No, dogs can’t eat watercress because it’s a hemlock for them. Watercress contains metabolite glucosinolate and enzyme myrosinase. When we split the plant, this metabolite glucosinolate combines with myrosinase that eventually creates many health issues, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, and so on, in dogs.
Many of us have a query about the diet of pet dogs. We often ask, “Can dogs eat watercress?” or it’s simply an avoidable food for them. Today, we will get full exposure to this topic. So, let’s quickly jump into the main discussion.
What Is Watercress?
Watercress, also known as yellowcress, is an exotic species of aquatic flowering plants which we humans take as a wholesome top-up with the cooked dishes like lavish soup, stews, stir-fries, and many others. It’s also a favorite additive to burgers, sandwiches, and salads for its crispiness and piquant flavor.
To tell about the background, Watercress mainly belongs to the cabbage family Brassicaceae and its botanical name, Nasturtium officinale. Although Watercresses are largely being cultivated in many areas of the world as a commercial green, we will find them in the United States, Southern Canada, Europe, and Asia the most. In fact, Europe and Asia have year-round production of Watercress as a native plant. Anyways, winter is the perfect season for growing watercress.
As an anti-inflammatory vegetable, it helps to lower blood pressure, keep the heart functioning, and strengthen our teeth and bones.
Besides, it provides substantial nutrients to our bodies.
Is Watercress Poisonous?
We already know how nutritious and appetizing Watercress is. But why is the term ‘poisonous watercress’ so prevalent at present? Is there really anything poisonous in Watercresses? Let’s have a look into this.
Considering the sizable demand, many purpose-built watercress farms have been grown all over the world. In these farms, farmers use the finest spring water drawn from deep underground to cultivate watercress. Thereby, we get super-safe watercress full of nourishment.
Anyways, after foraging in the wild became popular, experts have expressed their concern regarding the safety of watercress. They previously advised people to stay away from wild watercresses due to their impurity.
But Why Did They Say That?
Water is an essential element for harvesting watercress.
Wild watercress gets this water from the lakes, rivers, waterways, or wherever they grow. But, unfortunately, most of this water is contaminated by house discharges, wildlife or livestock from farms, and also from parasites.
These pollutants are eventually transferred to our body through these wild watercresses causing serious health problems.
Can Dogs Have Watercress?
Despite being an incredible source of vitamin A, C, B12, iron, and folate, watercress is an avoidable food for doggies. It contains gastrointestinal irritants that prompt nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in dogs. Even their excessive consumption can lead to kidney and thyroid damage. So, we shouldn’t serve watercress to our beloved dogs.
What Is Watercress Poisoning?
If any problems like nausea, vomiting, etc. occur in humans or animal bodies as a result of taking watercress, we can call it watercress poisoning. Basically, contaminated watercress growing in wild areas causes this sort of poisoning.
Symptoms Of Watercress Poisoning In Dogs:
Like every other poisoning, watercress poisoning has its symptoms that alert the pet parents about the matter. We can subdivide these indications into two broader categories namely mild symptoms and severe symptoms.
Mild Symptoms:
The symptoms indicating mild watercress poisoning in dogs’ bodies include lethargy, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, and nausea.
Severe Symptoms:
Severe symptoms include kidney or thyroid damage, agitation, extreme sedation, seizures, and coma. These things express that your dog might have taken an excessive amount of poisonous watercress somehow.
Treatment For Watercress Poisoning In Dogs:
If your dog shows gastrointestinal distress, stop giving it food until the vomiting and diarrhea have ceased for almost half a day. Within this period, the stomach muscles will recover from the gastric spasms caused by the vomiting. Anyways, you can serve a small amount of water or crushed ice during this process to prevent dehydration. Two or three days after the withholding, give your pup some soft, blended easily digestible carbohydrate and protein-rich food.
In case of an intense situation, visit your nearby veterinary clinic.
Final Words
SO, you have a crystal-clear idea about whether your puppy can have watercress, and if not, then what makes this plant a non-going food for them. Besides, you have known the symptoms of watercress poisoning in dogs and how to treat your dog during this period. It’s your turn now to keep your brats away from watercress. In place of watercress, feed them other green veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, peas, and spinach to fulfill their nutrition needs.