Many dog owners love edamame beans, or the beans from which soy is extracted for tofu. They’re crunchy and tasty, and they are generally a decent snack. Edamame beans also provide calcium, fiber, protein, and omega-3 acids, making them good for dogs. While the general response is that the beans are good for dogs, the specific response is that you may want to debate giving your dog edamame beans; not all dogs do well with the source of soy. Worse, there are some ways that edamame could be bad for your dog. As such, the answer is a conditional “yes”, depending on the dog and how edamame is served.
Can Dogs Eat Edamame Beans?
Humans often forget that dogs cannot eat the same things as humans. The basic reason is simply that canine digestive systems are not set up for the wide range of foods that human digestive systems are capable of processing. Meaning that many human foods are hazardous for dogs.
As such, canines are more likely to be allergic to, or have a reaction to, foods such as soy, which in turn makes them allergic to edamame beans, which are a source of soy. This means that you should feed the dog small amounts of the beans at first, and then increase the amount as your dog proves to be resistant to them.
Can Dogs Eat Edamame Shells?
Edamame pod shells are not toxic in and of themselves to dogs. There is a qualifier here, however: while the shells themselves may not contain any allergens, dogs do not gain any nutritional advantage from them. Also, while larger dogs can eat them with no problem, they may pose a potential choking hazard to smaller dogs.
Overall, this means that while edamame shells may not pose any specific danger to dogs, dogs also gain no advantage from them either.
Is Edamame Bad For Dogs?
Because the canine digestive system is not adapted to dealing with as many different foods as human digestive systems are, sometimes certain food can be bad for dogs. Edamame beans definitely fall under this category; the round, green beans which are used to create the soy from which tofu is made can be potentially toxic to canines. Edamame can lead to numerous health issues for dogs. These can include hair loss, chronic scratching and licking, vomiting, diarrhea and chronic ear infections, as well as thyroid or liver damage. It can also lead to disruption of reproductive health.
As with all new snacks, the health of the dog should be considered over the addition of a new treat. Even if the new snack could be seen as a way to bond with the dog or allow for a greater range of snacks, this does not mean that the new snack should be added without hesitation. Anything new should be treated with suspicion. A little paranoia is a good thing, especially when it comes to the health of the animal; keep that in mind and your dog will live a long and healthy life.
Is Edamame Good For Dogs?
By the same token, edamame can be a great source of omega-3 acids, calcium, protein, and fiber. However, before you can take advantage of those health benefits, you need to make sure that the beans are safe for your dog. As such, you should try very small amounts of edamame for your dog, usually only a few tablespoons, and stop immediately when any negative side-effects present themselves. However, in general, the disadvantages of edamame usually outweigh its advantages.
As such, you should start with just a few tablespoons of the beans to introduce them. If you notice no ill effects, and some of them will be hard to miss, then increase the amount. However, you should probably never go above more than a cup or so of the beans whenever you do feed the dog the beans, and probably no more than two or three cups in a single day.
Even if a dog is not allergic to edamame beans, it does not mean that the beans are without their risks to the health of the dog. Our pooch’s health should be paramount when debating a new snack for any dog.
Is Edamame Safe for Dogs?
While edamame can be somewhat safe for canines, the potential issues need to be considered for when it is prepared or it could be even worse. While raw edamame is good for dogs, how it is prepared can create other potential issues. In general, raw, steamed, and mashed edamame beans are good for canines, provided that they are not allergic to them. These methods do not add anything to the edamame, only change its form; as long as nothing is added, the canine should be fine.
However, fried or baked edamame could be a problem as cooking oils can be bad for dogs, as well as any spices or even salt that is added to the beans in order to cook them. As noted, canines have very delicate systems, and salt, spices, or oils can upset that delicate system. Because of that, you should not really cook anything for dogs that you intend them to eat, and that definitely includes frying or baking. Try to keep the edamame as raw as possible and your dog should enjoy the beans as much as you do, allowing you to share them with your canine when you eat them.
Edamame can be a great treat for your dog. However, not all dogs can eat them, and sometimes just preparing them can take them off the table for dogs. As such, do not start your dogs off with lots of the beans. Try to keep them as close to raw as you can manage in order to make sure that your dog can eat them. As noted, edamame beans can be an outstanding treat for dogs, but allergies and other issues may be an issue. Can dogs eat edamame shells? They can, but there doesn’t seem to be any benefits to feeding your pal these.
Yet again: humans and dogs have vastly different digestive systems and honoring the difference can keep the dogs healthy.
