15-Healthy Vegetables for German Shepherd

Last Updated on January 26, 2023 by Amanda P. Brown

Taking care of a German shepherd is not as easy as many people think. Significantly when you raise a German shepherd, you have to know about their food habits. They eat human food like a pizza crust, cheese, rice, cooked eggs or chicken, etc. But all human foods are not useful to their body. Naturally, they like to eat vegetables, meats or any fruit. Among them, somevegetables for German shepherd are helpful indeed.

Many people used to worry about their German shepherd eating habits because several foods increase the shepherd’s weight. But vegetables have minerals, fiber, vitamins, and a high amount of protein, with fewer calories. 

15- Nutritious Vegetables for German Shepherd

Though all types of vegetables are not healthy for your German shepherd, so here we will share a proper chart of vegetables that are best for your German shepherd.

1. Butternut Squash 

For safe and good health, butternut squash is an excellent item in the German shepherd vegetable’s chart. People technically know this as a fruit, but this is a vegetable item, so we listed it here. It consists of potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin K, A, and C. 

Overall, squash help to develop a high immune system that can prevent certain diseases such as diarrhea. It is mainly useful for German shepherd muscles, skin, and eyes. If you serve raw butternut squash, it will be difficult for your German shepherd to digest the squash. Besides, this butternut squash has a good taste with a nutty and sweet flavor. 

So we must suggest you not add salt, fats, or sugar when you cook this for your German shepherd. You can serve this butternut squash to your German shepherd by making a roast or soup.

2. Bell Peppers

All the colors and types of bell peppers consist high amount of antioxidants and vitamin A, B, C, and E. You may know that Vitamin A is essential for the eyes, skin, and coat. First, introduce small quantities of bell pepper to your German shepherd before adding this to your German shepherd vegetables item. 

When serving this bell pepper to your German shepherd, you have to dispel the seed from this and cook this. Cooked bell pepper also enhances their digestibility. For spicier varieties, we suggest no to give other pepper except bell peppers. 

3. Bok Choy

You can provide Bok Choy to your German shepherd. This Chinese cabbage consists of phosphorous, fiber, antioxidants, magnesium, and vitamin C, K, A. So, you can keep this vegetable item in your German shepherd diet chart. 

Your German shepherd can only eat its leaves because the German shepherd cannot digest other parts of it. You can cut its leaves into small pieces to feed your German shepherd.

4. Carrots

Carrot contains a high fiber source with low calories. It has copper, potassium, manganese, iron, vitamin A, B9, C, and K, pantothenic acid. Moreover, if your German shepherd is pregnant, carrots can take first place on your German shepherd diet list. It can also produce red types of blood cells and sustain oxygen in the body. Carrots also prevent cancer. 

However, carrots can clean your German shepherd’s teeth. Anyone can make a balanced diet for their German shepherd with this carrot. Again, some German shepherd likes to eat raw carrots. You can also serve steam carrots to your German shepherd. Remember that, don’t provide a boiled carrot to them. Overall, carrots can be the best food for a German shepherd.

5. Eggplant

Vegetables for German shepherdsare useful for their bones and for improving their immune system against some diseases. Eggplant is one of them. Eggplant can prevent kidney disease of your German shepherd. The eggplant is also known as brinjals or aubergines, containing vitamin K and B, potassium, and fiber. Raw eggplant can cause trouble to their digesting process, so it is better to serve cooked eggplant to your German shepherd. Moreover, you can provide it to your German shepherd as baked, roasted, and grilled.

Although some shepherds have allergies to this eggplant, you must be sure about your shepherd’s allergic issues before you give this to your German shepherd. You can also consult your veterinarian before eggplant inclusive in the German shepherd food chart.

6. Beetroots

Beetroots has vitamin C, iron, potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Its ironworks prevent anemia in the German shepherd body. It also contains minerals that help to boost the German shepherd nervous system and immune system. Beetroots can develop the healthy renal function and bones of your German shepherd. Avoid pickled and canned beetroots from serving it to your German shepherd because it may harm your shepherd’s kidney. 

You can give these raw beetroots to your German shepherd. But many German shepherds have allergies to beetroot. So before you serve this to your German shepherd, confirm that your shepherd has such an allergy or not.

7. Green Beans

Green beans are the only vegetable item you can serve as canned, steamed, and raw to your German shepherd. It is safe for your shepherd, consisting of vitamins A, B6, C, high fiber, calcium, iron, and low calories. 

 If you want to reduce the weight of your German shepherd, then Green beans are the best choice for you. But do not take green beans diet for your German shepherd without direction from the veterinarian. 

8. Tomatoes

Many people want to know, that Can German shepherds eat Tomatoes? We say yes, you can keep this tomato item in your German shepherd vegetables list.  

But do not give them green tomatoes. You can be fed only red and ripe tomatoes to your German shepherd. Avoid serving leaves or steam part of tomatoes because steam and leaves contain solanine. Solanine is harmful to any animal.

9. Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a safe vegetable for your German shepherd. Pumpkin contains high nutrients with Vitamin A, C, E, lutein, calcium, fiber, and iron. People who want their German shepherd to lose weight can put pumpkin items in their balanced diet. Pumpkin also helps to cure diarrhea. You can serve this pumpkin with your regular German shepherd homemade food.

10. Cucumber

Though cucumber is known as a fruit, some people treat cucumber as a vegetable, so we listed it here. In the summer, cucumber is the best food for a German shepherd. Cucumber is one of the loaded watery vegetables which can keep your German shepherd hydrated. Lots of Vitamin C, K, and B1, magnesium, calcium, potassium exist in the cucumber.  

Besides, the cucumber increases the immune system’s ability and improves eyes, bones, and muscles. You can serve cucumber to your German shepherd with its skin, or you can cut the raw cucumber into small pieces and serve your German shepherd.

Afterward, sometimes overeating cucumber can cause Gastrointestinal (GI) issues in the German shepherd’s stomach. We suggest you not feed excess cucumber to your German shepherd.  

11. Sweet Potato

Feeding sweet potatoes to your German shepherd helps to improve their digestive system and transporting oxygen. Sweet potatoes have high nutrition with iron, vitamin A, C, E, B6, calcium, thiamine, copper, and potassium. It can increase the immune system too. 

You can serve cooked and only skin removed potatoes to your German shepherd. You can also provide boiled or mashed potatoes to them. If your German shepherd has a diabetic problem, you have to avoid giving it to them or feed them less amount of it.

12. Celery

Celery is another vegetable for your German shepherd, which keeps them healthy. Celery consists of fiber, potassium, manganese, folate, and lots of vitamins C, A, and K. Even veterinarian also recommend celery for dogs. You can add 10% of celery to your German shepherd diet chart. 

13. Broccoli

You can serve both raw and cooked broccoli to your German shepherd. Broccoli is indeed a good source of vitamin C and fiber. Although, overeaten broccoli creates gastric irritation in your German shepherd stomach. So, cut it into small pieces in a minimal amount is the best way to serve your German shepherd.

14. Corn

While you are having a busy day, you can give your German shepherd corn a quick boost of energy. Corn contains more amounts of protein, antioxidants, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and fiber. Existing carbohydrates develop the motility and gut health of your German shepherd. 

You can add a little amount of corn to your German shepherd-balanced diet. Research shows that Crusty Oval Bread (COB) is harmful to your German shepherd because corn COB is risky for intestinal blockage. A minimal amount of popcorn or canned corn can be served to your German shepherd.  

15. Radish

Radish is the ultimate vegetable for your German shepherd, improving the digestive system and immunity system. It contains vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. This vegetable can be served raw to your German shepherd. 

Overeaten radish causes diarrhea and gas. So you can put less amount of radish on the German shepherd’s diet chart.

What Human Foods Can German Shepherd Eat?

In a regular eating habit, German shepherd used to eat human foods. But every human food may have toxic for a German shepherd. Excess eating human foods are also risky for your German shepherd. 

We provide here some non-toxic food that can be feed to the German shepherd; these are- 

• Peanut 
• Cheese 
• Pizza 
• Meat
• Salmon 
• Grapes
• Carrots
• Eggs
• Cashews
• Popcorn 
• Pineapple 
• Bread 
• Watermelon 
• Blackberries
• Corn 
• Tomatoes
• Apples
• Oatmeal

What Should I Not Feed My German Shepherd?

Some people feed their German shepherd from their plate. But they have no knowledge that some food may poisonous for their German shepherd. Sometimes German shepherd can die from these toxic foods. You should know that what food you cannot feed to your German shepherd. 

Foods that should not feed to the German shepherd: 

• Garlic
• Horse Chestnuts (Conkers)
• Avocado
•  Macadamia Nuts
•  Mushrooms
• Rhubarb Leaves
• Onions 
• Walnuts
• Green Tomatoes 
• Cooked Rice
• Chocolates 
• Alcohol 
• Coffee
• Yeast (Dough)
• Hops 
• Garlic 
• Cherry Pits

Final Verdict 

Nowadays, people are treating their pets like children. The German shepherd is one of them. People use German Shepherds for military work, assistance, acting, police, and rescue work. So we must be conscious of their nutritional need.

Taking care of your German shepherd is the most challenging work because you must know what they won’t eat. You need to take care of nutrition when you make a list of their foods. Many people used to look for the best vegetables for German shepherdsto keep their shepherd healthy and robust. Thereby, it is necessary to feed them healthy vegetables to keep them fit and fine. In this article, we have suggested 15 healthy vegetables for your German shepherd. We hope it may help you.