Table of Contents
Dogs are deeply emotional creatures with unique personalities such as loyalty and selflessness. They strongly bond with humans, their families, and other animals.
Although dogs are physically different from people, they share many human body characteristics, including a circulatory system and heart to transport blood around the body, a digestive tract to absorb nutrients from food substances, and lungs that inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
Their fluffy fur, floppy ears, and curly tail rouse children to pat them and pull their ears so often. These lovable creatures are also perfect couches and stroll companions.
However, dogs need a definite combination of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water daily to function properly and stay healthy. When your dog lacks adequate nutrition, it will not be able to perform daily activities with ease, build and repair muscles, or prevent diseases.
Meanwhile, providing your dog with the right food substances can sometimes prove difficult. If you have children, you know that feeding them with the proper diet can be hard enough, let alone adding dogs to the mix. Consequently, several questions arise regarding what to feed them and what not to.
Are you looking to introduce a new source of protein into your dog’s diet? Black beans are a great choice. They contain essential nutrients needed to keep your dog alive, healthy, and active. If you have more questions about black beans, worry less. This article features everything you need to know about adding black beans to your dog’s diet.
Read along to discover what types of beans are safe and unsafe for dogs, if black beans are healthy, how much dogs can consume, and the health benefits of black beans. Let’s dive in!
What Types of Beans Are Unsafe for Dogs?
Beans are a very excellent source of protein, magnesium, and fiber. Nonetheless, they contain a relatively high amount of calories and may not be the most diet-friendly choice.
Unlike avocados, beans are one of those foods safe for human and dog consumption. While it is not surprising that dogs and humans share so many qualities and hence can consume some of the food substances humans feed on, it is essential to know which type of beans to avoid giving to your dogs.
Beans such as raw red kidney beans, coffee beans, refried beans, canned chili beans, fava beans, and baked beans are unsafe for dogs’ consumption and should be avoided in their diet.
Are Black Beans Healthy for Dogs?
Yes, without a doubt. Black beans are good sources of protein and fiber. They can serve as a treat or can be used to supplement your dog’s food. When combined with rice, black beans make a complete protein source.
The following types of beans are also safe for dog consumption.
- Pinto beans
- Kidney beans
- Soybeans
- Garbanzo beans
- Green beans
- Butter beans
- Lima beans
- Lentils
How Much of Black Beans Can Dogs Eat?
Unfortunately, not too much. Your dog’s diet should only contain 10% of black beans. While black beans make a healthy contribution to your dog’s diet, they should not be consumed in large quantities to avoid an excessive intake of calories.
Excessively feeding black beans to your dog can lead to side effects such as abdominal pain, nausea, and indigestion.
Benefits of Black Beans
Black beans are good sources of protein, B vitamins, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, and K, which help improve the dogs’ heart health and maintain a healthy weight by regulating blood sugar. In addition, black beans are vital for boosting your dog’s immune system and enhancing proper tissue growth, blood formation, and cell division.
This bean also contains a good amount of fiber to aid digestion and antioxidants, boosting your dog’s immune system. Black beans have a low glycemic index, sodium, and fat level than other beans. In addition to being incredibly great protein sources, black beans are full of essential fatty acids that keep your dog’s skin healthy.
The Bottom Line
Black beans should be properly cooked before feeding them to your dog to allow easy chewing and digestion. If possible, soak the beans overnight to soften them before cooking them the next day.
Black beans should be fed in moderation, as too many calories in your dog’s diet can lead to weight gain, diabetes, joint disease, pancreatitis, and heart diseases. As proteinous as black beans are, they contain more carbohydrates and proteins. Hence, they should not be used to replace meat and other animal protein sources in a dog’s diet.
Also, black beans can be served mixed with fish, meat, rice, and vegetables to make an adequate healthy meal.
Lastly, dogs that are overweight, diabetic, or suffering from kidney and heart complications should not have beans added to their diet to avoid further health complications.
Therefore, if your dog is showing symptoms of any of the diseases mentioned above, it is crucial to consult your veterinarian before incorporating black beans into its diet to be safe. As the saying goes, “A healthy dog is an incredibly happy dog!”