Quinoa (keen-wah) for your dog! Yes! It is not a grain; its actually a seed related to the spinach family. When cooked, it is light, fluffy, a bit crunchy and has a pleasant subtle flavor. It cooks and tastes like a grain, thereby making it a great replacement for grains that are difficult to digest or feed. It is used in many hypoallergenic foods for dogs. Some of the great things found in Quinoa are:
- Protein - It contains the 9 essential amino acids that help to build muscle
- Magnesium - Which helps relax muscles and lower blood pressure
- Fiber - Aids with proper elimination
- Manganese and Copper - A great team of antioxidants and cancer fighters
Quinoa is close to being one of the most complete foods in nature since it contains amino acids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.
Awesome post Vicki!! Love this idea. I have been using mainly brown rice as a good source of carb for my dogs. However I find they don't feel satisfied enough with brown rice and chicken. I think the quinoa being a higher protein content grain will do the trick! It will give them a little more density without being a white processed nutrient deficient carb source.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip!
Piera
Thanks for sharing this information. I really like your blog post very much. You have really shared a informative and interesting blog post with people.. is quinoa good for dogs
DeleteI am so happy to read this information about Quinoa! Thank You! I had picked up a pkg of organic Quinoa as I searched the grocery for healthy foods for my 4 dogs. I have cooked it 1 dry cup at a time and mixed with parsley, carrots, green beans to mix with whatever their meats for the day. Last week I used 3 lbs of ground chuck, carton of cottage cheese, cooked quinoa, 6 eggs, carrots, green beans and parsley. Lightly baked it in balls to feed them. They seem to respond really well to the quinoa, always licking their bowls clean. I do cook all their meats lightly because I have two old dogs, 13 and 14, and I know that a devastating infection might take either of them down. I mix their meats, using muscle such as chicken gizzards and lamb/beef heart, etc. I am high on parsley for it's value and I notice it keeps them from foraging for grass when they go out to play. I grind dried egg shells in a small coffee grinder for their extra calcium and give them all a high quality salmon oil each day, plus a dried sea source nutrient. So, I DO try to do the best I can and hope it makes a difference. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete4 lb bag of organic goes for 9.99$ at costco...don't wanna advertise for them but I never find anything strange in their stuff...sorry bulk barn
ReplyDeleteby instinct I figured quinoa would be a superb replacement to (GMO) corn & rice...after a roommate questioned the health & safety of feeding this wondrous seed to my dog, I looked it up & was brought to this website...thank you for reconfirming just how awesome my dog must feel now that she's ingesting quinoa! I mix in a bit of chia seeds as well as egg, chicken broth & veggies...yumyum...should be eatin' some myself!
ReplyDeleteJennalynn
You are all awesome.
ReplyDeleteHI,
ReplyDeletewe have a 5 month border collie, she is active! My kids hate quinoa, I might have overfed them with it, then I tried baby wuinoa, it was worse. So, I am happy to know it will be good for the dog. Thanks for tip for the grounded dry egg shells, but how many in a liter of food?
Melany
please remember to rinse quinoa extremely well prior to cooking to remove its bitter coating, very important and surprised its not mentioned. Also always add extra water when cooking grains for dogs and allow it to cook longer :) brit
ReplyDeleteMy 14-yr-old chi is a picky eater and basically went from 2 meals a day to 1. Today she wouldn't eat any of her food so I gave in and looked around as to what I could offer her. I made some quinoa that morning and gave her some, she ate the whole thing. From all I've read (at least people who know that this is a seed and not a grain) the high protein is excellent for dogs and people. Costco is out so I'll be going to another Costco to look for more!
ReplyDeleteHi I have a little cocker spaniel and was not sure whether I should give quinoa to her but she loves it and has it with organic chopped up raw carrot, raw runner beans chopped up and a little cucumber, apple and then add cooked chicken, minced beef, one garlic tablet (1,000mg) and a good all round powder supplement and she appears to be thriving.
ReplyDeletei did mention quinoa to my vet, but he had never heard of it. So good to read many people are feeding to their dogs. Barbara
I read in another site that some dogs cannot digest quinoa. I think this may be the case with my dog. She loves it and I may have given her too much and she also gobbled it down very, very quickly. She was vomiting several times last evening and had a watery BM. I kept an eye on her all night and took her to the vet today. Hopefully in a day or two her little stomach will be back to normal.
ReplyDeleteHello Anonymous I hope your pup is good now? What did the vet say? I am curious as I have just started to give my 16 year old JRT quinoa as he is OFF any rice and sucks all the meat out of it and spits it out! cheeky bugger :) Anyhoo I read that in the right dose in dogs food it is a wonderful food, and he loves it, hasn't licked his plate clean like that for years. I love that it has so many other nutrients and it seems an ideal alternative to rice.
ReplyDeleteMy 2 pups also love quinoa. They never liked regular dog food. They eat every bit of quinoa with cooked veggie and a bit of chicken. However they are always looking for more. 1/2 cup x2 daily does not seem to be enough. Ideas?
Deletejust is not enough. 10 and 15 lbs dogs are always hungry
Oh my gosh have just noticed that there are so many "anonymous posts!" I was asking Anonymous from Dec 3rd thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi all. I was just wondering about dogs being to tolerate Quinoa and was glad to find this. My cocker spaniel has been very sick (AIHA) and I have to be very careful what I feed her. With all the meds she is on, her tummy goes through much and when that happens I use the liver cleansing diet (Dr. Dodds) - now I'll try a little quinoa with the white potatoes (which is in the recipe). Thanks for the information!!!
ReplyDeletePS - She's one of the lucky ones (AIHA dogs) - doing well. :)
I avoid white potatoes and use yams instead. http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/55006392224/sweet-pototato-white-pet-dog#.U3BC93Zrmpo
ReplyDeleteAny high-oxylate food can such as quinoa cause urinary crystal and kidney stone issues in dogs. Almonds, etc...look them up. Certain breeds, such as bully breeds, are specifically prone. This might NOT be a good choice.
ReplyDeleteAlso try coconut oil,it is the best food for people and animals.
ReplyDeleteTrying quinoa for my 14-year-old Aussie Cattle Dog with bone cancer of the jaw. Licking it up! So relieved it's not bad for him. Desperate for non-extruded, non-heat-pressed food to starve the cancer and give him good nutrition. Thanks for the support from all on the page, including the author. Very relieved to hear. Blessings!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/BucketListforJake/?ref=hl
Thank you for posting this awesome information. I didn't know about Quinoa. I will serve my Labrador this healthy and nutritious food item for sure.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Perrie Jinnie
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