Olives are nontoxic to dogs and okay for them to eat in moderation. Olives contain great vitamins and minerals that are wonderful for humans, but if your dog is fed a complete and balanced diet, they should not need the additional nutrients.
Read on to find out what olives dogs can eat, what will make a healthy snack for your canine friend, and how feeding olives can impact your dog’s overall health.
Can Dogs Eat Olives?
Your dogs can eat a few olives without it being a problem. Though olives provide humans with great nutritional benefits, full of healthy fats and protein, if your dog is being fed a complete, balanced diet, they shouldn’t need these extra nutrients, and over time it can lead to weight gain!
Are Olives Poisonous To Dogs?
Eating olives will not do harm to your dog, as they are not toxic. However, olives are prepared in many different ways, some of which can be bad for your canine friend.
Below, you will read about olives that will impact your dog’s health in a negative way, as well as the health benefits of plain olives, black olives, olive oil, and more.
What Olives Should I Avoid?
Olive Pits
Olives do not contain any ingredients that are toxic to dogs, but olive pits can pose a choking hazard, as the olive pit can block your dog’s airways or get lodged in their intestinal tract.
If you are adding olives to your dog’s diet, you should make sure that you are only feeding them plain, pitted olives.
Pickled or Canned Olives
In addition to possibly providing your dog with too much fat, pickled or canned olives contain a lot of sodium, which is unhealthy for your dog. Too much sodium can often lead to toxicity or dehydration.
Pet owners should ensure that olives given to their dogs do not contain too much salt. You should only choose unsalted olives for your canine companion to be safe.
Seasoned Olives
Pet owners should stay away from choosing olives that contain garlic, additional oils, or seasonings, as they can also impact your pet’s health.
Many dishes within the Mediterranean diet contain these ingredients, so you should always be cautious. In addition, garlic is toxic to dogs and can cause oxidative damage to your dog’s red blood cells. This can result in hemolytic anemia.
Members of the allium family, such as onions, shallots, and garlic, can also lead to abdominal pain, vomiting, dehydration, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal distress.
Alcoholic Olives
You may enjoy a couple of olives in your alcoholic beverage of choice, and it’s common to find olives soaked in alcohol at the grocery store. Alcohol is toxic to dogs and should be avoided!
Even a tiny amount of alcohol can result in your dog developing alcohol poisoning. In extreme cases, your dog may enter a coma or have issues with their central nervous system.
Are Stuffed Olives Safe For Dogs?
Feeding your dog a stuffed olive should be safe, depending on what’s inside of them! Let’s take a look:
Feta Cheese and Goat Cheese
Cheeses can be questionable for dogs, as it contains lactose, which can be challenging for some dogs to digest.
Goat cheese is lower in lactose and riboflavin and can be safe for your dogs to eat in moderation.
Feta cheese is high in sodium and saturated fat and can be very harmful to dogs if they have too much. This type of cheese should be avoided due to how much salt it contains. In addition, saturated fat can lead to obesity, and over time, this will lead to high blood pressure.
Pimentos
Pimentos are safe for dogs to eat in moderation and will not make dogs sick. However, you should make sure that the pimentos are the only thing stuffed in the olive, as some ingredients included with it can be toxic.
Almonds
Although almonds are not toxic, they are hard to digest and should be avoided. However, if your dog gets ahold of small quantities of almond stuffed olives, they should be okay! But exercise caution, as they may make your dog vomit.
Chilis and Hot Peppers
Spicy ingredients should not be given to dogs, as they can cause discomfort and irritation to both your dog’s throat and mouth. In addition, if they eat enough of these things, they can develop digestive issues.
Blue Cheese
Blue cheese is made from a fungus that produces its sharp, pungent flavor. This fungus is not suitable for your dog and can cause diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and in extreme cases, seizures.
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What Type of Olives Can Dogs Eat?
There are many different kinds of olives to choose from, and some may be a better option for your dog than others! Your dog can eat green olives, black olives, and Kalamata olives! Let’s take a look:
Green Olives
Green olives are green because they were picked sooner than black olives. The only difference is that green olives have a slightly higher sodium content, which could be bad for your dog over time.
Green olives still contain a good amount of healthy fat, and although your dog shouldn’t need any extra nutrients, these olives can be good in moderation.
If your dogs eat green olives, you should make sure that you keep an eye on them and make sure that they do not eat too many olives.
Black Olives
Green and black olives are very similar, though they contain less sodium than green olives! Therefore, black and green olives have many of the same health benefits for your dog.
That being said, you should make sure the black olives are prepared correctly beforehand.
If your dogs eat black olives, you should make sure that they are unsalted and plain.
Kalamata Olives
Kalamata olives are safe for dogs as a tasty treat in moderation. However, if you feed these to your dog, you should make sure that they are pitted.
Kalamata olives should only be fed to your dog as an occasional treat, as they, like green olives, contain a high amount of sodium.
If your dogs eat kalamata olives, a dog owner should ensure that the pits are removed and that it does not contain any excess salt or seasoning.
Greek Olives
There are many different kinds of greek olives, and they are all okay for your dog to eat.
If you give your dog olives, just make sure to remember to take out the pits and ensure they are not soaked in garlic, sugar, or salt.
Organic Olives
Organic olives can be great for dogs as long as they do not contain pits and do not contain any extra salt or seasoning. Unfortunately, olives with these extra things can make your dog sick.
Are Olives Nutritionally Beneficial?
Olives can have some nutritional benefits for your canine.
Vitamins and Minerals
Olives are high in vitamins A, E, and K and contain zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, and various other essential nutrients that are great for your dog.
Health Benefits for your dog
Some studies have shown that olives can possibly reduce inflammation and cholesterol, as well as boost your dog’s immune system, boost cognitive health, and help keep heart disease and cancer away.
Your Dog’s Diet
That being said, if your dog has a diet that is nutritionally complete, they shouldn’t need these additional vitamins and minerals.
Most dogs would have to a lot of olives to get any benefit from them, and at that point, the negatives will more than likely outweigh the positives.
Can Dogs Eat Olive Oil
Olive oil is fantastic for dogs! Extra virgin olive oil is an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
The benefits of olive oil for your dog are well documented! It’s considered a superfood and has been shown to help reduce cardiovascular disease, improve joint mobility and blood vessel health, promote bone health and healthy skin.
How Much Olive Oil Can Your Dog Have?
Your dog can eat olive oil, but they must have it in moderation to ensure maximum effectiveness.
In general, it is safe to give your dog one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil per 20 pounds. But, of course, small dogs should have less!
Benefits of Olive Oil
As mentioned, there are so many great benefits to olive oil. Let’s look at a few:
Healthy Skin
Extra virgin olive oil contains fatty acids that are wonderful for your canine’s fur. On top of that, they keep skin cells healthy, reducing inflammation. Some dogs may have flaky, dry skin due to underlying conditions and allergies, which olive oil can help!
Healthy Coat
The same fatty acids that help your dog’s skin also help your dog’s coat stay healthy. Adding extra virgin olive oil to your dog’s food will make their coat shiny and soft.
To do this, the oil works at a cellular level, so your dog must ingest the oil; you can’t just rub it on their fur!
Joint Health
Olive oil can pose as a natural alternative to various pain medications, as many dogs can be sensitive to them. In addition, the antioxidants found in the oil can have an anti-inflammatory effect and can reduce pain and increase mobility for your dog.
If you have an older dog suffering from arthritis, hip dysplasia, or osteoarthritis, adding a small amount of olive oil to your dog’s diet can be excellent for them!
Overall Health
Antioxidants found in extra virgin olive oil have been found to help counteract free radicals that can cause cancer in dogs.
Using a small amount of olive oil in your dog’s food can help boost their immunity and improve their cardiovascular and digestive health. Overall, it’s a wonderful contribution.
In Conclusion
If your dog eats olives, it can have health benefits in moderation! Black olives have more benefits than other types, considering they are lower in sodium than even green olives.
It is important to remember to de-pit your olives before feeding them to your dog since they can pose a significant choking hazard.
Although olives can be great for your dog, having too many can be lead to your canine having many long-term health issues like obesity and high blood pressure due to the amount of saturated fat and sodium olives contain.
Overall, if you are considering feeding your dog olives, make sure that they do not contain pits, extra salt, or other seasonings that can be highly toxic to your dog.