If you have ever picked parsley off a restaurant plate and wondered why it was even there, you are not alone. Parsley for dogs is a slightly different story though. This everyday herb does more than sit around looking pretty, and it has quietly worked its way into treats, raw mixes and wet food across a surprising number of ranges, including a few in our own shop. Whether you feed raw, dry, wet or a bit of everything (you can only feed the best you can), parsley is one of those small, natural extras worth knowing about.
Parsley for dogs: what does it actually do?
Parsley is best known as a breath freshener, and that reputation is well earned. It is also a natural source of vitamins and minerals, and it brings a little plant fibre to the bowl alongside other everyday veg. A good few customers come to us specifically asking about smelly breath, and parsley is one of the gentlest, most palatable natural ingredients for that: unlike peppermint or sage, most dogs will not turn their nose up at it.
Parsley is one of the easiest herbs to work into a dog’s diet for fresher breath, precisely because it can be snuck into food fresh with no fuss. We are not vets, so we will leave the detail of gum disease and dental health to people qualified to talk about it, but as a simple bit of everyday, general nutrition support, parsley is a gentle, easy one to have around.
Where you’ll already find it in our range
You do not need to start chopping your own bunch of parsley to get the benefit of it (although you certainly could, in small amounts). It is already doing its job quietly in several products we stock.
In our raw food
Betsy’s Veg Blend, developed with canine nutrition specialist Caroline of Hedgerow Hounds, names parsley specifically as “a natural source of vitamins and minerals, traditionally valued for digestive and breath-freshening support,” alongside broccoli, kale, blueberries and fennel seeds. It is designed to sit alongside raw meat and bone as part of a balanced raw diet for working dogs.
In our wet food
Millies Wolfheart’s Lamb & Veg Mix Wet lists parsley and sage in its composition, alongside seaweed and glucosamine, as part of their single-source 70/30 recipe for working and sporting dogs.
How to introduce parsley to your dog’s diet
If you are feeding a product that already contains parsley, there is nothing you need to do. It is already measured into the recipe for you. If you fancy adding fresh parsley on top of a meal yourself, start small: a pinch finely chopped for a small dog, a little more for a larger one, mixed through the food rather than fed on its own. Flat leaf or curly both work, fresh is best, and it tends to be an easy one to get even a fussy eater to accept, since the flavour is so mild. As with anything new, introduce it gradually and keep an eye on how your dog gets on with it.
The takeaway
Parsley for dogs is not flashy, and it will not replace a toothbrush, a meaty bone or a trip to the vet if something is properly wrong. But as a small, natural, breath-friendly extra that is already finding its way into treats, raw mixes and wet food, it is a nice example of how the little things add up. You can only feed the best you can, and sometimes that is as simple as a sprinkle of parsley.
