Vegetables

Low in calories and a source of fibre and beta-carotene, making it a useful chew treat when managing weight.

Ripe red flesh usually causes only mild stomach upset, but the leaves, vines and unripe green fruit contain tomatine and related alkaloids that in larger amounts can affect the gut, nervous system and heart rhythm.

Low in calories with vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, making it a useful vegetable treat during weight management.

Contains fibre and beta-carotene, and small amounts of plain pumpkin are sometimes used by vets to add fibre when stools are mildly loose.

About 95% water and only around 15 kcal per 100 g, useful as a low-calorie treat and hydration source during weight management.

Spinach is high in oxalate, which binds calcium and reduces its availability; dogs with calcium oxalate stones or kidney disease should avoid it entirely, and healthy dogs should only have very small amounts.

About 95% water and only around 15 kcal per 100 g, so it is little more than a crunchy snack for a dog on a diet.

Bell pepper is rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, and most dogs take a few raw pieces happily once the seeds and stem are out.

Very low in calories (about 16 kcal per 100 g) with useful fibre and water, which makes it handy during weight management.

Cooked kernels supply starch, fibre and some B vitamins as a low-fat treat, while whole raw corn is hard to digest.

Provides beta-carotene, vitamin A precursors and fibre, and its satiety value suits small treats during weight management.

Cooked beans provide fibre, vitamin K and folate with few calories, and are often suggested by vets as a vegetable treat during weight management.

Cooked eggplant is very low in calories and fat and supplies some fibre and a little potassium, so it works as an occasional vegetable treat.

Very low in calories (about 25 kcal per 100 g) with fibre and vitamin C, so cooked chopped cabbage makes a light fibrous treat.

Very low in calories (about 25 kcal per 100 g) with vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, so it makes an occasional low-calorie vegetable treat.

Cooked yam provides fibre and a little potassium, has a soft texture and very little fat, so it works as an occasional vegetable treat.

Cooked lotus root supplies fibre and a little potassium with very little fat or calories, so small pieces work as an occasional vegetable treat.

Cooked okra offers mucilaginous fibre and a little potassium with very few calories, so short pieces make an occasional vegetable treat.

Cooked asparagus supplies fibre plus small amounts of folate and potassium, so short pieces make an occasional low-calorie treat.

Mostly water and very low in calories (about 17 kcal per 100 g) with a little potassium and vitamin C, so it suits a dog on a weight-management plan.

Low in calories (about 49 kcal per 100 g) with vitamin K, vitamin C and fibre, so it works as an occasional vegetable treat.

Cooked beetroot provides fibre and a little potassium, so diced pieces work as an occasional vegetable treat.

Raw sprouts commonly carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli that can cause gut infection in dogs; shop-bought sprout dishes are also loaded with salt and oil and often include garlic and chilli.

The bitterness of bitter melon comes from cucurbitacin-type compounds that irritate the gut and cause vomiting and diarrhoea when eaten in larger amounts; ripe or unusually bitter gourds contain more of them.

Fairly low in calories (about 43 kcal per 100 g) with vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, so cooked sliced sprouts work as an occasional vegetable treat.

Sweet and crisp with few calories (about 42 kcal per 100 g) plus fibre and vitamin C, so cooked chopped pods make an occasional treat.

Very low in calories (about 31 kcal per 100 g) with vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, so cooked chopped cabbage works as an occasional vegetable treat.

Watercress is very low in calories and provides vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A and a little calcium, so it makes a light green vegetable treat now and then.

Peeled water chestnut is juicy and crisp, providing potassium and dietary fibre at a modest calorie cost, so it works as an occasional vegetable treat.

Very low in calories (about 27 kcal per 100 g) with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, so cooked greens make a light vegetable treat.

Winter melon is mostly water with very few calories and only a little potassium and fibre, so cooked cubes work as a light vegetable treat for dogs that need to watch their weight.

Chayote is high in water and low in calories, with dietary fibre, vitamin C and a little potassium, so soft cooked pieces make an occasional light vegetable treat.

Raw bamboo shoots hold cyanogenic compounds (taxiphyllin) and coarse fibre, so raw or partly cooked shoots can cause vomiting and diarrhoea; **cook them thoroughly and for a long time**, then chop them and offer only a little.

Raw taro holds calcium oxalate needles and irritant proteins that burn and swell the mouth, throat and skin, so raw or half-cooked taro is a food to avoid; **peel it and cook it through until soft** before offering a little.

Low in calories and fairly fibrous, with vitamin C, vitamin K and beta-carotene, so cooked chopped leaves work as an occasional vegetable treat.

Raw alfalfa sprouts, like all raw sprouts, are a high-risk food for Salmonella, E. coli and other pathogens, because the warm damp sprouting process suits bacterial growth, a risk for people too; a small thoroughly cooked portion is a different matter.

Burdock root supplies dietary fibre of the inulin type plus a little potassium at a low calorie cost, so peeled, cooked and shredded pieces work as an occasional light vegetable treat.

Chicory greens are very low in calories and carry dietary fibre of the inulin type along with folate and vitamin K, so they make a light vegetable treat.

Very low in calories (about 17 kcal per 100 g) with fibre, folate and vitamin K, so it makes a light vegetable treat.

Very low in calories (about 22 kcal per 100 g) with vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, so cooked raab makes a light vegetable treat.

Solanine concentrates in sprouts, eyes, green skin and foliage; these glycoalkaloids cause gastrointestinal and neurological signs, and levels rise sharply in green or sprouting potatoes.

Rhubarb greens and leaves contain high levels of soluble oxalate, which binds calcium and lowers blood calcium, and can form calcium oxalate crystals that injure the kidneys.