Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. For more information, read my full affiliate disclosure here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Can dogs eat vegetables? Or better stated, SHOULD dogs eat vegetables? This is the question, on the mind of many raw feeders, that we will wrestle with today. <\/p>\n You may be asking, \u201cWhy, if dogs are carnivores, do we need to feed them carbohydrates in the form of veggies and fruit?\u201d This is a great question! <\/p>\n While I don\u2019t claim to be an expert, today I\u2019m sharing where I\u2019ve landed on this somewhat controversial topic and how I have chosen to incorporate vegetables and other carbohydrates into my Mastiff\u2019s raw dog food diet. <\/p>\n I will share my thoughts on this as well as how I prepare and feed vegetables to my large dogs. <\/p>\n This question is the source of some controversy, so I hope you will stick with me as I share where I\u2019ve landed on the question for my raw fed Mastiffs<\/a> and how I approach feeding veggies.<\/p>\n You might be wondering\u2026 what\u2019s all the controversy about?\u00a0 After all, vegetables are healthy and necessary for humans, why would we believe any differently for our dogs?\u00a0<\/p>\n As you probably know, dogs are carnivores<\/a>.\u00a0 In other words, they get their primary nutrition from animal sources \u2013 meat, bone, and organs.\u00a0(1<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n While wolves get some plant matter through the stomachs of their prey, and through some scavenging and foraging, my understanding is that the carbohydrates they consume are not a necessary part of their diet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Meaning they don\u2019t need them for their optimal health<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Unfortunately, as a society, we have strayed very far from this ideal and moved our dogs to a diet that is almost exclusively carbohydrate (i.e sugar) in the form of dried commercial kibble<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Without the protein and fat, however, a wolf or domesticated dog will fail to thrive and worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n Many raw feeders, particularly those feeding what\u2019s called a prey model raw diet<\/a>, do not include fiber or carbohydrates in the form of veggies and fruit, as a part of their dog\u2019s base diet.\u00a0 <\/p>\n This was me for many, many years.\u00a0<\/p>\n I focused on just getting the balance of meat, bone, and organ<\/a> correct and anything else I fed was a topper that wasn\u2019t calculated or factored into my dog\u2019s daily caloric needs.<\/p>\n So if carbohydrates and veggies are not necessary for a dog to thrive, why am I now feeding veggies to my raw-fed dogs?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The answer for me is simple.<\/p>\n First, Sulley loves the veggie blend I\u2019m sharing with you below. It takes very little time or effort to make and serves as a little treat in his bowl.\u00a0<\/p>\n The larger issue is this: as is the case with any diet for dogs, I don\u2019t know with 100% certainty that my dog is getting every nutrient he needs for optimal health<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n When you are feeding a diet that is just made up of meat, bone, and organs, the sourcing of those ingredients is incredibly important.\u00a0 The nutrient density of grass-fed beef compared to grain-fed, for example, makes a huge difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, even with the highest quality meat, bone, and organs, there will be nutritional gaps<\/a> that are unavoidable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n No diet is perfect or perfectly balanced<\/a>.\u00a0 No matter what anyone tells you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For this reason, I have started to add a small amount of a homemade vegetable blend to my Mastiff\u2019s raw diet<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The added fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are only found in vegetables and fruits can only benefit my dog\u2019s health and my hope is by doing this I\u2019m filling in any of those nutritional gaps that might exist in his raw diet alone.\u00a0<\/p>\nAre Dogs carnivores or omnivores?<\/h2>\n
![\"Should](\"https:\/\/bigdogmom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/can-dogs-eat-vegetables-pin-1-683x1024.jpg\" "\\"Can")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nVegetables for Raw Fed Dogs<\/h2>\n
![\"Should](\"https:\/\/bigdogmom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/can-dogs-eat-vegetables-pin-2-683x1024.jpg\" "\\"Can")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nVIDEO: Can Dogs Eat Vegetables? Why My Dogs Do and How I Feed Them | RAW FEEDING 101<\/h2>\n