Can Dogs Eat Beetroot? Plain and Cooked, Yes. Pickled, No

by Ben, co-founder

Why the caveats matter

Beetroot itself is a perfectly reasonable vegetable for dogs: fibre for the gut, plus folate, potassium and manganese. It is also relatively sugary for a vegetable and quite dense, so it works as an occasional small extra rather than a regular scoop, particularly for overweight or diabetic dogs.

The two genuine cautions are oxalates and processing. Beetroot is one of the higher-oxalate vegetables, and oxalates contribute to calcium oxalate urinary stones, so dogs with a history of them (or breeds prone to them, such as miniature schnauzers) are better off without it. And most beetroot in UK kitchens is pickled, which adds vinegar, salt and sugar a dog does not need, or comes in salads with onion, which is toxic to dogs.

What to do if your dog has eaten beetroot

1. If your dog eats pickled beetroot or a dressed beetroot salad, check the ingredients for onion. If onion was involved, ring your vet.
2. A large plain beetroot raid is more likely to mean a red-tinged upset stomach than an emergency. Watch and ring your vet if vomiting or diarrhoea persists.

How to serve it safely

• Plain cooked beetroot is the best form: boiled, steamed or roasted with nothing added, then chopped or mashed.
• Small dogs: a teaspoon or two. Medium dogs: a tablespoon. Large dogs: a couple of tablespoons, occasionally rather than daily.
• Raw beetroot is safe but hard to digest whole. Grate it finely if you offer it raw.
• Skip pickled beetroot, beetroot in vinegar, and any salad containing onion or dressing.
• Skip it entirely for dogs with a history of calcium oxalate stones, and check with your vet if your dog is stone-prone.

When to ring the vet

Frequently Asked Questions

My dog's wee is red after eating beetroot. Should I worry?

Almost certainly not. Beetroot pigments pass through dogs just as they do through people, tinting urine and stools pink or red for a day or so. If the colour persists beyond a couple of days, or appears without beetroot in the picture, ring your vet.

Can dogs eat pickled beetroot?

No. The beetroot is fine but the pickling is not: vinegar and a lot of salt and sugar, sometimes with onion in the jar or the salad around it. One stolen slice is unlikely to cause harm, but it should not be offered.

Is beetroot good for dogs?

In small plain amounts it is a decent source of fibre and micronutrients, and some commercial dog foods include it for exactly that reason. It is not a superfood, and for stone-prone dogs the oxalate content makes it one to avoid.

More quick answers

This article is for information, not diagnosis. If your dog has eaten something worrying, ring your vet or, out of hours, an emergency vet. Every dog is different, and your vet knows yours.