When it comes to giving your dog food off of your plate, you always have to be extremely careful. Certain human foods could be detrimental to the health of your dog. In large quantities, some food items like chocolate and coffee could even result in the death of your dog. But what about foods that are generally perceived as healthy, like greens and salads? For instance, is celery safe for dogs? Let’s find out!

Can Dogs Eat Celery?

The short answer is yes. Your dog can eat celery. Celery is very low in fat and cholesterol and it does not contain any harmful toxins that are lethal for your dog. On the contrary, celery could even work as a perfect weight-loss treat for your dog. However, there are some minor cautions such as choking hazards and excessive exposure to pesticides that you should be wary of. But as long as you wash the celery thoroughly and cut them into small, chewable, and digestible pieces before feeding it to your dog, you won’t come across any serious problem.

In this article, we will cover the possible hazards and benefits of feeding celery to your dog along with a few pointers on how to safely feed these green goodies to your dog.

Is It Safe to Feed Your Dog Celery?

Celery falls under the category of vegetables that are safe for dogs and are trusted by most vets.  As long as you wash the celery thoroughly and serve it in small chunks, it is totally safe for your dog and makes for a healthy occasional treat.  It is a lightweight source of fat and cholesterol and contains many nutrients like vitamins, folate, manganese, and potassium, to name a few. All of these nutrients are required for better development of the immune system and growth of your dog. 

Is Celery Healthy for Your Dog?

Celery has long been famed as a low-calorie diet food and this applies to your pooch as well. However, crispy, crunchy celery stalks have more benefits than just weight loss. Here are some ways that eating celery can aid your pup’s health:

• Celery is rich in water and has low-calorie content, making it a healthy treat that promotes weight loss.
• It contains lots of vitamin K, which helps build strong, healthy bones and plays a role in blood clotting.
• Vitamin A is great for your dog’s eyes, skin, muscles, and nervous system.
• It also has almost as much potassium as bananas do, and this electrolyte can help with blood pressure, heart and kidney problems.
• Celery is mostly water, so it will help keep your doggo hydrated, especially during the summer.

Similarly, celery contains other antioxidants, plant fibers, and nutrients that help keep your dog fit. This makes it an extremely healthy treat that your dog could safely chew on.

What Are the Risks of Feeding Your Dog Celery?

Just because celery is safe for dogs doesn’t mean it can be your dog’s most reliable treat. While it is both safe and healthy for canines, under certain circumstances, feeding celery to your dog can pose certain risks.

If you feed your dog whole celery, you could easily cause choking, especially if your dog is small. This is why before you give your dog some celery to chomp on, you must always cut them into appropriate pieces by taking your dog’s size into account.

At the same time, dogs are unable to digest vegetables and fruits as efficiently as humans can, so celery can cause an upset stomach in your dog. Additionally, celery can lead to excessive urination or even diarrhea because of its excessive water content. For this reason, giving your dog celery in small amounts is the way to go. Never rely on celery as the primary diet for your dog, and only serve it as an occasional treat.

How Much Celery Is OK For Your Dog

Although it is a healthy treat, your dog doesn’t need the nutrients from celery to stay fit. They get the necessary nutrition from meat and dog food. As a result, celery shouldn’t be a regular part of your dog’s diet but should instead be fed as an occasional treat.

According to the AKC Canine Health Foundation, treats must not exceed more than 10 percent of your dog’s daily diet, especially if your dog is overweight. Since performing the calculations can get complicated, you can make a rough estimate. For example, if your dog has a full meal bowl, you are not supposed to give a bowl full of celery! A few pieces of chopped-up celery added to their food or served separately yet sparingly would be ideal for your dog.

How to Feed Celery to Your Dog

If you wish to let your dog taste some celery, there are a few ways you can go about it. Here are a few things you could try:

• Top it with some Peanut Butter

The fact that most dogs love peanut butter shouldn’t come off as a surprise to you if you’re a dog owner. You might’ve even tried feeding pills to your dog by coating peanut butter on top of it. You could do the same with celery. Don’t use too much peanut butter as it is high in fat and calories. For more info on feeding your dog peanut butter, read our detailed article on “Can Dogs Have Peanut Butter?”

• Mix it into their food

You could also try chopping up or blending celery and mixing it into the food your dog usually has. If they seem to like it, you can then proceed to adding more next time or giving them celery on its own. If they don’t seem to like it or have an adverse reaction to it, you might want to stop the process.

• Pair it with Another Treat

Similar to peanut butter, you could try mixing celery with treats or food that your dog loves. This is especially useful for owners whose dogs refuse to eat their veggies. This way, your pooch can both enjoy their favorite treat and receive additional nutrition at the same time.

Never feed your dog big chunks of celery as there is a high risk of choking or intestinal blockage in doing so. Always remember to cut it into small pieces first. Also, if it’s your pup’s first time trying celery, try giving them only a small piece. This way, if it turns out that your dog is allergic to celery or just doesn’t like it in general, you can stop feeding them celery altogether.

Can Dogs Eat Celery Raw?

As long as it is well cut, raw celery has no side effects on your dog. Most owners feed their dogs raw celery, and their dogs seem to like it as well. However, always be careful with the size, and don’t forget to remove the stringy part as it can be difficult for your canine buddy to swallow.

Can Dogs Eat Cooked Celery?

If you have a smaller breed, cooking celery before feeding it to your dog might be a better idea. But just be careful not to use any additives like onions, garlic, tomatoes, salt, and spices when cooking as they can be harmful to your pooch’s health.

Is Celery Leaves Good for My Dog?

Although celery stalks make for some safe and healthy treats for your dog, we recommend that you avoid feeding your dog celery leaves. Celery is a vegetable that is usually grown using pesticides or other toxins. The residue of these toxins tends to stay on the leaves of celery even after harvest.

According to What’s On My Food, some of the major pesticide residues found in celery that can be harmful to your dog are:

Pesticide	How Often is it Found?
Spinosad	100%
Acephate	34.7%
Chlorothalonil	29.1%
Propiconazole	21.9%

Prevention is better than cure so it’s always better to avoid harmful toxins, be it for yourself or your pet.  So, it’s better to stick to the stalks and not to feed your dog celery leaves. Just to be on the safe side, remember to thoroughly wash the plant even if you’re avoiding the leaves.

Does Celery Prevent Bad Breath In Dogs?

Most owners treat celeries as a remedy for bad breath. But does it work? Absolutely! Celery contains a lot of water, which stimulates saliva production and helps wash the bacteria and plaque away. It also contains a lot of fiber, so it can help keep the teeth clean and prevent plaque build-ups. As such, celery can definitely help your dog prevent dental problems, bad breath, and even tooth loss.

Conclusion

The final verdict here is that dogs can safely eat celery. In fact, it is quite healthy and makes for a perfect treat for your dog but just remember to cut it into smaller pieces. Also, if you’re cooking the celery before feeding it to your dog, make sure that the ingredients used are safe for your pooch. As always, consult your vet before you feed your dog celery or any other human food.

Now that you know how celery makes a perfectly healthy snack for your dog, here are some celery-related dog articles that you might be interested in.

How often do you give celery to your dog? Or do you occasionally give it as a weight-loss treat? Does your dog like the taste of celery? We would love to hear from you. Please share with our community by leaving a comment below!