Barking for Broccoli Why Dogs Thrive on Organic Food

Can Dogs Eat Broccoli?

Yes, dogs can eat broccoli. Dogs can eat the vegetable both cooked and raw, as long as there are no seasonings or oils added. However, this vegetable should always be given in very small quantities, especially because the florets contain isothiocyanates, which can cause gastric irritation in dogs.

Benefits of Broccoli for Dogs

While dogs dont actually need large amounts of fruits and vegetables to live healthy lives, certain onesdo make suitable treats on occasion and can even provide health benefits.

Broccoli is high in fiber and vitamin C and low in fat. It is safe for dogs to eat, raw or cooked, as long as no seasonings are added.

Hazards of Broccoli for Dogs

However, AKC Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jerry Klein, DVM, warns that broccoli also contains a potentially harmful ingredient. The florets of this vegetable contain isothiocyanates, which can cause mild-to-potentially-severe gastric irritation in some dogs.

Dr. Klein also states, Broccoli is considered safe in dogs if the total amount ingested is less than 10% of their daily intake; more than 25% is considered toxic.

In terms of the 10 percent rule (that treats should make up no more than that percentage of a dogs diet), we have to remember that the actual amount differs depending on the size of your dog. Furthermore, every animal is unique. Some pets might react more strongly to broccoli than others, so its very important to monitor individual dogs to see how they react to broccoli or any new food item, and also to talk to your vet.

Choking Hazard for Dogs

Also, broccoli stalks have been known to cause obstruction in the esophagus, especially in small dogs, says Dr. Klein. Therefore, make sure you cut up the broccoli into bite-size chunks to avoid choking; keep an eye on your dog as they eat.

Small bites also make it easier to measure the amount of broccoli your dog consumes. As with any new food, start with a very small piece of broccoli to make sure your dog has no negative reactions before feeding them more. Ask your vet if you have any questions about how much broccoli is safe for your dog or if broccoli is the right treat for your dogs health.

Learn more about which fruits and vegetables that dogs can and cant eat here.

Here at the AKC, we field many queries from anxious dog owners about what is and isnt safe for their canine companions to eat. Questions range from the obvious (Can dogs eat steak bones?) to the trendy (Can dogs eat quinoa?) Check out more Can dogs eat articles on AKC.org to see what foods could be harmful to your dog, includingcherries,avocados, andonions.

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Broccoli is one of the most nutrient dense vegetables on the planet. Its such a shame so many pet parents are still asking themselves the question, can my dog eat broccoli. The answer to that is an unequivocal yes. Your dog can eat broccoli and what is more, your dog should eat broccoli. But what is it about broccoli for dogs that makes it such a good choice for regular inclusion in your dogs food bowl? Lets take a look at broccoli in more detail.

About broccoli

Broccoli is a member of the brassica family along with the likes of cauliflower, kale and cabbage. It was created in Italy some two thousand years ago by selectively breeding other brassicas. Ive absolutely no idea how they did that, but Im so glad they did. So are my dogs. Its one of their favourite veggies!

Nutrients in broccoli

Broccoli is a good source of calcium, manganese, iron, potassium and fibre. Low in calories and fat, its a particularly good source of vitamin C and vitamin K. And its a good source of vitamin A and various B vitamins including B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 and B9 (folate). It is also a good source of calcium, manganese, iron, potassium and fibre.

You can see why my dogs love it. Trust me. My dogs know a thing or two about food!

Benefits of broccoli for dogs

Broccoli provides high levels of cancer fighting antioxidants. It also helps to boost and protect the immune system. As well as being rich in anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory agents, broccoli is also considered to have anti-aging properties because of its ability to repair cellular DNA.

Its also low in calories and fat. This makes it ideal for any dog in need of shedding a few pounds.

Broccoli also helps fight oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a major cause of chronic disease in dogs. And that of course includes cancer. Created by a build-up of free radicals, oxidative stress can break down cell tissue and damage DNA. Antioxidants help combat oxidative stress, and one of broccolis many attributes is its richness in antioxidants.

So broccoli helps fight cancer. It also helps reduce inflammation and helps prevent premature ageing, dementia and arthritis. And it helps detox the liver, improve eye health and helps prevent diabetes and seizures.

Why is Organic Food More Expensive? (5 Justifiable Reasons)

Theres no denying that organic food is more expensive than foods that have been sprayed with countless chemicals. But why is organic food more expensive? And can you justify that cost increase when doing your weekly shop?

At the time of publishing, a kilo of carrots in Tesco costs just 0.40. If you chose to opt for organic carrots, that price per kilo jumps to 1.43.Thats a 257% increase!And carrots arent alone in this.

Swapping conventional broccoli for organic broccoli will see a price increase of 154%. Choosing to buy organic grapes will cost you 190% more. Opting for organic chicken sees your costs increase by 230%. Before you know it, your 20 shopping bill has jumped to 40.

On Average, Youll Pay an Organic Premium of Around 90%

Adding 90% to your shopping bill is quite a tough pill to swallow. That will see your food bill nearly DOUBLE!

Why is Organic Produce More Expensive?

On the face of it, its hard to work out just why organic food might be more expensive than conventional, pesticide-covered food items. However, there are several justifiable reasons, in fact:

Labour Intensive

Non-organic farmers use a cocktail of chemicals and pesticides to kill off pests and remove weeds. These potions do a lot of the hard work for the farmer. They remove kill weeds. They kill pests. They ensure crops thrive.

Organic farmers dont have this luxury.

Instead, organic farmers must rely on additional labour to hand weed fields and monitor pests. Its estimated that an organic farm is 35% more labour-intensive. This labour isnt free and the cost is reflected in the price of organic produce.

High Demand and Low Supply

Although organic food is still only enjoyed by the minority, there is a huge demand for organic foods compared to the supply that is currently in place. Unfortunately, less than 3% of UK farms are organic but consumer demand for organic ingredients is on the up.

Because of this imbalance between demand and supply, prices are high and wont be coming down any time soon unless huge swathes of farmland are converted.

Expensive Fertilisers

Organic farmers still use fertilisers but they are natural (and therefore organic). These fertilisers are often made up of blood meal, manure, cottonseed meal and fish emulsion as opposed to manmade chemicals such as ammonium nitrate.

Although organic fertilisers tend to be cheaper than chemical fertilisers by weight, the nutrients are far less concentrated so far larger quantities are needed which then pushes the overall cost to fertilise crops up.

Not only is the cost to purchase the fertiliser higher but because more of it is needed, the shipping costs are also increased.

Organic Certification Costs

Even the cost of having goods certified as organic is a small fee that pushes up the overall cost of farming organically. Unfortunately, this cost has to be passed onto the consumer so that the farmer can attempt to make a profit.

The cost of organic certification in the UK starts at only 750 per year with the soil association. But these fees can spiral for farms of a larger scale where the fee is based on a percentage of sales turnover.

Lower Yields

Yields can drop by up to 20% for organic farms compared to non-organic farms. Pests can wreak havoc across entire fields of vegetables. Crops can be smaller in size as theyve not been pumped with nitrogen. Harvests can become unpredictable.

All these factors can reduce the yield which means the amount harvested from one field can often drop. Unfortunately, the drop in yield is not reflected in a drop in expenses so farmers need to mark up the price of organic produce to build in their profit margins.

Is Organic Food Worth the Higher Price?

Coming at it from a totally biased point of view, I would say yes, organic food is worth the higher price. As you can imagine, here at Ethical Foodie, were huge advocates of organic farming and organic produce.

What Do You Get for Going Organic?

Well, you get fewer chemicals, fewer pesticides and less damage to bugs, bees and the planet in general. Sure, non-organic foods are ladenwith chemicals deemed to be at safe concentrations, but on a personal level, Id prefer no chemicals versus a few hopefully, potentially safe ones.

The debate over whether or not organic food is better for you will continue for years to come. Ultimately, whether the higher price is worth paying comes down to personal preference.

What Food Should You Buy Organic?

In an ideal world, everything you eat would be organic. But not only is buying everything organic near-impossible, most food budgets simply dont make it feasible. If youre constrained to buying just a few organic items each week, there are some you should stick to.

Below is a list of 10 fruit and vegetables that contain some of the highest concentrations of pesticides when not buying organically. If you can find them in the supermarket, try to buy these organic:

• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Kale, Cavolo Nero and Other Greens
• Apples and Pears
• Grapes
• Cherries
• Peppers
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Nectarines and Peaches

Some of the fruit and vegetables listed above can contain residue from 2, 3, 4 or more pesticides.

Summary

Several factors go into determining the price of organic food. The reason it is often more expensive than non-organic food is that it takes more effort to grow, can sometimes fail as it is left to mother nature and demand is growing much faster than the supply chain is.

Excessive Dog Barking: Reasons & and How to Stop It

Barking is natural for dogs, but sometimes barking can be a thing of excess, which can lead to frustrated owners, and sometimes neighbors. Generally, excessive or nuisance dog barking involves a dog repeatedly barking for prolonged periods of time that interfere with neighbors engaging being able to enjoy their own property. Everyones definition of what excessive barking is will look different but if you have a dog who is barking excessively there are things you can do to bring peace to your dog and quiet to your home.

Why Dogs Bark So Much

If you are struggling with a dog who barks excessively, its important to try and understand what is causing the barking. Vocalizations are one way that dogs can communicate about how they are feeling and what they want. Dogs may bark to get attention, because they are alerting to something going on around them, because they are bored, anxious, frustrated, or feeling defensive of their homes or families.

Some barking is normal, but when barking becomes excessive not only is it frustrating for owners, but its also a sign your dog may be stressed, or their needs arent being met. Dogs use their barking as a means of communicating with us when they need things: to go outside, to play, because they are hungry, or because they are concerned about things. There is always a reason for the barking, and its our job to figure out what our dogs need.

A common reason for excessive barking is in response to things going on in your neighborhood. Historically, many breeds of dogs were kept guarding their owners homes and properties, or to alert owners about the presence of intruders. Although today many owners find alert barking frustrating, its important to remember that this behavior is natural for dogs.

Removing Distractions

If your dog is spending their day looking out the window and barking at people, dogs, and vehicles in your neighborhood a key step to stopping the barking is to remove the distraction. By managing your dogs environment and their access to distractions you may be able to reduce or even eliminate excessive barking.

Adding blinds, curtains, or adhesive privacy film (which comes in plain frosted or decorative patterns) to your windows can block the visual distractions from your dog. In addition to creating visual barriers from neighborhood distractions, it can be useful to use a white noise machine or to turn on a white noise playlist, radio, or television to help muffle distracting noises from outside your home.

Develop Alternative Behaviors

In addition to managing your space to reduce your dogs engagement with triggers that cause them to bark, its helpful to teach alternative behaviors for your dog to do instead of barking.

If you know your dog barks excessively when a package is delivered, you can teach your dog that when the doorbell rings they should run to another area of your home to get rewarded (instead of your dog rehearsing the barking behavior at the door.)

To start teaching this new behavior, have a friend or family member ring your doorbell (or use a doorbell recording online), and when the doorbell rings, get your dogs attention with a high-value treat and rush quickly with a lot of verbal encouragement to the area you want them to go. When you get to that area, jackpot your dog with lots of high-value treats. Repeat this interaction multiple times over several practice sessions. With practice, your dog will shift their behavior and anticipate running to that area of your home away from the front door to get treats instead of barking when packages are delivered.

Increasing Enrichment

Excessive barking can be a sign that your dog is bored. When dogs dont have enough enrichment in their day, they may develop destructive habits including too much barking.

In addition to making sure your dog gets enough physical exercise by walks, and active playtime if youre struggling with excessive barking, its helpful to increase the amount of mental and enrichment your dog gets during the day. If you know your dog barks while home alone, make sure to spend quality time with your dog before you leave and provide stimulating activities like a stuffed KONG for your dog to solve and eat while youre away.

Providing brain games for your dog can help alleviate boredom barking. If youre going for extended periods of time, its helpful to have a friend, family member, or professional dog walker come and visit your dog midday to get exercise and break up the alone time.

Barking At You

When frustrated or bored, some dogs will bark at their owners for attention. This is known as demand barking. Generally, this behavior is a result of your dog trying to get attention or another need met. If your dog is barking at you excessively, ignore your dogs barking and reward what you do want the quiet moments between barking, engaging with toys etc. When your dog stops barking, praise and reward your dog. While your dog is quiet, engage your dog in play or practice a trick. The idea is to give your dog engagement and attention while they arent barking.

Dont Punish

Having a dog barking too much can be stressful. The frustration can also be heightened if you have neighbors complaining about your dog. When youre stressed, it can be tempting to get loud yourself. However, getting into a yelling match with your dog doesnt solve the barking problem. The louder you yell, the louder your dog barks and generally ends up just escalating your dog instead of calming them down.

Instead of getting frustrated, try to recognize that your dog isnt actively barking to make you mad, rather they are communicating a need or desire in the only way that they know. Punishing your dog for barking through yelling or using an electronic (shock) bark collar, citronella collars, or ultrasonic machines that produce unpleasant sounds doesnt address the underlying issue of why your dog is barking excessively. In addition, being aversive doesnt help your dog learn anything it just punishes behavior without giving an alternative.

Breed Considerations

All dogs are individuals, and some will bark more than others. How much a dog barks can have a variety of causes including a dogs socialization and training. In addition, some dog breeds are naturally more vocal than others. Some breeds tend to bark more because of the jobs (like guarding) that they were bred to do.

Additionally, because of their size, some dogs will have larger and louder barks than other dogs. If you are sensitive to barking or live in an apartment, its important to keep in mind how large a dogs bark is, as well breed characteristics, before getting a dog. If you have a breed that is naturally very vocal, youll need to be especially attentive to supporting your dog to avoid issues with your neighbors.

Regardless of what type of dog you have, the key to changing your dogs behavior is recognizing and addressing the underlying cause for the barking. Once you know why your dog is barking, you can make lifestyle changes to prevent barking and you can teach alternative behaviors.