Can Dogs Eat Celery?

 

Estimated Read Time: 4 ½ minutes

Summary: In this blog, we learn whether dogs can eat celery. We’ll discover if celery is good or bad for dogs, and what the benefits are if celery is OK for dogs to eat… 

Dogs And Celery

If you’re wondering “can dogs have celery?”, the answer is yes! Multiple veterinary professionals and resources are confident in the safety of feeding celery, to a dog whether it’s raw, cooked or pureed. 

Is Celery Good For Dogs?

There are arguable benefits to feeding your dog celery. It’s low in fat, low in calories, low in cholesterol and high in fibre – and fibre is essential for a dog’s diet. Celery is also rich in folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, Vitamins K, A, C and antioxidants. 

It’s also thought to aid in helping freshen a dog’s breath!

Despite celery being a well-regarded vegetable for both dogs and humans alike, celery shouldn’t be fed as a meal replacement, but small pieces of celery should be fed as a treat to your dog. 

PetLab Co. Pro Tip: Celery can make a great treat replacement for obese or overweight dogs, as their calorie and fat level is so low! A dog’s treat allowance should only ever be 10% of their total food consumption per day to maintain a healthy weight and treats should always be small! A treat should never be bigger than the nail on your first finger.

Always take it slowly when introducing any new food to your dog to avoid upsetting their stomach - particularly with puppies. Feed one or two pieces of celery per day before considering upping the amount you’re allowing them to eat. As with humans, all dogs will react differently to different foods so always be mindful of this when trying new foods, snacks and treats regardless of their touted benefits.

Risks Of Celery With Dogs

Celery is fairly high in sodium, and if a dog is fed too much celery this may put unnecessary stress on their kidneys. So, be mindful of how much you’re allowing your dog to eat. 

The same goes with high levels of fibre. Yes, fibre is good for dogs, but too much can cause an upset stomach. 

Celery can cause a more frequent need to urinate in dogs if they are fed too much due to its low levels of phthalides. Again, as long as you’re not overfeeding your dog celery, this shouldn’t be a problem. 

Make sure you’re buying organic celery or washing your celery thoroughly before feeding it to your dog to avoid any potential pesticide residue on the stalks being ingested by your dog too. 

And, as you may have experienced when gnawing on a raw stick of celery yourself, the strings can get stuck in your dog’s teeth, which in turn can cause discomfort. Check their mouth after they’ve had a piece of celery to help remove any string that may have gotten caught to avoid any potential discomfort. 

Can Dogs Eat Celery Sticks?

Celery sticks pose a choking hazard for dogs due to their length and girth. It’s advisable to chop celery into small bite-size pieces and feed them to your dog as a reward instead of offering them whole sticks, particularly with small dog breeds. 

If you’re wondering which foods you shouldn’t give to your dog, check out our PetLab Co. guide below which lists all foods that are known to be toxic to dogs so you know which foods to avoid allowing your dog to eat:

Sources

Author Burke, Anna “Can Dogs Eat Celery?” American Kennel Club, Aug 15. 2016 https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-celery/

Author Guthrie, Lynn “Can Dogs Eat Celery? Yes, It’s A Tasty Treat With Pawsome Benefits” Prrs & Wags by Pumpkin, Feb 26. 2021 https://www.pumpkin.care/blog/can-dogs-eat-celery/