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Can Pom Eat Broccoli

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Can a Pomeranian Eat Broccoli?

You are here: Pomeranian Information - Feeding - Can a Pomeranian Puppy or Dog Safely Eat Broccoli?
broccoli in a glass bowl
Of course, you are careful about what you feed your Pomeranian, and whether you chose to offer a high quality manufactured dog food or if you home cook for your Pom, a healthy balanced diet is essential to good health and well-being.

We receive tons of emails asking us about certain foods and if it is okay to feed them to a Pomeranian; and we are happy that our readers are asking! 

Some foods are bad for all canines… others are okay for larger dogs but not for small toy breeds like the Pom…and some foods are very nutritious and beneficial but are not fed to Pomeranians - normally because owners are unsure about them.
For this reason, we have complied the top eight food questions. In this section, we are going to answer the question of: Can a Pomeranian eat broccoli? Links to the answers regarding other foods can be found at the bottom of this page. 

Asking about broccoli is a good question, since vegetables - in general- are an important part of a dog's diet. Broccoli is a plant that is in the cabbage family. The leaves, flower heads and stalks can be eaten. It is not a seasonal vegetable and therefore can normally be found all year round in supermarkets and farmer's markets. It can be eaten raw or cooked via boiling,steaming, or even baking or broiling.

Long ago in the 6th century, this vegetable was cultivated in the Northern Mediterranean. It was not until the 18th century that it was brought to England. And to many people's surprise, it was not a popular food in the United States until the 1920's! Now it is one of the vegetables found on the majority of dinner tables and raw broccoli is often served with healthy dips as appetizers.

This is considered a very healthy food for humans. It is very low in calories; only 31 calories in 1 cup. It is also high in dietary fiber, vitamins (especially rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A) and minerals (calcium, iron, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc). Proven to be very beneficial in regard to health, it also contains anti-oxidants.

Now that we know some basic facts about broccoli, let's go into details about whether or not it is healthy and safe for a Pomeranian to eat broccoli. 

The answer is yes and no, so let's get to the facts regarding this. There is much debate regarding this. On one hand, any food at all when consumed in high quantities is not healthy and can cause problems.  
However, in regard to dogs eating broccoli, it is known that ingesting over a certain amount will cause issues. 

This means that small amounts are not toxic, but that if the daily intake of broccoli goes above 10 percent of a dog's daily intake, a type of toxicity can (and most often does) occur.

The substance that can cause this is isothiocyanate. What can happen? When there is too much of this in a dog's system, it can cause gastrointestinal problems (most often an irritation). 

While this may not seem overly serious, for a tiny Pomeranian, it can be.
A Pom with stomach and gastrointestinal irritation may: vomit, have severe flatulence, become weak, and/or have diarrhea or constipation. In turn, the puppy or dog will then have dehydration problems and that can spiral out of control, leading to dangerous medical problems.

Now, officially, broccoli is not considered to be a toxic food to dogs UNLESS a dog eats too much of it. The problem arises when one tries to figure out exactly how much is too much? How much is 10% of the dog's daily intake?  

Our recommendation is that it is better to be safe than sorry. Since each Pom weighs a different amount and each dog is going to digest foods at varying rates, it is not worth the risk to figure out if you can keep a Pomeranian from eating over the 10% 'line in the sand'.  

While there are many health benefits from this food, these can be found in other, safe vegetables as well.

Therefore, to summarize, we would recommend that you do not allow your Pomeranian to eat broccoli. And if you do, please keep the quality very small; aiming for perhaps 2-5 % instead of the suggested 10%, with any amount over that causing adverse reactions.
If your Pomeranian happens to snatch a piece of broccoli and ingests it, as long as it is not a large amount, you do not need to worry and it is not a reason in and of itself to bring your Pom to the vet. Since it can cause flatulence in even low levels, do expect to see that as a sign. In general, look to other green veggies such as sugar snap peas, baby peas and green beans as safe healthy vegetables to offer to your Pomeranian as part of a healthy diet.

Points to Remember

It is always a good idea to know which foods your Pomeranian can eat and which are not recommended, even if you have no immediate plans to change his/her meals or add new ingredients to existing menus, since you never know what your Pom may sneak or what may be offered to your dog by a visitor. 

Remember that even if you serve 'human' food to your Pomeranian, always make it clear that your food is not your dog's food. For a well behaved, well trained Pom, we always recommend that a Pom should be taught that he/she must obey the "Sit" command before a meal or snack is given. Not only does this stop any begging behavior from setting in, it also works to establish an owner as the "Alpha", which in turns gives you a Pom that listens well and respects you. 
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