Can Dogs Taste Gingery Food?

Ginger is a spicy and aromatic root that gives food, teas, and drinks a distinct, pungent flavor. It is not only delicious, but it is also one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It can fight cancer and help with an upset stomach and nausea. 

You may have been wondering if your dog can also eat ginger since it is such a powerful superfood. In short, your dog can indeed eat ginger and it is very good for them as well. However, there are some cases a dog should not eat ginger, which we will discuss below as well.

Ginger has a very strong, pungent, and spicy taste, so this is one food that may be difficult to get your dog to eat and like. This is especially the case if you are giving your dog the fresh and raw version and not the powdered spice kind. Dogs are generally not used to eating such powerful food, so the first time they try it, do not be surprised if they do not want to eat it. 

If your dog does wind up liking ginger, you will know right away. They will take the ginger from you and eat it without any issues or hesitation. Your dog will also likely beg at your for more, drool, stare at your, bark or cry, spin, lick their lips, and even jump up at you and paw you. 

If your dog is not a fan of the ginger flavor, they will try to take the food from you but will spit it out. They may go back and try to eat it again, but the same thing generally happens. They might paw at the food on the floor and fling it around like they are playing with a toy. Some dogs will snarl and expose their teeth to the food they do not like as well, so keep an eye out for these signs! 

Ginger has been around for a very long time. In fact, it has been around for more than 5,000 years and was considered a very luxurious spice. Although ginger was commonly used as a food, it was also very popular for treating a wide range of different illnesses and health ailments. Chinese and the Indians would use ginger to treat common sickness. They would make a special tonic from the ginger root that people would drink. Ginger was most commonly used to treat stomach conditions like bloating, gas, upset stomach, nausea, and digestive issues. 

Today, ginger is still quite popular and used to treat tummy troubles as well. It is often used in both humans and animals, such as dogs. Ginger is relatively inexpensive and is found in most grocery stores throughout the world. You can buy it fresh, ground, in pill form, and can even find it in teas and tea blends. 

We now have scientific evidence to confirm that ginger is antifungal, antibacterial, can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and even treat and prevent some forms of cancer. The veterinary industry, particularly the holistic vet services, recognize the power that ginger can have on your dog's body and commonly prescribe ginger for many different dog sicknesses.  

There are a few wonderful ways that ginger helps improve your dog's health and can treat a variety of health conditions and illnesses. Ginger is a powerful way to fight nausea and vomiting in your dog. Ginger will help to settle their stomach. It is great for dogs who experience car sickness as well. 

Ginger will also help with bloating. If your dog has a build up of food and gas in their stomach, they will become bloated and this can often be life-threatening if it is not treated. Ginger can prevent bloating as well. 

If your dog has arthritis, you should also consider adding ginger to their daily diet. Since ginger is an anti-inflammatory it can help reduce the swelling and pain associated with arthritis. Heartworm can be a very scary diagnosis in a dog and the treatment is very invasive and dangerous. Microfilariae (heartworm larvae) were killed by ginger in infected dogs by 83-98%. Talk about pawsome! 

Lastly, ginger also plays a big role in fighting cancer. One study showed that ginger is able to slow the rate of breast cancer growth and it could kill lymphosarcoma cells, which are cancer cells, as well. 

Ginger is a tricky food to get your dog to eat due to its very strong smell, taste, and spice level. You can try to feed it to your dog in their meals. Take a fresh piece of ginger, preferably organic, and remove the woody skin with the backside of a spoon. Chop the inside of the ginger root into very small pieces and mix into their food. It should camouflage the taste mostly, but some dogs may still refuse to eat it. 

If they will not eat the fresh version, you can also try the powered version, which will be slightly less intense and spicy in flavor. You can mix this with their food as well. If you still have a very picky eater, try baking the fresh ginger or powdered ginger into homemade doggy treats. You can just take your favorite dog treat recipe that your dog already loves and add the ginger root to it. 

Dogs under 35 pound should consume no more than a 1/2 teaspoon and dogs over 35 pounds should get about 3/4 of a teaspoon. You should always add new foods, spices, and herbs into your dog's diet gradually just to make sure they react ok to the new food without any side effects or issues.