Healthy and Happy Pup: When Your Puppy Can Eat Carrots?

At what age can puppies eat raw carrots?

A puppy will drink milk from his mother until he is weaned. The gradual transition of a puppy’s diet from their mother’s milk to solid food is known as weaning. It is a gradual process and the puppy will eat a different amount each week until their diet is 100% solid food. And this occurs by the time they reach 7 or 8 weeks of age. When pet parents get your puppy from a reputable breeder, your dog should already be on a 100% solid food diet. So what age can puppies eat raw carrots? After 12 weeks is a safe age. You can start giving little pieces of cooked carrots as a treat. And transition with raw little pieces. My dog Happy was eating the whole carrots straight from the ‘potager’ at this age, but by now, you should know that she is a special case…

Cold carrots – The Teething tool

At 4 months old, your puppy is teething. She’s losing her baby teeth and her adult teeth are pushing through her gums. As with human babies, the teething process is painful, but instead of fussing and crying like a baby would, your puppy chews to relieve the pain. Cold carrots, ice cubes, and frozen Kong feel good on her sore gum and keep her occupied for a long time.¹

Can puppies nibble on raw carrots?

Yes, the puppy’s digestive system absorbs and digests correctly raw carrots. And after 12 weeks a puppy can eat his raw carrots. Always follow the rule as you would with feeding any other dog treat to your furry friend, and make sure that fresh carrots and other snacks don’t make up more than 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake. For adult dogs, and puppies you can cut carrots into smaller pieces or cut them to the dimension of a bone you would give your puppy. Carrots are full of natural sugar, so only use them as an occasional treat.

Happy and I had a secret, and I am willing to share it with you. When Happy was a puppy, I used whole carrots as a dental treat. I still do. She enjoyed so much her crunchy snack. When given cold, the raw carrot was a soothing treat for her pup’s sore teeth and gums! If you have a small puppy, cut the carrot into small pieces chunks (make sure they aren’t too big as this can be a choking hazard) and then pop them into your fridge or freezer. Your teething puppy will be so happy!

If you are anxious about giving human food to your puppy, I understand. Talk to your veterinarian about how many carrots you should feed your canine companion daily, and ask if there are any other health concerns associated with adding this human food to your dog’s diet. 

Health Benefits of Carrots for Dogs

Carrots offer dog owners an affordable and nutritious snack for their pets. In addition, this vegetable is perfect for rewarding good behavior without the calorie count associated with biscuits and other dog treats. Some vets even recommend cold or frozen carrots for teething puppies, as a way to relieve discomfort.²

Large frozen carrots make cheap and edible chew toys. Furthermore, chewing on carrots can also help improve your dog’s dental health. More importantly, carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber, among other vitamins.³

Carrot Juice and pulp

If you have a juicer, you can have the carrot juice for you and give your puppy the carrot pulp. I would use small amounts as an addition to a regular meal more than as a treat. New food can be considered not appealing for certain dogs. Go gradually, if you need to.

Healthy Treat, Healthy Snack

For a happy puppy, switch the daily commercial treat for a raw carrot, your puppy will love them and it’s good for them.  A big dog doesn’t need giant dog biscuits; a little snack is sufficient. ⁴

I know you can feed your dogs the leafy greens of top of the carrots, my dog won’t eat it unless it is steamed and puree. So I mainly compost it. 

 

Nutrition from a carrot

The bottom line on vegetables is that your dog needs them, they are best fed raw, and for maximum value to your dog in a nutritional sense, they must be TOTALLY CRUSHED to release their contents. The easiest way to do this is to put them through a juicer and feed the pulp… and as much or as little of the juice as you like.⁵

Is your puppy a healthy weight?

If you are worry about weight gain, carrots is probably the answer to you. It is a natural low-calorie snack and a great way to encourage your canine companion of including veggie in her diet. It’s great to feed dogs fruits and vegetables in moderation. However, it’s important to ensure they have a balanced diet and proper exercise to maintain a healthy weight.

Vitamins in carrots

Large frozen carrots make cheap and edible chew toys. Furthermore, chewing on carrots can also help improve your dog’s dental health. More importantly, carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber, among other vitamins. ⁶

With each carrot, if you puree it, your dog will get a boost of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, beta-carotene, and all these vitamins.

• vitamins A
• vitamin B
• vitamin C, 
• vitamin D, 
• vitamin E 
• vitamin K.

What about baby carrots?

This article from Delish is eye-opening and according to them, you should not eat baby carrots. The article is interesting, and I agree not to feed slimy carrots to my puppies. “As a longtime carrot connoisseur, I love every type out there. Except for one: packaged baby carrots. That’s right, those unnaturally perfect miniature carrot-like specimens that are sold everywhere from upscale grocery stores to gas stations to corporate office vending machines. They’re bad in every way.” ⁷

In conclusion, 

Yes, please give your puppy a carrot. At what age can puppies eat raw carrots? After 3 months is safe. My dogs go bonkers if they have to wait too long for them. It’s a sweet tasty treat with a crunchy texture that is good for small dogs and big ones. They are a good source of vitamins and a low-calorie treat. Absolutely! Let your furry friend enjoy the crunchy goodness of a carrot! It’s a healthy and delicious treat that your dog will thank you for!

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AFFILIATE LINKS

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Books for pet parents

• Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month
• The Puppy Primer
• Give your dog a bone

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1.  Your golden retriever puppy month by month: everything you need to know. Albert Terry, Eldredge, Debra et al. ↩︎
2. akc.org ↩︎
3.  https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-carrots/ ↩︎
4. Albert, Terry; Eldredge, Debra; Gunther, Alan. Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month: Everything You Need to Know at Each Stage to Ensure Your Cute and Playful Puppy Grows into a Happy, Healthy Companion (Your Puppy Month by Month) (p. 325). DK Publishing. Kindle Edition. ↩︎
5. Billinghurst, Dr. Ian. Give Your Dog a Bone (p. 252). Dogwise. Kindle Edition.  ↩︎
6. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-carrots/#:~:text=Large%20frozen%20carrots%20make%20cheap,and%20fiber%2C%20among%20other%20vitamins. ↩︎
7. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a43181414/dont-eat-baby-carrots/ ↩︎