Can Dogs Eat Edamame Safely?

Edamame is so snackable — once you start eating them, it’s hard to put them down!

But have you ever wondered if you can pop a few beans out and let your dog enjoy them, too?

We reached out to Dr. Corinne Wigfall, a veterinarian working with SpiritDog Training, and Jacqueline Kennedy, a canine nutrition specialist and founder of PetDT, to find the answer to the question: Can dogs eat edamame?

Dogs can definitely eat edamame on occasion. It’s a nontoxic vegetable that you can feed your pup without worries most of the time.

“They are low in calories and filling compared to store-bought treats, so [they’re] a good food topper or training treat,” Dr. Wigfall told The Dodo.

Edamame is also incredibly healthy for dogs and contains tons of natural omega-3 oils, vitamin C and calcium.

“So it’s great for their skin, helps to keep their coats shiny, their joints strong and supple, and helps to strengthen and maintain their skeletal structure,” Kennedy told The Dodo.

As long as it’s served raw, edamame is absolutely safe for dogs.

“When you start frying and cooking it, it’s the extra oils that are used to prepare it that are problematic as they can be a root cause of canine obesity and the health issues that are directly related to it,” Kennedy said.

With that said, you can serve your pup steamed or boiled edamame as long as there are no seasonings, oils or butters involved. These things can cause tummy upset and other issues, like kidney damage.

While the pod is technically edible, it can be difficult to chew, so it’s a good idea to remove the beans from the pod before feeding them to your pup.

“Another risk of feeding too many edamame beans is that they can cause your dog to become a little gassy!” Dr. Wigfall said. So it’s a good idea to only feed them occasionally rather than every day.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that edamame is soy, and soy is a common food allergy in dogs.

It’s best to start off slowly when feeding your pup edamame and check for signs of an allergic reaction.

Skin symptoms of a food allergy include:

Gastrointestinal symptoms of a food allergy include:

If you spot any of these signs, stop feeding your dog edamame and contact your veterinarian.

If your dog loves edamame, or is allergic and can’t enjoy it, here are some other healthy snacks she can try:

So while edamame can be perfectly safe for most pups, always feed a tiny amount at first to make sure she isn’t allergic to it, and only serve them totally plain as an occasional treat.