Can Dogs Eat Lettuce Safely?

As you’re enjoying that nice salad you made yourself for lunch, you might be tempted to slip your pup a small piece of lettuce while he watches you eat.

But can dogs eat lettuce safely?

We spoke with Dr. Cristina Bustamante, an associate veterinarian with Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Florida and founder of Dr. B. Vet, to find out whether dogs can eat this leafy vegetable safely.

Lettuce is a good, safe green for dogs to eat.

“In moderation, lettuce can be used as a crunchy treat,” Dr. Bustamante told The Dodo.

Lettuce is mostly water, so there aren’t a ton of nutrients in it, but it is a good source of things like:

Just be sure you’re always giving your dog plain lettuce — that means no salad dressing. Dressings can contain a lot of salt, fat or even ingredients that are toxic to dogs, like garlic and onion.

There are many different kinds of lettuce, including romaine and iceberg, and they’re all safe for your pup to eat — as long as they’re washed and not dressed.

“It is mostly water and fiber,” Dr. Bustamante said. “It is best to chop the lettuce into small, bite-sized pieces.”

It’s also super important to thoroughly wash any lettuce you feed your pup to clean off anything potentially hazardous.

While dogs can eat lettuce and be completely fine, you shouldn’t feed him the leafy green every day, since too much can mess with his system.

“Even too much of good things can be bad,” Dr. Bustamante said.

While fiber promotes healthy digestion, a lot of it can actually be hard for your pup to digest at once and cause mild stomach upset and soft bowel movements (aka runny poop). For the record, healthy dog poop should be play-dough consistency — sorry for the visual.

“They can eat [lettuce] as a crunchy treat but not as part of your dog’s daily diet,” Dr. Bustamante said.

While lettuce won’t give your pup the biggest nutrient boost in the world, letting him snack on a couple plain pieces is totally fine! Just make sure he doesn’t eat too much or grab a bite with any dressing on it, and he’ll be OK.

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