Can Dogs Eat Ginger?
Is it safe for your dog to eat Ginger? Read more to find out.
It is common for people to imagine that since a root like ginger is great for human health, then it must be just as good for a dog’s health. Many of us like to share food with our best friend, sneaking them a tasty morsel or two from our hand when no one is looking. Consequently, it is important to know what foods that we eat can be shared with dogs and which ones are not safe to allow them to ingest.
But, is ginger really all that safe for a dog to consume? The answer to this question is both yes and no. Unlike a human, a dog should not eat excessive or even large amounts of ginger. Doing so can cause a wide range of digestive issues from heartburn and gas to bloating and general nausea.
However, feeding a dog small amounts of ginger can be quite beneficial for a variety of reasons. In fact, if your dog suffers with motion sickness, you should try letting them eat a small treat with ginger in it before they get in the car. Giving a dog a bit of ginger a half an hour prior to a car ride can take the edge off their feelings of motion sickness. This will help you to avoid having to clean vomit off the seat or the floorboard.
Ginger is a good source of soluble fiber. It is sometimes good to give a dog a little ginger to help lower a dog’s cholesterol levels. Also, a small amount of ginger from time to time can help improve a dogs circulation as well. Of course, it is certainly okay to feed a dog ginger, provided that one does not over do it and make the dog sick. However, one of the more interesting studies done on the effects of ginger on dogs has shown that it can be used as a safe slow treatment for heartworms. This is particularly beneficial since ginger is not a toxic chemical. In the early stages of the treatment for heart worms dogs will sometimes exhibit signs of lethargy, but this is not believed to be because of the introduction of ginger. Rather, it is believed that this results from the dog’s body needing to get rid of the worms.
What do other dog owners have to say about whether their dogs can eat Ginger or not? See comments below.
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