Are Lima Beans Good For Dogs Or Are They Dangerous?

Last Updated on September 22, 2023 by Linda Richard

Figuring out what to add to your dog’s food can be tricky. For example, are lima beans good for dogs or are they dangerous? Dogs are omnivores, after all, so something as simple as beans should be a problem for them, right? This seems like an innocent enough question but we know that dogs can have some surprising food intolerances such as certain nuts, avocado, and grapes. So, are lima beans good for dogs or do they belong to the group surprising dangers?

Are Lima Beans Good For Dogs?

In a word – yes. In fact, they are actually pretty good for dogs, even if we don’t often talk about them. With dog food, we tend to focus mostly on root veggies such as potatoes, beets, and carrots, as well as stuff such as pumpkin, rice, and peas, however, lima beans are also a worthy inclusion to a dog’s diet.

There are some notes we still ought to mention, of course, and we will address those below. But the quick and simple answer is that mixing some lima beans in your dog’s food should yield quite a lot of benefits. Here are the main examples.

How Are Beans Good For Dogs?

Lima beans or butter beans are as good for dogs as they are for people. This is a low-fat food and that alone is great for a lot of dogs. The standard makeup of lima beans is 73% carbohydrates, 3% fat, and 24% protein. This is excellent for dogs that need to be on a low-fat diet.

Lima beans are rich in plant-based protein too, which is always a good addition to your dog’s meat. It allows you to mix animal- and plant-based protein in your diet while keeping the fat content low. Lima beans have lots of fiber too which helps with digestion and keeps the blood sugar levels low after each meal.

As for vitamins and other minerals, while this isn’t the strongest suit of lima beans, they do contain potassium, iron, manganese, and folate – all good things to add to your dog’s diet.


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Lima Beans For Dogs – Are There Any Health Risks?

There are virtually no significant health risks involved in lima beans, as long as you don’t make them a disproportionally major part of your dog’s diet. The only concern you may want to watch out for is the fact that lima beans can make your dog a bit gassy – just as is the case with people too! The cause behind this is a particular type of sugar that doesn’t get properly broken down by the digestive tract and so it causes gassiness.

As long as you don’t give your dog too much, however – and your dog is healthy overall – this shouldn’t be a big concern. Nothing really stops you from giving lima beans a try and just observing your dog for any such effects. If your dog is of a naturally-gassy breed such as an English Bulldog, a Doberman Pinscher, a Boxer, or others, gassiness may be more likely. For a dog such as a Labrador Retriever, however, there shouldn’t be any major issues.

Obviously, it should go without saying that you should consult your vet before you make any changes to your dog’s diet.

How Much Lima Beans Can You Give Your Dog?

As we know, the vegetable content of a dog’s meal should be kept under 25%, with anything around 15% to 20% being recommended. More veggies than that can lead to some undesirable changes in your dog’s gut flora, extra alkalinity, and kidney problems among other things.

And, given that lima beans shouldn’t be the only veggie you add to your dog’s meal, you get the idea that lima beans should be just a supplementary addition to your dog’s diet and nothing too major.

So, Are Lima Beans Good For Dogs and Should You Add Them To Your Pooch’s Diet?

Are lima beans a necessary ingredient to your dog’s diet? No. Are they toxic, however? Not at all. Are lima beans good for dogs overall? Yes.

These veggies are rich in fibers, carbs, and proteins, as well as minerals such as iron and potassium. At the same time, they are very low on fat which is fantastic for adult and senior dogs that are prone to getting overweight or have some underlying health problems. What’s more, lima beans are fun to eat – they are like small bite-sized treats that are also pretty sweet. They can make your dog a bit gassy, however, so watch out for that, especially if you like letting your dog in the bedroom at night. Even in that case, lima beans are still safe, however – just don’t give your dog too much of them.

So, Are Lima Beans Good For Dogs and Should You Add Them To Your Pooch’s Diet

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FAQs

Are lima beans poisonous for dogs?

No, there’s nothing outright poisonous for dogs in lima beans. They can lead to gassiness in some cases but that’s rare as long as your dog is healthy and you don’t go overboard with the beans. After all, giving your dog too many veggies is a bad idea anyway, regardless of what they are. But, as long as the lima beans are just a minor addition to your dog’s diet, there should be no issues whatsoever.
In fact, lima beans can be quite beneficial to your dog’s health. They are very rich in plant proteins and fibers, and they are exceptionally low on fats. So, if your dog needs extra protein, fiber, and carbs but needs to maintain a low-fat diet, adding some lima beans to the meat can be excellent.
However, if you’re reading this because you noticed that your dog has munched a bit of your cooked lima beans, then this might be a cause for concern. That’s not because of the lima beans, however, but because of what you might have added to them. Most human lima beans recipes include stuff such as garlic, onions, and spices, most of which are very toxic for dogs.

Linda Richard

I know that all dog breeds are different, but Labradors exude a special energy, don’t they? I believe everyone deserves the unconditional love of a pet, so my main goal is to make sure you can experience it.