6 Common Vegetables That Are Dangerous — Even Fatal — for Dogs

1 Dogs Are Omnivores — but Vegetables Need Limits

Cats are strict carnivores with simple dietary needs, but dogs are omnivores with more complex requirements. A moderate amount of vegetables supplies nutrients and aids digestion.

Most common vegetables are safe for dogs — carrots, pumpkin, radish, cucumber, potato, spinach, broccoli, sweet potato, bell pepper, cabbage, and lettuce among them. Keep the portion small, though: vegetables shouldn’t exceed about 25% of the total diet for the dog’s health.

2 Six Vegetables That Can Harm Your Dog

Besides onion — which most owners already know to avoid — here are six everyday vegetables that don’t belong in your dog’s bowl.

1. Celery. Celery is rich in coarse fiber and vitamins and helps humans lower blood pressure and prevent arteriosclerosis, but for dogs the downsides outweigh the benefits. Dogs struggle to digest its coarse fiber, and eating celery can cause indigestion and constipation.

2. Bean sprouts. Bean sprouts are also hard to digest, but dogs can eat a small amount. If your dog already has digestive troubles, skip them — they’ll only make the problem worse.

3. Tomato. Tomatoes contain atropine and alkaloids; eaten in excess they can poison a dog and threaten its life. A small amount does no harm, but since most owners can’t judge the safe amount, it’s best to avoid tomatoes altogether.

4. Mushrooms. Mushrooms aren’t directly toxic to dogs, but we don’t recommend feeding them regularly. Once a dog learns the smell, it may assume every mushroom is safe and eat a poisonous one while out in the wild.

5. Peas. Peas are nutritious for people — a good source of potassium, phosphorus, and B vitamins — but not necessarily for dogs. They’re hard to digest, and a dog’s gut is far less capable than a human’s. Puppies with immature intestines and senior dogs with weakening digestion can develop gas and vomiting after eating a lot of peas, so it’s best to leave them out.

6. Chives. Chives are highly toxic to dogs. They contain sulfides that cause hemolytic anemia, blood in the urine, and can even damage the bone marrow. Their strong irritant effect also triggers vomiting and diarrhea.