Can Dogs Eat Water Chestnuts?

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Water chestnuts an aquatic vegetable that is extremely famous and an integral part of almost every cuisine. Like chestnuts, water chestnuts are the same in color and shape; water chestnut is the most favorite of human being due to its numerous health benefits.

Now, here is confusion, are water chestnuts suitable for canines or not? What if we give chestnuts to pups- would they be able to digest it or not? Does water chestnut provide the same benefits to canines like human beings?

Are you facing the same doubts and uncertainties? If it is so, then dig out this article to soothe your confusion and find the true answers.

What is Water Chestnut?

Water chestnuts are neither nuts nor fruit, but they have a sweet and nutty flavor harvested as a food product. These veggies are part of the sedge family which are just grown in water, not on land. 

Water chestnuts are very popular in Asian cuisine, used to add crunchiness and palatable taste to dishes.

Water chestnuts are aquatic tuber veggies grown in ponds, paddy fields, shallow lakes, and marshes. Chestnuts are an excellent source of antioxidants that are helpful for the body’s immune system to fight free radicals, the potentially harmful molecules. What a healthy feature!

These chestnuts are used in sweet drinks, syrups, and medicines as well- a happy and nutritious drink. You can find these yummy veggies in health stores,  grocery stores, and canned or fresh.

Can Dogs Eat Water Chestnuts?

Yes, water chestnuts are safe for dogs to eat as these come in the form of vegetables, not a nut or fruit. Water chestnuts usually grow in different parts of  Africa, Australia, and Asia. These nuts are a combination of a sweet and nutty flavor which is very attractive and delicious for your puppy.

Water chestnuts are commonly found in fresh and canned form in the markets, but it’s the best option always to give a fresh and new form of chestnuts to your dogs.

Water chestnuts are great for your dogs, and they enjoy it. It has an enormous number of vitamins and nutrients, which are helpful to keep your dog healthy. 

Your proper serving will be beneficial for your pets to enjoy a healthy meal from water chestnuts.

These chestnuts are highly nutritious and a healthy snack for your dogs. Dogs enjoy water chestnuts mainly because of their freshness and crunchiness, so your pet enjoys them in raw form excitedly.

Health Benefits of Water Chestnuts

Can Dogs Eat Water Chestnuts?

Water chestnuts offer several health benefits, although water chestnuts do not have extraordinary nutrition.

Water chestnuts help you to expel the impurities and solve the issue of indigestion. It provides a significant amount of vitamin B6, riboflavin, copper, and manganese. It gives us a starchy texture due to the richness of carbohydrates in it. 

A good amount of fiber in water chestnuts helps you to keep the digestive tract active. There is good fat in freshwater chestnuts rather than the canned variety.  

We came to know after various studies that water chestnuts contain antioxidants and antibiotic compounds.

Precautions before Serving Water Chestnuts:

Before serving water chestnuts to your furry one, don’t forget to remove the outer skin; it may be harmful and cause choking. Secondly, you may cook or grind them before serving. You can also mix this paste with dog food. Salted and grilled water chestnuts combination is not suitable for dogs, as it may cause indigestion because high fiber foods with salt are harmful. 

Serve your dog’s limited portions of water chestnuts, as excessive intake of water chestnuts can lead to digestion problems but will not be toxic. A tiny portion will be healthy and tasty meals for your dogs.

Water Chestnut and Puppy’s Health Benefits

Multiple health benefits are attached to water chestnuts because water chestnuts are rich in vitamins, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber.

DHA is a component in omega-3 fatty acids that are important for brain and eye development in dogs. So, if you want a good development of your pet’s eyes and brain, feed him an appropriate amount of water chestnuts as it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acid.

Water Chestnut and Big Dog’s Health Benefits

The health benefits of water chestnuts are not only associated with the pup but older dogs too. This amazing and healthy water chestnut helps to slow down and minimizes cognitive aging. As we have discussed, omega-3 is good for the eyes and the brain. Similarly, it works wonders on the joints. 

Water chestnut also helps to reduce inflammation of the body; thus, feel free to feed your innocent soul (dog) with water chestnut. The wonder list of water chestnuts also helps to decrease the pain associated with arthritis.

Omega-3, obtained from fog chestnuts, helps to solve kidney problems. Moreover, chronic diseases can be improved or slowed down via omega-3 that is a blessing factor.

Water chestnuts also deliver protein and fiber that is an integral part of every canine’s diet- you can give water chestnuts to your pooch to fulfill their protein weaknesses.

Have you any idea? When you ingest protein, it breaks down to amino acid, rearranged, and quickly repairs most of the body tissues. Few bites of water chestnuts give unlimited benefits to your pup. Isn’t it something satisfying and happy? 

Fiber is important for digestive health. It helps prevent the overgrowth of any unhealthy bacteria and can help the intestines repair after being injured. 

So, all the benefits of water chestnut are discussed, except vitamin C that is extremely beneficial. Vitamin C contains antioxidant properties and reduces the acidity of the body that is extremely inspiring. Isn’t it?

It is nice to know that water chestnuts contain dozens of benefits for your pet. Do you know, your furry friend prepares vitamin C on their own in their liver, and the same happens with the human body. 

Therefore, additional vitamin C is not harmful to the human diet because the roles of vitamin c are exceptional. Vitamin C minimizes inflammation of the human and your 4-paw friend’s body. Moreover, this amazing little piece of veggie slows down the cognitive aging of your innocent pet. 

Don’t get surprised when I say this scrumptious water chestnut delivers vitamin B-6, iron, magnesium, and calcium along with vitamin c! 

A little water chestnut and hundreds of health benefits- what a wow deal!

What Happens When Dogs Eat Too Many Water Chestnuts?

Water chestnuts are healthy for dogs to eat, but an excessive amount of them can be harmful to your furry friend. There is no perfect measurement of how much you gave them but make sure you don’t serve it as a whole meal; just serve it as a snack- a small portion.

Serving too much water chestnuts may cause diarrhea or abdominal pain if medical is not given on time. Though these are very healthy,  starch in water chestnuts can cause digestive problems for your dogs. 

You must moderate the amount of serving; otherwise, it will lead to gastrointestinal issues in the dogs. The outer skin is a choking hazard, so you must remove the outer skin before serving.

Water Chestnut and Some Noteworthy Points

Before jumping on the next point, note the following things: these are helpful for your little yet lovable pet.

  1. Your paw friend is enormously sensitive; you can not feed him anything at any time, according to your desired amount.
  2. A similar thing is with water chestnuts; you can not feed a heavy amount of water chestnuts to your canine by seeing its tons of wonders.
  3. Don’t give canned water chestnuts to your furry friend as these are not health-friendly.
  4. Don’t give a lot of chestnuts to your pet companion in one meal as it is dangerous for its little stomach. It can turn benefits into miseries.
  5. If you feel any difficulty, you can consult your canine’s vet or nutritionist for guidance. In this way, you will know the right proportion of chestnuts that you can feed your friendly pooch. 

Are Water Chestnuts Bad For Dogs?

The answer is no! Dogs can safely enjoy these small veggies! They are just as healthy for your dogs as for you.

These healthy veggies can hydrate your dog because it contains a high amount of water. These are really helpful for the healthy kidneys of your dogs as these veggies have a high amount of potassium as well. It’s better to serve them fresh rather than canned because they may contain too much sodium and starchy, which may be hard to digest even though it’s a healthy diet for your dogs.

Water chestnuts are very healthy for humans and suitable for dogs too. It’s amazing! Its ingredients are healthy for your furry baby. It is helpful for upset tummies and helps to improve the heart. These low-fat veggies are also a nice treat for overweight dogs. These are healthy snacks that are safe for your furry baby.

Can Dogs Eat Roasted Chestnuts?

Yes, chestnuts aren’t toxic for your dogs; they are secure to eat. It consists of a high amount of fiber which helps your dog in the digestion of food. Fiber is also very helpful in reducing the chances of colon cancer in your dog. They contain complex types of carbohydrates that are quite helpful in re-energizing.

Chestnuts have a huge amount of omega fatty acids, which helps to keep your dog’s skin and coat in a good position. Potassium is also a significant part of chestnuts, which is quite useful for your dog’s heart functions, brain functions, muscle activities, and nerve impulses.

Dogs usually have difficulty chewing the raw form of chestnuts, so it is good to give them a mash or roasted chestnuts to avoid choking hazards. 

Your furry friend might be in love with these nuts, but many of them can cause an adverse reaction to their health like cramps, constipation, or diarrhea. So it’s quite important to be careful while serving them to your dog. 

What Is The Difference Between Chestnuts And Water Chestnuts?

Both tree and water chestnuts are delicious but entirely unrelated and belong to different families. The chestnuts belong to the beech tree family, which are forest trees and shrubs. The chestnuts are shiny brown, which develops from catkin-like flowers. 

Chestnuts are starchy, but water chestnuts are crispy and watery.

Raw chestnuts don’t taste good until they are roasted or boiled with shells; the nuts become sweet and edible; on the other hand, water chestnuts are lovely, and you can eat them as raw as they are crispy even after boiling and cooking.

On the other hand, the water chestnuts belong to the sedge family, which are rush-like plants that live in boggy or aquatic places.

Water chestnuts aren’t nuts but “corms.” They grow underground like potatoes. 

They look similar as both have brown skin, but as you peel them out, water chestnuts are different; they have crisp, apple-like texture while chestnuts are starchier and “meatier”.

Can Water Chestnuts Be Eaten Raw?

Of Course, you can eat them raw, grilled, boiled, pickled, or from a can as well. Water chestnuts are unusual because of their qualities as they remain crisp even after being cooked or canned due to their ferulic acid content.

Water chestnuts are grown in marshy and watery areas and can be eaten raw or cooked. If you want to eat them in raw form, you just need to peel and top them off. 

Water chestnut delicacies are common in Asian countries. They are highly versatile and can be enjoyed raw, boiled, fried, pickled, and candied. Water chestnuts are often peeled, diced, sliced, or grated into dishes that you like, such as stir-fries, omelet, or salad, among others.

You can definitely enjoy fresh after washing and peeling, as they have crispy, sweet, and apple-like flesh. The amazing thing about water chestnuts is that their crispness remains the same even after boiling or frying.

Are Chestnuts Poisonous To Dogs?

Water chestnuts aren’t poisonous to dogs. With many micronutrients such as manginess,  copper, and B6, they are very healthy and nutritious. However, this doesn’t mean that you feed your dogs with water chestnuts daily or large amounts frequently.  

You may set a serving portion in small quantities that will be good and healthy.  As they are highly nutritious, and the amount of starch in them may make your pet difficult to digest. The best way to serve is that you make a soft paste by cooking. 

It’s totally fine to feed your dog with water chestnuts as occasional treats. It’s good for health, but the amount of starch in it may create digestion problems, so keep an eye on the quantity they will consume.

Do Water Chestnuts Have Any Nutritional Value?

Of course! Water chestnuts are a multi-nutritional product that delivers unlimited benefits to both human beings and your pet, exclusively canine.

Water chestnuts are nutrient-dense food containing high amounts of fiber, potassium, copper, vitamin B6, and riboflavin with its sweet and crunchy flavor with its extraordinary qualities.  Most of their calories come from their good carb content.

Your canine considers it a yummy treat and eats it happily; moreover, this water chestnut provides numerous health benefits to your lovely pet.

Though water chestnuts do not have a high amount of fiber, happily, they contain low calories and no fat that is safe and satisfying.

Adding on, water chestnuts are an excellent source of B6.

One more amazing thing about water chestnuts is that they contain antioxidants that may reduce many chronic diseases and conditions. 

It can be helpful for you in many ways like It may reduce some types of cancer, help you in weight loss due to its low-fat quality. Water chestnuts are highly nutritious due to their ingredients and low calories.

The healthy list of water chestnuts doesn’t finish here; you will be surprised to know that half a cup of serving water chestnuts contains 45 calories, 1 gram protein, 0 gram fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, and 2 grams sugar. It’s great!

So, feed your pup with water chestnut and let the fun begin!

Conclusion:

So, a big confusion is solved! As people used to think, water chestnuts are bad for their canine or slow poisonous for a puppy, but now things are pretty evident. Numerous foods contain vitamins that are extremely beneficial for your pet and the same is with water chestnut. But keep in mind, you can feed water chestnuts to your dog, but a heavy dose of chestnut can make your pooch fall ill or become a victim of diarrhea. 

Moreover, do not give canned water chestnuts to your pup as it is dangerous for its health; a freshwater chestnut is a good deal. So, bring water chestnuts to your home and make a yummy treat for your furry friend.

Maria Martinez is a dog lover who likes to write about different dog products. She likes to share those products which she owns and uses and provide honest reviews about them.

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