Ginger, a very popular spice in many cultures and different cuisines around the world, not only has the ability to give that special “oomph” a dish needs to move it from tasty to spectacular, it also has the ability to improve dozens of health markers that may otherwise be going downhill for us as the years pass by.
But, what about Ginger for dogs? What if you were thinking about adding some Ginger to some dog food your pooch is having for one of their meals to make it taste better?
Or, what if you were told by someone that incorporating this ingredient into your dog’s diet has similar capabilities of improving their health markers just like it can for you and me?
Can Dogs Eat Ginger? Or Is Ginger Bad For Dogs?
To answer this question in short, YES, dogs can eat Ginger and Ginger has many health benefits to offer Fido.
At the very least, there is no evidence out there that suggests that ginger is toxic to dogs (as stated by veterinarian Dr. Marie Haynes), so that’s something you won’t have to worry about.
However, this is one of those cases where you don’t want to go overboard in incorporating an ingredient into your dog’s day to day diet, as something as beneficial as Ginger for your dog can easily turn into a harmful ingredient if given in excessively high amounts.
Just like Ginger can offer your dog all sorts of health benefits mentioned in the next section below, it can also cause a whole world of problems and discomfort for your dog if they’re given this ingredient in excessively high dosages, such as stomach pain, diarrhea, loose stools, vomiting, etc ..
So, as long as you stick to moderation, then YES, your dog can have Ginger every now and then and can very well reap the health benefits that this spice has to offer.
Why Is Ginger Good For Dogs?
So, now that we got that out of the way, what is it that exactly makes Ginger good for dogs? What properties does this ingredient have that can enhance the overall health and well-being of all out precious Fidos?
Let’s have a look, shall we?
Why Is Ginger Good For Dogs?
Stomach Relief: Just like Ginger is rich in properties that can help sooth our stomachs during times when our digestive systems are troubled, there is enough evidence out there to have us believe that Ginger can also soothe the stomach of dogs during times when their digestive systems are troubled as well.
So, the next time your dog is having a troubled stomach and displaying related symptoms, consider giving them some Ginger to ease the situation.
Help With Bloat: Not only does Ginger have properties that can help your dog with their troubled digestive system, it also has properties that can help relieve your dog from bloating (similar to the properties Papaya has that can decrease bloating in dogs), a condition that may seem like a little bit of discomfort and excessive gas to you and I, but one that is actually very dangerous on the lives of dogs.
Joint Pain: One of the most recommended ingredients that dog owners are often advised to include in their older dog’s diet is Ginger.
Why exactly? Just like cinnamon, Ginger is very well known to be packed with anti inflammatory properties that tremendously help ease any existing joint pain that dogs may be suffering from, as well as help prevent such joint problems from occurring in the future.
So, if you have a senior dog that suffers from any condition such as arthritis or are looking to prevent these problems from affecting your dog in the future, Ginger is a tremendous ingredient you should give consideration.
Rich in AntiOxidants: Ginger is rich in antioxidant properties which are of much benefit to dogs as they are for us.
Decreased Risk Of Heart Problems: Ginger also does its fair share of decreasing potential heart problems in dogs, again much thanks to the rich profile of antioxidants it boasts.
Heartworm Treatment: Ginger is successfully used, in its multiple different forms, by many dog owners to treat conditions of heartworms in dogs.
With that being said, this is not a recommendation for anyone out there with a dog that suffers from heartworms to run a self-diagnosis and come up with their own treatment plan for it with Ginger.
You still need to have your dog checked by a medical professional for such a case and Ginger for dogs alone won’t be enough.
Help With Constipation: Is your dog having a difficult time with constipation? Besides ensuring you feed your dog a high fiber diet to ensure a regular pooping schedule, you should also consider including Ginger in their diet for the many properties it contains that are known to get the digestive system “up and moving”, to say the least.
Motion Sickness: Preferring to go down the natural route and not having to resort to medication instead, many dog owners prefer to give their dogs a specific dosage of Ginger a certain amount of time before they go road trips with their dogs in the car, in a successful attempt to keep motion sickness at bay.
Many dog owners frequently report that after giving their dogs a certain dosage of Ginger around half an hour before a car drive that used to give them motion sickness and make them feel nauseous, those feelings were gone and their dog felt better than ever.
How Can I Give My Dog Ginger?
Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about the benefits of Ginger for dogs, how exactly can you give your dog Ginger and incorporate this ingredient in their diet?
First off, you need to figure out which form of Ginger you want to buy so you give that to your dog and incorporate it into their day to day food and regimen.
When it comes to the available forms of Ginger you can give your dog, you have the option of going with the pure and raw form of Ginger, powdered Ginger or Ginger tablets, with each of these three most popular and widely available forms being appropriate in different circumstances.
If you want to give your dog raw Ginger to eat, you have to make sure that you remove any skin from around the Ginger and that none of that makes its way into your dog’s digestive system.
The only part of the Ginger that your dog should ever be consuming is the yellow part that you get after the skin is removed.
After that, make sure that you cut the yellow part of the Ginger into small, tiny pieces which you can later choose to mix in with the dog food you’re going to feed Fido, or give them a few tiny pieces to eat as a treat every now and then.
With the powdered form of Ginger, you can mix in the specific dosage with the food your dog is having for a certain meal.
As for the tablet form of Ginger, this will obviously have to be swallowed by your dog as is, in which case the majority of dog owners find it very easy to get their dog to swallow it by having it “coated” within the frame of a treat they can swallow altogether in one gulp (for example, coating the Ginger tablet with peanut butter on the outside).
There are also many dog treat recipes out there based on Ginger (such as this one from Positively and this one from FidoBakery), so feel free to check those out if that’s your kind of thing.
How Much Ginger Can I Give My Dog?
How much Ginger you should be giving your dog, and how frequently you should be doing this, is going to differ from the same case with other dog owners, depending on a whole host of different factors.
Some of these most important factors that come into play are your dog’s age, how much they weigh and what specific condition you’re looking to treat in your dog with the administration of Ginger dosages.
For example, someone looking to give their dog dosages of Ginger will be advised by their veterinarian to follow a different schedule than someone looking to do the same to solve their dog’s anxiety problem or motion sickness problem.
So, talk to your veterinarian about this, tell them what it is exactly you’re trying to achieve upon giving your dog Ginger, and they’ll be able to guide you best with what schedule you have to follow, how much each dosage has to be, what form of Ginger for dogs is best for your pooch, etc ..
When Is Ginger For Dogs Bad And Best Avoided?
As is the case with all good things in life, they can backfire on us real fast if they’re used in the wrong circumstances, and the same holds true for giving dogs Ginger.
As we’ve already established throughout the entirety of this article, Ginger can be a wonderful ingredient to incorporate into your dog’s diet from time to time and for various different reasons, but there are some times where it’s best that you avoid giving any amount of Ginger at all to your dog.
In the shortlist below, we’ve mentioned the most common situations where Ginger can be bad and harmful for dogs, and is hence best avoided.
Allergy: First and foremost, ensure that your dog is not in any way, shape or form allergic to Ginger, as allergic reactions will otherwise occur and can lead to tragic results.
Surgery/Recovery: Ginger is bad for dogs that are expected to go into surgery anytime soon, as this ingredient does have blood thinning properties which may lead to excessive loss of blood during surgery and great difficulty in proper post-surgery healing for dogs.
Health Conditions: Ginger contains properties that may conflict with certain health conditions that some dogs suffer from, so it’s always advised that you talk to your veterinarian first before incorporating this ingredient into your dog’s diet in order to make sure that no health conflicts will exist.
One of the most common health conditions that Ginger seriously conflicts with, and this is true in both humans and dogs alike, is Diabetes.
Why? That’s because Ginger has properties that can lower blood sugar levels, something you definitely do not want happening with your diabetic dog.
So, always ask your veterinarian first whether or not Ginger will cause any conflicts with whatever health condition your dog has and is going through.
Medication: Ginger contains properties that may conflict with certain medication that your dog may be on, so you should also discuss this issue with your veterinarian first to make sure that the coast is clear.
Its always a good idea to educate yourself on what your dog can and can’t eat and we have plenty more articles on this site on the subject, for instance this article on Can you dog eat Catnip?
