Is khichdi good for dogs?
Yes, dogs can eat khichdi but it is not recommended by most of the veterinarians. In India, khichdi is a popular dish usually prepared to improve digestion in humans but, a dog’s digestion system is different from ours. Food that can be digested by us easily may not be digested by the dogs in the same manner and can create digestive issues. Khichdi is high in carbohydrates and is difficult to be digested by dogs, if it is not made with a certain recipe it can become toxic, as the khichdi we eat has onion and garlic which is toxic for dogs.
What is Khichdi?
Khichdi is a part of South Asian cuisine whose main ingredients are Lentils (daal) and Rice (chawal). In India, khichdi is prepared differently in different parts of the country. It is considered as one of the solid food items that babies can eat. It is usually prepared as a vegetable meal but, one may add fish oil and non-vegetarian ingredients to it, depending upon taste and need.
What is the nutritious content of khichdi?
It contains a good amount of carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fiber, vitamin-C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and a little amount of Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. Some dogs can eat khichdi but if your dog has some serious digestive issues they should strictly avoid eating it.
Well, most of the dogs get their nutrition from non-vegetarian food items therefore khichdi cannot be treated as a regular meal.
What happens when a dog eat khichdi?
Khichdi causes gastric issues in dogs; it may suffer from flatulence as it contains a high amount of carbohydrates and fiber which takes a lot of effort for a dog to digest. Some dogs may suffer from hair loss and become inactive (decrease in energy levels). For dogs that work or are active more than 3 hours a day and need more energy for their normal routine, khichdi is a bad choice.
How to feed khichdi to a dog?
In case you don’t have many options to feed your dog, khichdi can serve the purpose. Make sure it does not become a daily meal.
To prepare khichdi:
- Take 1.5 small cup of rice and 1 small cup of lentils (moong daal)
- Soak rice and lentils in freshwater for 20-30 min. before cooking
- Add 1 small tsp. Turmeric powder
- Add 1/2 -1 small tsp. Salt
To make it more nutritious, you can add some vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, potato, etc. You can cook vegetables for 2-5 min. Using fish oil, olive oil, or flaxseed oil then add 1.5-2 cups of water to it.
Mix all the ingredients and cook for 15- 20 minutes in a pressure cooker and serve it after it gets a bit to the normal temperature.
Is khichdi dangerous for dogs to eat?
As far as there are no other ingredients that make it toxic like onion etc., it is safe to eat. Khichdi is not toxic to dogs but is not recommended by most vets as it can turn out to be bad for some dogs. Dogs who are suffering from cancer, prone to bloat, working dogs, and with the compromised digestive system should not eat khichdi under any circumstances. Eating it will only make its health worse.
Cancer eats carbohydrates, therefore, feeding carbohydrate-rich food will not feed a dog rather it will make cancer grow rapidly and those who tend to bloat can suffer from swelling of the stomach which will hurt them.
Khichdi is not toxic to dogs but make sure you do not feed your pet too much of it. Follow the recipe and make sure that you do not add any toxic ingredients to it. If your dog likes to eat it, feed it occasionally and in small quantities. Dogs who have compromised health should avoid eating khichdi.
What Indian food can I give to my dog?
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