Collard Greens for Dogs: Benefits, Risks & How to Feed Them
Okay, so I've been seeing a lot of buzz online about feeding dogs collard greens. My pup, Buster, is a picky eater, but he's been having some, uh, digestive issues lately. So, I figured, why not give it a shot? I'm no vet, but I like to try things out and, you know, keep a good record of what happens. So here's how my little experiment went.
Getting Started
First, I went to the grocery store and grabbed a bunch of collard greens. I made sure to pick ones that looked fresh and, like, not wilted or anything. I mean, I wouldn't eat nasty-looking greens, so why would Buster?
Prep Time!
Back home, I gave the greens a good wash. I rinsed them really well under cold water, making sure to get rid of any dirt or, you know, little bugs that might be hiding. I've heard you can even soak 'em in some water with a bit of vinegar, but I just did a thorough rinse.
Cooking the Greens
Now, I've read you can give them raw, but I was a little worried about Buster's tummy handling that. So, I decided to cook them. I didn't want to add any oil or seasoning – just plain, simple greens. I chopped them up into smaller, bite-sized pieces (more like shredding them, really). Then, I put them in the pot.
- Boil water in Pot
- Put chopped collard greens into the pot
- Boil greens until they are soft.
I boiled them until they were nice and soft. Took about, I don't know, 10-15 minutes? I just kept poking them with a fork until they felt tender.
The Taste Test
Once they were cooked, I drained the water and let the greens cool down completely. No way was I giving Buster hot food! I mixed a small spoonful into his regular kibble. He sniffed it cautiously at first (he's always suspicious of new things), but then he gobbled it right up!
The Results
I started small, just a little bit each day, and I kept a close eye on him. Surprisingly, he seemed to like the taste! And, even better, his, um, output seemed a bit more, shall we say, regular. I kept this up for a week, gradually increasing the amount of greens just a tiny bit each day.
So far, so good! He hasn't had any upset stomach issues, and his digestion seems to be improving. I'm not saying it's a miracle cure, but it definitely seems to be helping my dog. I'm going to keep doing this and see how it goes long-term. Always good to try new things, right? And keep tabs on what works and what doesn't. Every dog is different, of course, but for Buster, this little collard greens experiment seems to be a win!
