Can Dogs Eat Sunflower Seeds?

Crunchy, nutty, and delicious are the three synonymous for the sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are obtained from the sunflowers, which belong to herbaceous plants, the Asteraceae family. Sunflower seeds are highly nutritious sources of fatty acids, minerals, protein, and vitamins. But can dogs eat sunflower seeds? Are sunflower seeds poisonous for dogs? Let’s find it out here:

Are sunflower seeds good for a dog’s health?

A one-word answer to this question is yes, as long as you have good knowledge about how to feed them. Sunflower seeds have a wide variety of health benefits such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, boosting immunity power, and heart-healthy. Also, they are the biggest sources for vitamin E, a common ingredient that is good for dog’s skin. 

What are the health benefits of sunflower seeds?

According to pet nutrition counseling, Sunflower seeds provide fantastic health benefits to your dog. Sunflower seeds are very nutritious, powerful antioxidants, high in vitamin E, Vitamin B1, Manganese, Selenium, Copper, phosphorus, magnesium folate, Vitamin B6, and many more. 

How to feed sunflower seeds to your dog?

Always remember that sunflower seeds have high levels of sodium. Never mix it with any added salt as it might trigger high blood pressure—Peel of the outer shells of sunflower seeds before feeding it to your pups. The seeds kernel and black shells cause gastrointestinal distress and severe diarrhea. You can give few sunflower seeds as a snack, and they just love to chew them up. 

Nutritional and calorie values of Sunflower seeds

As everyone knows, Sunflower seeds are highly nutritious, and 1/4 cup of these seeds consists of 190 calories, 16 grams of fat, four grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein. You don’t have to worry about calories, and they are rich in minerals too. 

Conclusion

Feeding sunflower seeds regularly to your dog is considered excellent for its skin, fur coat, immunity system, and heart. Can dogs eat sunflower seeds? Obviously Yes! But you need to do a little research on your dog’s health before feeding them. If you find any kind of health issues after feeding sunflower seeds, stop doing it, and consult your vet.