There are many fruits and vegetables dogs can safely consume. For example, blueberries, strawberries, brussel sprouts, or sugar snap peas. There is also a variety of beans dogs can eat, but are lima beans one of those? Can dogs have lima beans?
Lima beans are also called butter beans, are a great source of fat-free, plant-based protein! So, technically, they should be great for dogs, right?
In this article, we’re going to answer the question of can dogs have lima beans. We’re also going to take a closer look at all the health benefits lima beans have.
Before we take a deeper look into lima beans, we have already analyzed other kinds of beans:
- Can Dogs Eat Beans?
- Edamame Beans: Can Dogs Really Eat Them?
- Can Dogs Eat Black Beans?
Can dogs have lima beans?
The short answer to this question is yes! Your dog can definitely eat lima beans. The next question that needs to be answered is why would you feed your dog lima beans. What is it that makes them great?
Health benefits of lima beans
As mentioned above, lima beans are a great source of protein for your dog. But besides this they are rich in fiber and iron as well! Lima beans are also a great source of:
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Copper
- Folate
- Phosphorus
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
But what does that mean for your dog’s health? Why should your dog eat lima beans?
Fibers are great for your dog’s digestive system. Just don’t overdo it with fiber. Too much can be very bad for your dog’s system.
However, you should know that fibers won’t only make your dog go potty, but they will also make your dog eat less and feel fuller for longer. Which is great for overweight dogs.
Moreover, fibers also protect your dog’s colon. Fibers fight the cancer-causing chemicals that are in his colon. Additionally, dietary fiber helps to regulate blood sugar content.
The iron that can be found in lima beans is good for your dog’s cardiovascular system and red blood cells.
Negative effects of lima beans
Lima beans are healthy, but too much of a good thing can be bad too!
Let’s take the fiber that can be found in lima beans as an example. We’ve said that it’s great for your dog’s health. However, too much fiber and the sugar that is in lima beans can cause your dog to be very gassy! This is because your dog’s digestive tract can’t break down this sugar completely, so it leads to gassiness.
Now, the problem isn’t gas only. Besides being gassy, if your dog eats too much lima beans they could experience nausea, diarrhea, and stomach ache. All of this is caused by the dietary fiber lima beans are rich in.
How to feed lima beans to dogs
Now that you know all the benefits and risks of lima beans, let’s see how you should prepare lima beans for your dog.
Preservatives are super bad for your dog, so please don’t feed them any canned lima beans. Only fresh, well cooked lima beans are safe for your pooch and don’t use any spices either!
We also need to stress something. Only because lima beans are healthy, doesn’t mean you should force feed them to your dog. It’s okay if your dog doesn’t like the taste of lima beans. Different dogs like different things.
Besides this, lima beans should only be a nice, healthy addition to your dog’s diet. Not the only source of protein, fiber, iron, and other nutrients.
Your dog needs to eat a balanced, healthy diet that has all the important nutrients.