What is all of this hype about sweet potatoes? Great question. Aren’t sweet potatoes the vegetables that Southerners turn into a marshmallow casserole for holidays? Another good question. Aside from their delicious taste, dogs can greatly benefit from eating sweet potatoes.
Now, if you are not a chemistry major it may be boring to read about all of the nutritional facts and how they can help your pup. Here at Gaines Family Farmstead we can give you a quick (the non-science-major version) breakdown about what is in this super food we call sweet potatoes and how it can keep our pups healthy and happy:
-First, it should be known that sweet potatoes grow mostly in tropical weather. If you live in Alabama, where we do…you know we must have some good ‘taters judging by our humidity and warm weather.
-If your dog is a young pup, note that sweet potatoes contain a high volume of
Vitamin A. This particular vitamin helps nourish the skin and maintain a healthy fur
coat. Vitamin A is stored in fat cells around the liver. Due to where this vitamin is stored, sweet potatoes have proved to protect and promote healthy liver and kidney functions of any aged pup.
-Even if you have a hyper pup like we do, dogs always need energy as they age to
promote a long life and continued movement. Sweet potatoes contain a fancy word
called Manganese. Manganese, plainly stated, promotes and balances energy levels in dogs.
-Our taters also contain copper. Don’t worry we won’t pain you with the full
explanation of why copper is so healthy for dogs, but you should know that it does
help prevent nerve damage.
-Another fun fact is that these orange potatoes contain another science word called
Glycosides, which help fight off bacteria and fungi inside our furry best friends.
-Now for the dreaded A word. Arthritis. As you may already know, 20% of dogs have a mild to severe case of this. The most basic way to describe this from a fur baby perspective is that the cartilage surrounding their bones begins to wear and tear and thus, causing aches and pain when moving around. When this layer of cartilage breaks down into the fluid inside the protective bone layer, it begins to feel like sand rubbing between two bones. Our pups are stiff, slow movers and in a fair amount of pain with Arthritis. Luckily, sweet potatoes contain fibers that decrease inflammation in the joints, cartilage areas and surrounding bone layers. The anti-inflammatory decreases pain and swelling in our four-legged friends.
Okay, enough talk about the science behind the inside of a sweet potato. The truth is, these orange veggies (turned treats) help keep our pups looking good AND feeling good. Check out our website and social media pages to find out where you can order sweet potato dog treats!
