Yes. Dogs can eat asparagus, providing it’s the standard edible type (Asparagus officinalis).
Dogs are omnivores and can digest fruit and vegetables, as well as meat.
Asparagus is a vegetable and is not known to be toxic to dogs.
It is actually full of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, C, B9, E, beta-carotene, zinc, manganese and selenium.
Whether your dog likes actually asparagus is another matter though!
Can asparagus hurt dogs?
Asparagus can be quite tough, especially if eaten raw and can present a choking hazard to your dog, especially if eaten whole.
If you are going to feed it to them raw, make sure you remove the tougher lower section and chop it up into small chunks first.
This will make it easier for them to chew and digest and will reduce the risk of them choking.
It’s possible that asparagus doesn’t suite your dogs stomach. Signs of this could be diarrhoea, excessive gas and even vomiting.
If this happens, its probably best not to feed it to them raw again and if you still want them to try it, cook it for them instead.
There is another plant called asparagus setaceous, which is toxic to dogs and humans alike. But this is a very different plant to what we generally call asparagus and is unlikely to be confused.
They certainly won’t be selling this in the green grocers, so it’s not really an issue unless you grow it in your garden or have it in your house. If you do, make sure your dog cant get to it.
How to cook asparagus for your dog
Although it will reduce the nutritional content slightly, your best bet is to cook the asparagus for your dog first.
Do this by removing the tougher bottom stalk and chopping the tender section into smaller chunks.
As butter and fat are generally best avoided in your dogs diets, it’s best to boil steam the asparagus until tender, just as you would if you were eating it.
Do not season or add any garlic etc to the asparagus, as these are not good for your pooch.
How much asparagus can a dog eat?
Half a cup for small dogs – up to a full cup for larger mutts. Give them a small amount to start with and see how it sits.
You can maybe add a little of the cooked asparagus to their normal food, and see how they like it.
As with anything new it’s always best to try a little first and see how your dog’s digestion copes before feeding it to them again.
If all goes well, and you haven’t noticed any issues after a few days, and more importantly your dog didn’t complain, then you know you are good to try it again.
Other vegetables to try as an alternative include carrots, celery and cucumber. These will also need chopping up into small pieces and will help form part of your dogs varied diet.