Can dogs or cats eat olives?
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Can dogs eat olives?
Olives may be tasty for humans, but they're a risky treat for dogs. In fact, feeding your dog olives can be dangerous unless you're extremely careful.
One reason is that olives contain a significant amount of oil and fat. While fats are essential for canine health when eaten in moderation, too much fat content can cause digestive upset and lead to obesity. If you do feed your dog the occasional olive, make sure you do so only rarely, as an occasional treat.
Olives also often contain sodium from the brine solution that's used in storing them. Eating foods that contain high levels of salt can have negative effects on a dog’s cardiovascular system by increasing blood pressure and leading to dehydration.
On top of all this, some varieties of olives may contain pits, which can be choking hazards or even cause gastrointestinal damage while passing through your dog's digestive system.
All that being said, feeding your dog the occasional olive can be safe under these conditions:
Make sure they're unsalted
Carefully remove the pit and make sure no remnants remain
Feed them to your dog only in small amounts and not regularly
The bottom line: Feeding your dog olives regularly or in large amounts poses risks to your furry friend, especially if they're salted and unpitted. Feeding your dog unsalted and carefully-pitted olives in extreme moderation can be safe, but what's even safer is avoiding this treat entirely!
Before introducing a new food item into your pet's diet, consult with your veterinarian first. If your dog eats olives (or any food) and is showing signs of illness such as lethargy, diarrhoea, or vomiting, reach out to your veterinarian immediately. If they require veterinary care related to eating any unsafe foods, dog insurance can help cover the cost of treatment.
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Can cats eat olives?
If you're very careful, it can be safe to let your cat nibble on the occasional olive. But there are a few things you should keep in mind before feeding olives to your cat.
First, olives have a high fat content, and they often have a high sodium content as well. Foods with high sodium content—especially when eaten in large amounts over time—can cause an imbalance in your cat's electrolytes, leading to dehydration, or even more severe health problems such as kidney damage. Excessive fat consumption can lead to digestive problems like stomach upset, diarrhoea and even obesity.
Moreover, olives contain pits, which can cause choking or gastrointestinal damage. And olives also contain a compound called oleuropein, which can lead to digestive issues such as vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach upset in some felines.
All that being said, cats can still gnaw on the occasional olive so long as you do the following:
Feed them the unsalted variety
Carefully remove the pit and make sure no remnants remain
Feed them to your cat only in small amounts and not regularly
While some cats may show no adverse reactions after eating small amounts of black or green olives as an occasional treat, the safest thing you can do is avoid feeding them olives altogether. Truth be told, your cat won't be missing out on one of life's great pleasures by abstaining from olives. As obligate carnivores, cats need to get most of their nutrients from meat anyway.
Before introducing a new food item into your pet's diet, consult with your veterinarian first. If your cat eats olives (or any food) and is showing signs of illness such as lethargy, diarrhoea, or vomiting, reach out to your veterinarian immediately. If they require veterinary care related to eating any unsafe foods, cat insurance can help cover the cost of treatment.
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Information purposes only
The suggestions offered here are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for pet-specific advice from your veterinarian. Never disregard your vet’s recommendations, or delay in acting on them, based on something you have read on this site. Regardless of how a food is rated here, any food that you give your pet can pose potential health risks, including allergic reactions, choking, or other health conditions such as bloat. Always monitor your pet while they’re eating, and never introduce a new food into your pet’s diet without first consulting your veterinarian.
Pet poison emergency protocol
If your pet is acting sick, call your regular veterinarian immediately. If your regular veterinarian is closed, call a nearby on-call veterinarian, animal urgent care, or veterinary emergency hospital. If your pet is not acting sick but you think they may have been exposed to a poison, call the Animal Poison Line (01202 50 9000).
Food safety statuses
Could be given almost daily without harm
Not toxic, but should not be given regularly
Toxic or simply too risky to give to your pet