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Can Dogs Eat Celery?

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Dogs can eat celery. It is listed as one of the many vegetables that are safe for dogs to consume. There are many of these lists, and they are commonly created by qualified veterinarians and other nutrition professionals. 

Celery is a low-calorie and high-water food packed with fiber and nutrients. It has the bonus of making your dog’s breath fresher too. 

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How often can you feed your dog celery?

Celery should only ever be given as a treat, never as a supplemental food source or as a meal replacement.

While the vegetable is healthy, the nutritional profile does not even come close to meeting your dog’s needs. The bulk of your dog’s diet should consist of commercial dog food that is nutritionally balanced for the specific requirements of their breed. 

As a general rule, treats should never make up more than 10% of your dog’s diet.

This means that the quantity of celery you can feed them varies according to the rest of their dietary intake. This does not need to be exact, but if you are feeding your dog a cup of food a day then half a cup of celery is probably a bit much to feed alongside. 

What are the health benefits of celery?

Celery is a fairly healthy human food that you can feed to your dog. It has a water content of about 95%, meaning that it is a very hydrating vegetable. This can be useful in the summer months when the weather’s hot and you want to pack in that hydration.

The fat, calorie, and cholesterol contents of celery are almost non-existent. This means that celery is unlikely to have adverse health impacts on your dog, even if consumed in excess. 

Celery has a high fiber content too. This is vital for the health of your dog’s digestive system and helps food and waste move through the intestines with ease.

The crunchy texture of celery is also beneficial. As your dog chews on it, the vegetable will rub against their teeth and scrape off the outer layers of plaque and tartar buildup from their teeth. This can even mean that your dog’s breath smells better after having their snack.

There are many healthy vitamins found in celery. These include vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Vitamin K is involved with the coagulation of blood.

Tablets of this vitamin are commonly administered to dogs after the consumption of an anticoagulant rodenticide to reverse the harmful effects.

Vitamin A is involved with the maintenance of healthy skin, coat, nervous system, and muscles. It is also vital to maintain strong eyesight.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, meaning that it reduces the impacts of harmful free radicals in the body, which can help to prevent cancer. 

Celery also contains iron, calcium, and potassium. Iron helps your dog’s body to carry oxygen through their blood to produce energy. It is also vital for the correct function of specific enzymes within their body.

Calcium is used to assist with the growth and development of healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. It helps to maintain a strong heart condition and nervous system. Potassium helps different electrical functions within the body to happen, such as in the heart, nerves, and muscles. 

You also find zinc and manganese in celery. These are used to boost the immune system, balance blood sugars, and reduce inflammation. 

Are there any dangers to feeding your dog celery?

As with most foods, celery can pose a choking hazard to your dog. This is even more of a risk in smaller dogs. We advise chopping the celery stalk into bite-sized chunks and feeding them to your dog individually to reduce the choking risk.

This has the added benefit of making portioning less of a chore. 

Any food has the potential to cause an allergic reaction in your dog. It is advised that you introduce new foods into their diet slowly and gradually to reduce the risk of allergic reactions as much as possible.

Just because most dogs are fine consuming celery does not mean that your dog will be. 

Some dogs will experience stomach upset after consuming celery. This can also be seen if your dog eats an excessive quantity of celery sticks. 

How should you feed your dog celery?

Image of celery chopped into bites sized pieces suitable for a dog

We strongly advise that you wash the celery stick thoroughly before you offer it to your dog. There are many pesticides and other chemicals used on produce that have been commercially grown, which can be harmful to your dog.

This also helps to remove any pathogenic bacteria from the surface of the vegetable. These pesticides are most prevalent on the leaves of the celery stalks, therefore we do not recommend feeding these to your dog. 

You should then chop up the celery into small chunks that can be eaten in one bite. This will greatly reduce the choking risk posed to your dog and assists with portion control too. 

You should start by just feeding your dog a small piece or two. Monitor their reaction and keep an eye out for any signs of an allergy.

If they appear okay then we recommend monitoring them for a couple more hours. If after this time there have been no issues, it is likely safe to feed your dog celery. 

If you would like, you can boil or steam the celery before feeding it to your dog. 

What should you not do?

You should never add salt to any produce that you feed to your animals. It can be tempting because we know how much salt enhances the flavors. It is really bad for your dog, and its internal organs cannot handle the sodium content. 

It is not recommended to pull celery out of your food to feed to your dog. This is because celery is often found in dishes with onion.

These are toxic to dogs and could cause some serious health problems. The best way to feed them celery is just snapping some off a stick with no added extras.