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Can dogs digest raw vegetables? Do they need processing for nutrients?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 7 years and 7 months old | 17 lbs

Are dogs able to properly digest raw whole vegetables as humans can, or do the vegetables need to be broken down for them to digest the vegetables properly? For example can I give green beans and carrots raw and will they digest them well or is it necessary to purée or steam them beforehand for them to get the nutrients? there seems to be much debate over this and it seems to partly stem from whether or not people consider dogs omnivores or carnivores. please Explain, thank you.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 3rd, 2020

Hello. Dogs are definitely omnivores & can digest grains & vegetables just fine. Many pets enjoy chewing on raw carrots, but a little processing will not hurt with any vegetable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 1st, 2020

    Dogs can digest small quantities of vegetables but they do not digest it as well as we do, for this reason it should be a minor part of their diet, dog's digestive system are mainly accommodated to digest meat.

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