Can Dogs Eat Chia Seeds? Is it Safe?

Canines digestive system is surprisingly similar to humans! However, this should not be mistaken as a free pass to feed your dog whatever you eat, as lots of people foods are bad for dogs. Chia seeds in moderation on the other hand, can benefit your pup!

Benefits Of Chia Seeds For Dogs

Most people foods are forbidden for dogs, especially if your pup is overweight. Chia seeds however, can help with weight loss and many other things as well! Always be sure to check with your vet before starting a new supplement regime, though.

Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which help with the development and protection of the eyes and brain. Chia seeds also help with joints, skin and coat, immune health, growth and your pups joints! An added bonus is the helping and aiding with inflammation for older dogs with arthritis!

Fiber is another great benefit of chia seeds! Fiber can help with your dog’s bowel movements, assist with constipation and generating weight loss! There are 34 grams of fiber per every 100 grams of chia seeds!

Chia seeds can also help aid against diabetes and promote endurance. Since it’s domestication around 2,600 BC, Ancient Aztec people were known to sustain themselves on only a teaspoon of chia seeds a day! Quite impressive, really! The reason for this is because of the seeds ability to slow the conversion of carbohydrates to sugars leading to lasting energy by stable blood sugar levels! This will also help your dog digest nutrients better!

All good things! This means a little bit of chia seeds added to your dogs diet can really help! Always remember to moderate though, food other than your dog’s normal diet should only account for 10 percent of his calorie intake, so make changes to the amount of dog food you serve as necessary.

How To Serve/Prepare Chia Seeds For Your Dog?

Since Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, you want to pair it with some food that is high in omega-6 fatty acids to balance it out. A few options that are safe for dogs to choose from are;

• Chicken or animal fats
• Canola oil
• Soybean oil

Those are a few you could add to your pups diet, paired with chia seeds to balance the omegas.

Omega-6 fatty acids help with healthy reproduction, cell health, cell aid and immune health. Once again, consult your veterinarian before starting your dog on diets involving these foods to be safe and sure.

Add a teaspoon of chia seeds directly to your dog’s wet food for dinner, if you feed your dog dry food, soak them in low sodium broth or water before you put them on their food. You can then add a small amount of chicken fats, or other animal fats either to the bowl or as a treat for being a good boy.

Doing this daily can result in a healthier pup, but remember not to go overboard as too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Conclusion

As long as you stay within the 10 percent calorie allowance for your dog’s diet, chia seeds can be a very healthy snack for your pooch on a daily basis. You will be able to tell the difference in their coat and energy as long as you’re correctly serving these omegas.

We all want our dogs to live as long as they can so always be conscious of what you feed them one a daily basis.