Can Dogs Eat Celery? What You Need To Know About Dog’s Diet

Celery often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves among the wide variety of vegetables, mainly because it’s pigeonholed as just another vegetable.

mBut in truth, celery is so much better than you think. It’s always available in your local produce shop, has consistent quality, it’s refreshing, and you can make a pretty good soup with it.

We know humans are missing out on celery, but what about dogs? Can dogs eat celery?

Dogs are inquisitive by nature, which means that they inspect everything – including what’s on your plate. Moreover, dog owners know that when their furry friends inspect their plates they’re demanding to be fed human foods.

So what happens if you have a little bit of celery on your plate? Can you feed your dog celery?

Here’s everything that you need to know about feeding celery to your dog.

Can Dogs Eat Celery?

The answer to the question “can dogs eat celery?” is – yes, dogs can eat celery. Celery is not just human food, but also a healthy diet add-on for dogs! Dogs can not just eat celery but they enjoy it as well.

Celery is healthy because it has a good calorie-to-vitamin ratio. It also provides many essential nutrients that are part of a dog’s complete and balanced diet. Also, dogs enjoy celery because it has a crunchy texture.

These are just some of the benefits that celery provides, and a bunch more are listed down below.

But essentially, yes, you can feed your dog celery. If you are already feeding your dog celery, you are doing the right thing.

Can Dogs Eat Celery Leaves?

While the actual vegetable part of celery is good for dogs, the leaves may not be as helpful. Celery leaves may even be downright harmful to your dogs.

Celery, like all other vegetables, is prone to collecting toxins from the environment as well as pesticides and other chemicals.

According to livestrong, celery leaves collect most of these toxins simply because of how they are shaped.

You may be able to wash celery leaves thoroughly enough to make them safer for your dogs. However, we don’t think it’s safe enough and we would rather avoid feeding celery leaves to our dogs.

Is Celery Good For My Dog?

Celery carries immense nutritional value and multiple beneficial vitamins, which are important for your dog’s health. But celery has so many more health benefits than you can imagine.

Here are some of the reasons why you should feed celery to your dogs.

Celery is important for your dog’s health because it carries essential nutrients like vitamins, like vitamins C and K. Vitamin C is important for your dog’s teeth and gums as well as your dog’s bones.

In addition, vitamin K also helps in bone growth.

Celery is not just a healthy snack though. It has anti-inflammatory properties which help in healing wounds faster.

Essential vitamins in celery also boost the immune system, thus, providing your dog with protection against various infections.

The water content in celery is about 90-95%, which makes it an ideal food choice for healthy skin. Moreover, a high-water content also means that your dog’s breath will always remain fresh.

Celery also has a very high vitamin-to-calorie ratio, according to the American Kennel Club, which means that your dog gets all the nutrition but fewer calories.

This makes it an ideal choice for a low-calorie snack for your overweight dogs. In addition, a high ratio of good fats in celery ensures that your chubby dogs are eating just right.

Some studies suggest that celery is useful for weight loss as well. Be sure to add celery to your dog’s plate if you are trying to shave off a few extra pounds off of your furry friend.

Since celery is a vegetable, it has a lot of fiber. Fiber is essential for good poop and celery in your dog’s diet helps regulate your dog’s pooping behavior. It also cleans out your dog’s digestive tract.

Potential Health Concerns Of Feeding Your Dog Celery

While celery is generally good for your dog, there are a few caveats. Here are a few problems you can expect if your dog eats too much celery.

Dog owners know that dogs have sensitive stomachs which can be triggered with almost any food if they are not careful. Celery leaves can upset your dog’s stomach if your dog is eating too many of them.

But it’s not the leaves themselves that cause the upset stomach, but the toxins they may harbor which are the real problem.

The fact that celery has a lot of fiber content does not help either as too much fiber can also increase stomach and intestine motility.

An upset stomach causes stomach pain. It can also cause diarrhea and vomiting, which may even lead to dehydration.

Dehydration is a serious problem and you may need to take your dog to the vet immediately if that happens.

If your dog starts vomiting after eating celery, stop feeding your dog, take them to the vet immediately, and avoid feeding celery to your dog in the future without washing it first.

Even more important is the fact that celery can also be a choking hazard for small dogs. While big dogs may be able to eat big chunks of celery without any problems, smaller dogs may struggle with bigger chunks which can cause airway obstruction.

How To Feed Your Dog Celery?

While celery is an important part of a dog’s diet, there is a right, and also a wrong, way of feeding celery to your dogs.

Celery leaves may have chemicals that are harmful to your dog. Make sure to wash celery as thoroughly as possible before feeding it to your dog. Keep the leaves off the plate as they don’t carry much nutritional value anyway.

Try cutting celery into bite-sized pieces that are right for your dog’s size. Bigger chunks may be a choking hazard for small dogs. Try giving your dogs chopped celery instead of a full stalk.

If your dog does not like celery as much try sprinkling just a small amount of chopped celery in your dog’s dinner. They won’t even notice it and still get the nutritional value that celery offers.

Conclusion

Celery is a healthy food option for your dog. It has a lot of beneficial nutrients, including essential vitamins such as vitamin C and other minerals, that are essential for your dog’s growth.

Aside from all the nutritional benefits, celery is also good for dogs because it is a low-calorie snack. That means that your dog gets to enjoy all the nutritional benefits of celery without the extra calories.

Fewer calories also mean that celery is a good healthy treat for overweight dogs who are just trying to shave off a few extra pounds.

Lastly, celery also makes for an excellent treat due to its texture. Green leafy celery makes it an ideal crunchy snack for your dog!

FAQ

How much celery can I give my dog?

According to PetMD, you should give the following number of pieces of celery to your dogs based on their weight and size:

• Extra-small size (weighing 2-20 pounds) – one to two pieces, cut according to size
• Small-sized dogs (weighing 21-30 pounds) – two to three pieces according to size
• Medium-sized dogs (weighing 31-50 pounds) – five to six small pieces
• Larger dogs (weighing 51-90 pounds) – just a handful of bite-sized pieces

Should celery be cooked or raw for dogs?

Dogs can eat both raw and cooked celery. Cooked celery is preferred, especially for older dogs and puppies, because it is easier to chew and maintains its crunchy texture even after being cooked.

Can celery cause diarrhea in dogs?

Despite the numerous benefits of celery, it can cause a few problems for your dogs. Celery can cause diarrhea if your dog eats too much of it or if you don’t wash celery first before feeding it to your dog.