Is Broccoli Toxic for Dogs?

There’s a bit of confusion in regard to broccoli toxicity to dogs. There are plenty of other human foods that can be given to dogs that will not cause any problems and there are also foods that can harm them if they are given in a large amount of it. Actually broccoli is not bad for dogs, as with any food, the key is in the amount of food given to the pup. If the percentage of broccoli in the diet exceeds 10% it can cause gastrointestinal upsets and if it exceeds 25% it is fatal. The toxic ingredient in broccoli is isothiocyanate and it is reported to be a pretty potent gastrointestinal irritant.

Broccoli contain high amount of oxalic acid which interferes with calcium absorption. So you should only give your dog quite small quantities for it to be safe. So, if your Lab were to get into a piece of broccoli, it wouldn’t do any damage. However, if it were to get into a large bag of broccoli, then I would suggest you seek a veterinarian’s assistance immediately. It is all about monitoring the intake of any human foods even though they may give us those puppy dog eyes when we are eating one of those foods, we need to resist them in order to keep our dogs safe and healthy.