On the new series of Dog Borstal tonight, Mic Martin told one owner that broccoli was toxic for dogs. I never knew that. I thought loads of people here gave it to their dogs.

Broccoli is toxic to dogs.. in large quantities... I give my dogs Broccoli on occassions.. perhaps a florette (or is that just for caulieflower) a month.. they love it.. just dont get it very often

I put the stumps in their mix every week! :(

I was just about to post this myself!  I give my dog it sometimes and he loves it, I didn't think it was toxic!
Also he said pork and beef couldn't be digested - is this correct, not that I've ever fed them to George but just wondered?

Not normally a fan of this guy but I think he puts it in perspective well:

Broccoli toxicity has been noted in livestock. Apparently in California it is widely available at certain times and the dairy cattle there are fed broccoli due to this. If the percentage of broccoli in the diet exceeds 10% it can cause gastrointestinal upsets and if it exceeds 25% it is fatal.

I could not find any references to problems with broccoli in small animals, probably because no one feeds them more than 10% of their diet as broccoli or possibly because they don't have rumens and therefore don't digest the broccoli as thoroughly.

The toxic ingredient in broccoli is isothiocyanate and it is reported to be a pretty potent gastrointestinal irritant.

Mike Richards, DVM

And Just to add  from me,isothiocyanate is mustard seed oil. :)

HTH :)

And what about pork and beef??

Pork and beef are not easily digestable.  I know dearhound people don't like to feed dogs pork as it can increase chances of torsion (so I have been told by people in the breed)

pork in quantities apart from scraps give my dog dire rear especially if it is raw although I'm sure burns made a pork dry food and she was ok with that.  Pork fat gives her terrible wind too and she has also had trouble digesting the bones as they seem to come out less digested than other bones (ouch).  Where's that eye watering smiley!

If pork's indigestible, why do people give their dogs pigs' ears?

Mine have no problems with pork or beef - pork ribs are their favourite but too expensive to feed regularly so they don't get them as often as they'd like.  They have pork mince quite regularly though with no problems.

I also give broccoli to my boy as part of his fruit and veg mix but as he only gets a couple of spoonfuls per day of a mixture of a variety of pulped fruit and veg, it wouldn't be anywhere near the amount considered problematic.

> Where's that eye watering smiley!

((ROFL!))

Interesting isn't it...
I have to say that even tho' I come from a family on the paternal side (in the outer reaches of Norway) who have only ever fed Raw/Home made diets as that was all that was available, so with hundred odd and more years of experience Ive pinched from my Grandpa's Noggin I'm still loathed to give any dietary advice to others as Ive always found it very breed specific, whats good for the goose isnt always good for the gander.
  Siberians are most definately a breed apart, as is being shown now in the ongoing scientific research that Husky's can actually change their metabolic rate when running extreme endurance in harness.. so interesting are the studies that they are being used to research wheight control/loss in humans (as a Racing sibe working physiologically at its peak can actually alter its metablolic rate to that of 'at rest') shorter digestive tracts make Beef digestion difficult..or rather messy and smelly!!! most Sibes will experience exploding bottoms.
   The Torison comments are interesting regards Pork (I must look into that! just out of interest) As Mushers have long held Pork (and pork fat) in regard for conditioning and gaining muscle and lots of premuim sled dog/ working dog dry foods have pork as main ingredient.

My Eurasian on the other hand has no problems with Beef or pork (or, annoyingly... Biskwits! my toast,Bin contents,disgarded fast food on the street..and anything else she can steal when my back is turned for just a second.. you'd think she's have the decency or guilt to be a bit sick!!???) ;)

'Orses for Courses :)

I'm not showing my son this thread - any excuse not to eat his broccoli! 

I give my dog broccoli stalks. I thought it was brussels that were toxic, oh hang on, that's toxic to us after she's eaten them!!!.

Ive given all mine pork, beef and broccoli wihtout any problems

Maddie had broccoli, cauli, chicken and spuds (all cooked)  three times a day, every day, for over 6 months until I got her 'sorted out' - Never had a problem with it at all.

I've read broccoli can depress thyroid hormone if eaten in large amounts. I also thought that Brocc belongs to the crucferox(wroooong spelling) family which depletes the body of calcium.But I'd say you would have to feed a lot of it.
As for Pork and Beef,my dogs have always gotten meat from as many different sources as i could find.Beef rates highly around here. I think the "pork thing" harks back to trichinosis,which isn't really a problem anymore.

I've read broccoli can depress thyroid hormone if eaten in large amounts.

Back to the same old story of everything in moderation eh? :)

I am not sure about the amounts but I have been told that broccoli should be avoided if you have thyroid conditions, it blocks the bodies ability to process thyroxine. There are other veg to but I cant remember which. Not sure where that gets usin digs. Mine have a raw diet occasonal veg all sorts and meat all sorts although not much pork its not as easily available cheaply . So far they are very healthy only time will tell I suppose.
My kids are healthy but being teenagers who choose what and when to eat one being at uni they are healthy atm but I think their diet is dreadful it takes time usually to affect someones health if you see where I am going. Soz I am off the point again !

Mick is not an expert on dog nutrition.  Clearly in terms of this advice - no beef, no pork, no broccoli - he's wrong.   He should leave the Borstal vet to talk to the owners about nutrition and their dog's diet.

> He should leave the Borstal vet to talk to the owners about nutrition and their dog's diet.

Ooooh, I bet a few will disagree with that! :-D

Agree here! Not a fan of Mick and Dog Borstal is laughable Ive stopped watching it now, Ive never understood that whatever problem a dog has making it jump over a few agility fences on the ground means its a success!  lol

Ill stick to Cesar Milan thanks!  (oooh dont start the barricade I know there are a lot of anti dog whispers on here )

>I know there are a lot of anti dog whispers on here

Dog whispering's fine. ;-) Dog bullying, however ...

Ive never seen cesar bully a dog Jeangenie!  He's great!

> shorter digestive tracts make Beef digestion difficult..or rather messy and smelly!!! most Sibes will experience exploding bottoms.
>

That is really interesting to know. Goldens must have fairly long tracts. Both of mine do very well on beef and neither is what Barbara would call a good doer (eat for England!)

>as a Racing sibe working physiologically at its peak can actually alter its metablolic rate to that of 'at rest')

Ah, so that's my problem. I'm really a racing Sibe. So the size of my bum really is down to genetics. ROFL

>Ive never seen cesar bully a dog Jeangenie!  He's great!

You've not seen his video on YouTube where he throttles a bitch into unconsciousness then? Personally, I don't think that's great.

No I havent seen that! Nor do I want too!! Was this a very agressive dog or something? Cant imagine him doing that at all

Itwas dog-aggressive, but not aggressive to people. What he did was very unpleasant.

>Cant imagine him doing that at all

It's there on youtube for all to see - he seems proud of it.

I've only seen a few of Milan's shows up until last week when I started recording - he's actually worse than my initial impressions. 

On a recent one there was an aggressive dog which he "trained" by pushing it down hard on its ribs with his hands.  And one where he was "training" a toy-possessive dog by holding his foot on the toy and letting it bite his shoe, basically until it gave up and backed away.  And then the dog-aggressive Frenchie cross that he "trained" using a pinch collar - where the dog was yelping in pain at points - by forcing it not to look in the direction of another dog.  That's supposed to be training?  

I think the man is dangerous and I pity any dogs that come into contact with his methods.  The sad fact is that you can actually train a dog through positive methods rather than use his bully-boy techniques; which IMO still leave aggressive and fearful dogs as time bombs waiting to go off.  Like some of the training techniques used on Dog Borstal - negative techniques get "results" faster - fear usually does - but the consequences can be dire.

... uh oh, I said nothing about broccoli and this is a food thread!  

... I think Milan should use more food as training reward :-)

I had no idea that Broccoli was not suitable. i will remember to take it out of the frozen veg the dogs have from time to time now!!

I feed broccoli in the veg mix, and my dogs also have beef and pork but not very often,  they eat mostly chicken and lamb.  I'd never heard that broccoli could be dangerous to dogs.

just found this info :
http://www.housepetmagazine.com/02/Broccoli.htm

http://www.heathershomemadedogtreats.com/toxic.html

http://environment.uk.msn.com/green-living/article.aspx?cp-documentid=10264940

so it seems it is ok!

Have you read Mic Martin's reply on the use of Beef, Pork and Brocoli.
http://www.micmartin.co.uk/49901.html
Warning - Do not be drinking at the time of reading you may spit your drink out (well I did) lol

Warning - Do not be drinking at the time of reading you may spit your drink out (well I did) lol

Can people write things like that legally on websites? If I could find a shocked smiley I would use a few!

> Can people write things like that legally on websites? If I could find a shocked smiley I would use a few!

Yes they can

:-o :-o :-o :-o  I should invite him around to clean my computer screen

Oh dear, he obviously has some issues with being told he is incorrect !!! :-O

I wonder just what he thinks he is going to achieve by ranting and raving like that - he reminds me of a child who has just learnt swear words, lol.

Maybe he eats too much brocolli himself - such aggression!!!  Tut tut tut!

Mmmmm, he has done nutrition as part of a course (no mention of the qualification gained) and considers that equal, at least, to the study of anatomy and physiology at veterinary degree level. :-) 
I wonder why he feels the need to bolster it all up with foul language :-(

I do agree with :

>Ask your vet how long he/she did, unless he/she did more studying off his/her own back 1 day in 5 years of study,

And this made me chuckle:

>And Finally: I wouldn't be worried about the Beef Pork or the brocoli, the car engine oil, wood shavings, roots, >stalks, Alura red, sunset yellow, tartrazine, BHT BHA and ethoxyquin will probably make it all alright. MM

And even though he's being sarcastic in the above, he's probably pretty spot on.

>> Ask your vet how long he/she did, unless he/she did more studying off his/her own back 1 day in 5 years of study

The common myth of confusing nutrition with a lecture on what is available in the market place, I would say.  You cannot hope to understand anatomy and physiology unless you have an understanding of nutrition and the role it plays, as I am sure you will agree :-)

I guess it's been editied then coz there's no swearing in there now!

pork goes right though my three with really nasty results!!lol.

Martin say, "Broccoli contains isothiocyanate which is considered a gastrointestinal irritant, when fed in large amounts, over 10% in the daily diet, most dogs are unaffected when its in small amounts."

Actually, there have been no studies of dogs eating broccoli - why would anyone?????   The reference he makes to problems when broccoli is more than 10% of a daily diet were from a study on CATTLE - not dogs.

The least he could do was get his facts straight.

> I guess it's been editied then coz there's no swearing in there now!

I'm not sure if that disclaimer from the BBC was there before.  I suspect the last thing they want after Brand and Ross is to read that sort of nonsense.  With a bit of luck my licence fee won't be spent on any new contract.

Yep why give pigs ears, Whistler eats carrots, cauliflower, brussles & Broccli stalk bits all raw.
I dont give pork v. often as it goes straight through but pigs ears are fine. Chicken & turkey make dogs fart. So I avoid that cooked but raw is fine! Anyone explain that lot?