Can dogs eat buckwheat?

Yes, dogs can eat buckwheat in moderation. Well cooked buckwheat is a safe, gluten-free and nutritious alternative to wheat for any dog with a gluten intolerance, offering good quantities of fibre, plant-based protein, vitamins and minerals.

Canine nutritionist Gerald Pepin is the author of the book From Table to Bowl which seeks to take the mystery out of feeding dogs fresh food. Here the experienced dog nutritionist explains the benefits and safe serving tips for feeding a dog buckwheat.

What is buckwheat?

Also known as common buckwheat, buckwheat has been cultivated as a highly prized, versatile and nutritious food source for thousands of years. First cultivated in south east Asia some 8,000 years ago, it was amongst the first crops introduced to North America by European settlers.

Unrelated to wheat despite its name, buckwheat is actually related to rhubarb and sorrel, all of which are members of the knotweed family. Not that you’d know it to look at it.

But what about buckwheat for dogs? Is it as good for dogs as it is for humans? Can dogs eat buckwheat? And if they can, does it really deserve a place in your best friend’s food bowl? Let’s dig a little deeper.

Buckwheat is one of a number of fascinating pseudo-cereals or pseudo-grains as they’re often known. Alongside amaranth, millet, fonio and quinoa, buckwheat is an ancient grain, a grain that has essentially remained unaltered by man over thousands of years.

They all come from broad-leaf plants and are similar to grains in terms of nutritional composition. The good news though is that the are all actually completely grain and gluten-free. That makes them an absolute boon for any dog with a grain or gluten intolerance.

What nutrients are in buckwheat?

A novel source of occasional protein for dogs, as already mentioned, buckwheat is grain and gluten-free. It’s also rich in complex carbohydrates, protein and dietary fibre. That makes buckwheat an excellent alternative source of protein for any dog fed a wholly plant-based diet.

It’s also a rich source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6. And it’s rich in magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, as well as being a good source of vitamins B1 (thiamine) and B9 (folate) together with iron, potassium and zinc. So it’s not without its benefits, despite being diminutive in size.

What are the benefits of feeding a dog buckwheat?

Buckwheat contains rutin, a flavonoid which is known to help improve digestion. It also contains quercetin which give it anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

In addition, it can also help lower blood pressure and help control blood sugar levels because of its richness in something called D-chiro-inositol. So it’s an ideal protein source for both diabetic dogs and dogs unfortunately enough to suffer from hypertension.

To summarise the benefits of buckwheat for dogs then:

• It possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and prebiotic properties
• Has anti-diabetic properties beneficial for dogs suffering from diabetes
• Helps improve digestion
• Has anti-cancer properties
• Helps lower blood pressure
• Its beneficial plant compounds include rutin, quercetin, vitexin, and D-chiro-inositol

Is buckwheat a human food that dogs can eat too?

Scientists have proven that not only have dogs and human beings shared the same diet for at least 12,000 years, they have demonstrated that the digestive systems of both species simultaneously evolved to process and benefit from that shared diet. From those same foods. At the time of the First Agricultural Revolution, when man became less reliant on foraging and more dependent on farmed produce, the digestive tract of both species underwent exactly the same genetic adaptation to allow us and our dogs to process that more limited farmed diet. In other words, we know that without any shadow of a doubt, long before the beginning of recorded time, dogs and human beings were sharing exactly the same diet. Eating the same food.

So even if you prefer to call the food that we humans eat “human food” and the food that dogs eat “dog food”, the fact is that human beings and dogs began to form their enduring relationship at exactly the same time as the First Agricultural Revolution, and likely largely because of our shared ability to benefit from the same foodstuffs. Back then, the food that humans ate was not considered human food, any more than the food dogs ate (exactly the same food remember), was considered dog food. The food that dogs and humans shared, the food that helped cement the bond we continue to enjoy to this day, was simply known as “food.”

So while many today speak of buckwheat as being human food, the fact is, when it was first cultivated thousands of years ago, buckwheat would have been eaten by both human beings and their dogs. Along with all the other foodstuffs they would have shared, buckwheat would simply have been considered “food”, food that both dogs and human beings could each eat, enjoy and benefit from.

So when you ask yourself, can dogs eat buckwheat, can I feed my dog buckwheat, is buckwheat one of the safe human foods you can share with your dog, the answer is an unequivocal, yes. Dogs can eat buckwheat because, just as is the case with we humans, it’s something they have always eaten!

In summary

Buckwheat is a considered superfood that can certainly benefit dogs providing it’s cooked and fed in moderation. As a canine nutritionist who makes homemade dog food for his dogs, it’s something I use regularly.

You too can eat it. Raw and straight from the packet as a snack, or sprinkled on to any kind of salad for an interesting, sweet and nutty crunch. (That’s my favourite way of eating it, by the way. I recommend you try it)!

And if ever you’ve wondered, can dogs eat buckwheat, there’s your answer. Most definitely!

Buckwheat for dogs frequently asked questions

Q. Is buckwheat safe for dogs?
A. Yes, well-cooked buckwheat is perfectly safe for dogs.

Q. Do I need to soak buckwheat before feeding it to my dog?
A. Yes, it is highly recommended to soak and cook buckwheat before feeding it to your dog. While raw buckwheat is not toxic to dogs, it is hard for dogs to digest and can lead to stomach upset. Cooking buckwheat improves its digestibility and makes its nutrients more bioavailable to a dog.

Q. Can I feed my dog buckwheat if it is gluten-intolerant?
A. Yes, you can feed your dog buckwheat if it is gluten-intolerant. Like other pseudo-cereals, buckwheat is completely gluten-free.

Q. What are the health benefits of feeding dogs buckwheat?
A. Buckwheat is a highly nutritious, gluten-free and grain-free pseudo-cereal seed that offers numerous health benefits for dogs, including high-quality protein, fibre, essential minerals and antioxidants like rutin. It supports healthy digestion, provides sustained energy, aids in weight management and can enhance cardiac and immune system health.

Q. How much buckwheat can I feed my dog?
A. As part of a properly balanced diet, buckwheat should represent no more than 10% of your dog’s overall caloric intake.

Q. Are there any risks or side effects of feeding my dog buckwheat?
A. One study suggests a potential link between buckwheat consumption and liver disease in dogs, with one report finding a 32% incidence in dogs fed a homemade diet with German buckwheat. But for a normal healthy dog, buckwheat presents no health risks or side effects.

Q. Can dogs eat buckwheat every day?
A. It is safe to feed your dog buckwheat every day providing it forms part of a balanced diet.

Q. Is buckwheat better than rice for dogs?
A. Yes, buckwheat is considered more nutritious than white rice because it is higher in fibre, gluten-free and less likely to cause allergic reactions.