Are you planning to find a cheap alternative dog food that won’t cost your budget too much? Is your dog tired of eating with the regular meal you offer to them?
If your answers affirm these questions, then it’s time to make a change. Start creating small yet impactful changes by feeding vegetables to your dogs.
We can’t deny how vegetables have developed our health. Doctors recommend that we eat vegetables regularly to balance our diet and prevent any health risks.
Dishes get more enhanced by adding the flavors and colors. Aside from potatoes, horseradish is a clear frontrunner.
But a question remains unanswered: can you serve horseradish to your dogs? Can dogs eat horseradish?
Let’s try to find this article. Here, we will discuss the characteristics of horseradish by identifying its properties and how it can impact your dog’s health.
We also got you covered on the best, safe ways in feeding horseradish to your dog!
What is Horseradish?
Horseradish is a root crop vegetable that belongs to the Brassicaceae family. It is mainly cultivated in Northern Europe and North America, but it can be found in Asia.
Horseradish has an intense flavor that would leave your mouth burning once you eat them raw or cooked.
However, horseradish roots are often boiled before being used when cooking dishes.
It can be served fresh, or it can also be preserved by pickling or salting for future use. In addition, you should know that horseradish roots are commonly used for other purposes such as medicine or cosmetics.
Nevertheless, salads, sauces, and meats are the most common dishes you can prepare using horseradish.
Food family of horseradish
As earlier mentioned, horseradish belongs to the food family of Brassicaceae — which is the same family as mustard, kale, and broccoli.
Since horseradish roots are commonly used in cooking dishes, you should know that they contain Allicin — which gives them its intense flavor.
Allicin also has large amounts of antioxidants. As a result, it can lower blood cholesterol levels by boosting good HDL cholesterol while lowering bad LDL cholesterol.
Lastly, Allicin can also help prevent certain types of cancers.
However, it is essential to note that you should never give your dog raw horseradish because it has an enzyme called myrosinase.
This enzyme would cause hemolytic anemia if consumed by dogs in large quantities. What’s more? It could even be fatal to dogs.
With that being said, can you still offer this food to your dogs?
Can dogs eat horseradish?
YES! Dogs can eat horseradish, but it is essential to do so in small yet manageable quantities.
Horseradish is an ideal treat you can offer to your dog since it contains a lot of nutrients. It is rich in vitamin C, calcium, and potassium — which means it can strengthen your dog’s immune system and bones.
Also, this food is easy to eat and prepare whenever you want to give your dog a treat. Since horseradish is already cooked, you can sprinkle horseradishes on top of your dog’s food or serve as it is.
However, you should not provide horseradish if your dog has a history of stomach problems. Also, you have to monitor how your dog reacts after eating horseradish for the first time.
If they develop any adverse reactions, you should immediately stop giving them horseradish.
Now, we have to create impactful ways of feeding horseradish to our dogs. So, here are the best ways on how you can provide horseradish:
Best Ways to Feed your Dogs with Horseradish
Mix it with your Dog’s Food
One of the best ways you can offer horseradish is by mixing them into your dog’s food. You will have to use a grinder or blender to prepare a fine powder out of this root vegetable.
Once done, sprinkle them on top of your dog’s food and serve!
Pour it with your Dog’s Food.
If you want to please your dog’s taste buds, then pour a small amount of horseradish into their food bowl.
You will have to use care since dogs might not accept this new flavor at first. So, go slow and watch for any signs that your dog is not reacting well.
Offer it as a Dog Treat.
You can also offer horseradish to your dogs by serving them as treats. However, you should never provide this treat in large quantities because they are rich in calories and fat content.
Instead, give your dog small pieces of horseradish meat now and then.
Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Horseradish
Horseradish is an excellent source of nutrients that help eradicate diseases and illnesses. So, we did a little research about health factors, and here are the things that will make you confident in feeding this food:
It is an excellent source of antioxidants.
As mentioned earlier, horseradish has Allicin — which gives it its pungent flavor. However, Allicin also contains high amounts of antioxidants to lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent certain cancers.
In addition to this, these enzymes in horseradish have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.
It contains high amounts of vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that our bodies can’t produce on their own, and it has been linked to the prevention of certain diseases such as scurvy — which leads to fatigue or swollen gums.
Horseradish also contains other nutrients like calcium and potassium that help strengthen the immune system.
It is a good source of calcium.
Calcium helps solid teeth and bones, making sense for horseradish to have high amounts since this root vegetable contains nutrients like vitamin C and potassium.
These two combined can also prevent osteoporosis — which weakens your dog’s bone structure.
It can help with digestion.
Horseradish contains fiber that helps regulate the digestive system of your dogs. It also has a high amount of vitamin B, an essential nutrient for healthy skin and coat.
Horseradish not only contains this nutrient but almost all types of vitamins that are beneficial to our dog’s health.
Possible Concerns When Eating Horseradish
Horseradish, too, can pose risks and threats to your dogs. Factors such as your dog’s preference, appetite, and status can be affected.
So, what are the other things you have to consider when feeding this food?
Below are some possible concerns when you feed horseradish to your dog:
It can cause stomach problems.
Horseradish has a robust flavor, which might make your dog’s mouth burn. Because of this, dogs will usually avoid eating horseradish for the first time.
Overeating may upset their digestive system and lead to vomiting or diarrhea. In other cases, you have noticed that they started drooling profusely.
It can cause skin problems.
Horseradish might have beneficial effects on your dog’s health, but this root vegetable has properties that may irritate the mucous membranes of their mouths and stomachs.
If you notice any signs such as redness or swelling in these parts of your dogs’ bodies, then you should stop feeding them horseradish immediately.
It may cause allergies.
Horseradish has a high concentration of mustard oil which is what makes it have its intense flavor.
This ingredient can also affect your dog’s red blood cells and trigger their immune system to produce antibodies that will eventually lead to the development of anemia.
This condition weakens the body’s immune response.
It can cause organ damage.
Feeding your dog horseradish too often will lead to the development of lesions on their liver. It might also affect their kidneys and other vital organs resulting in significant health problems that should be addressed by a professional immediately.
If you notice any unusual lumps or masses on your dogs’ skin,
Signs your dog is sick from eating horseradish
Have you found your dog acting unusually like suffering from a foreign sickness? Do you get bothered every time your dog eats horseradish? Perhaps, your dog suffers from the disease.
Below are some symptoms you have to take note of and watch out for:
Drooling
Horseradish has a robust flavor that can cause your dog to start drooling profusely. If you notice this symptom, it might signal the onset of another condition, such as nausea or indigestion.
See if your dogs are also vomiting any food they ate before, and avoid feeding them horseradish until their condition gets better.
Diarrhea
Your dogs may also experience diarrhea when they eat horseradish because of the mustard oil it contains.
This could be a sign that your dog is experiencing food poisoning or an allergic reaction to this root vegetable.
You should stop giving them any further doses and let their digestive system recover for a few days.
Discomfort
Your dog may also experience discomfort when they eat horseradish, which can be identified by them groaning or whining in pain.
If you notice this symptom, your dogs may feel sick and have trouble breathing due to the mustard oil inside of horseradish.
You need to immediately take them to the vet for treatment or call your local veterinary clinic if it is outside of business hours.
Swelling
Horseradish can affect your dogs’ mucous membranes resulting in redness and swelling. If you notice this condition on their skin, they probably suffer from trauma such as a cut or an insect bite.
In the event of swelling around your dogs’ eyes, you have to bring them straight to the vet because it might signify that they are having difficulty seeing.
Bumps
Bumps appearing in your dog’s skin could be an insect bite or cut after eating horseradish. Hence, You should immediately take them to the vet for treatment because it could result in further complications.
The bumps may also appear around your dogs’ eyes, which indicates that they can’t see correctly.
What to do if your dog is sick from eating horseradish?
Having a solid mind presence and awareness of your dog’s health helps ease the situation.
When your dog has been affected by the unwanted side effects from eating horseradish, be sure you can apply first aid:
First, check your dog’s breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature.
When checking for their pulse rate, be sure to check on the carotid artery found in their neck.
It is always best to know how fast or slow your dogs will give you a reference if there is something wrong with them.
Second, check your dog’s temperature using a digital thermometer.
You have access to a digital thermometer, then monitor their body temperature for any abnormal patterns because this could signal the onset of fever or hypothermia.
You should also check if there is anything stuck inside their mouth or throat which may cause further complications.
Third, bring your dogs to the vet.
When you spot abnormalities in your dogs’ breathing, heartbeat, or body temperature, it is best to seek professional help immediately.
Before reading this article, if you already brought them to the vet, make sure you let their doctor know about everything they ate, including any leftovers.
It will significantly ease the process of diagnosing and treating your dog for sickness caused by horseradish poisoning.
Avoid similar foods from this family.
Wasabi
Wasabi is a type of plant that is considered as the horseradish’s cousin. This plant contains similar chemicals to horseradish which can also cause adverse effects to your dogs.
Isothiocyanates are what you should be looking out for if you want to avoid further complications after feeding this root vegetable to your dog.
Honey Mustard
Your dogs should not eat mustard as it can cause a bad reaction to their body. In addition, the oils from this condiment do not bode well with dogs because they may develop an upset stomach or experience vomiting.
This is why you have to be very careful about what your dog eats and avoid giving them anything that has mustard in it.
Pretzels
Pretzels are very crunchy, and your dogs may try to chew them, which can cause further complications.
The kernels inside pretzels can burst into their throat, stomach, or intestines, which is why they should only be fed to them in small doses.
It is best if you avoid giving them anything that has large pieces on it.
How to Make Horseradish Safe To Eat
We believe that your measured actions help in shaping your dog’s health by ascertaining steps to avoid.
With your prevention, you are not only saving your dog from sickness, but also you are maximizing your budget for any emergency.
Hence, here are ways on how you can promote caution by making prunes safe for feeding:
Keep the number of horseradish in their diet low.
It is best to reduce your dogs’ exposure to horseradish by giving them only a tiny amount at each mealtime.
It will help lessen its effects on their body and prevent any complications from overeating this vegetable.
If you want to feed your dog with large pieces of horseradish, it is recommended that you first dice them into smaller pieces.
Cook the horseradish, so its toxins are destroyed.
Adding heat to horseradish makes it an irritant-free food for dogs. It kills off any chemicals present in this vegetable that may cause harm to your dogs.
With this, they will enjoy the health benefits of horseradish without worrying about any adverse effects.
Add butter or oil, which can neutralize toxins present in horseradish.
Adding butter or oil on top of horseradish helps reduce its toxicity by counteracting its active compounds.
These compounds cause an irritant effect on your dogs’ stomach, so adding butter or oil can help neutralize them.
Key Takeaways
Creating a better change begins with your actions. It starts by planning the best ways and carrying it out by execution.
So, if you want to find an alternative, cheap dog without costing too much, you may feed horseradish for your dog.
Here, you’re not only saving your money but also preventing your dog from getting potential health risks!
To recap, dogs can eat horseradish. This food is an ideal treat you can offer your dog since it is easy to prepare and contains many nutrients.
To enumerate, horseradish is an excellent source of antioxidants in regulating blood cholesterol.
Also, this food has high amounts of Vitamin C and is a good source of calcium in strengthening bones and the immune system.
Horseradish also has vitamin B to sustain your dog’s healthy skin and coat.
On the other side of the coin, horseradish may pose risks and threats to your dogs. Such that this food causes stomach problems, skin problems, and allergies.
Worst, this food may cause organ damage from the development of lesions on your dog’s liver. As a result, symptoms like drooling, bumps, and swelling may occur.
When the sickness mentioned earlier occurs, you must first check your dog’s breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature.
When you find abnormalities, rush your dog to the vet.
So, what are the safe ways to serve horseradish? First, you have to keep the number in their diet low.
Second, cook the horseradish so its toxins are destroyed. Lastly, you may add butter or oil to neutralize toxins present in horseradish.