Can Dogs Eat Zucchini Safely?

A zucchini is a summer squash that’s perfect for grilling or turning into low carb “pasta.” It’s a crunchy, refreshing and tasty treat that can be cut into bite-sized pieces, so you may have wondered if you can share a piece or two with your dog.

We reached out to Dr. Corinne Wigfall, a veterinarian working with SpiritDog Training, to find the answer to the question: Can dogs eat zucchini?

Unlike some notoriously toxic foods to pups, like garlic and onions, zucchini’s actually healthy for dogs as long as there are no flavorings or spices added to it.

Zucchini’s packed with tons of vitamins, minerals and other goodies, like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, potassium, magnesium and folate.

It’s also a good treat if you’re reducing your dog's overall calorie intake.

“[One benefit] of zucchini as a snack is that it is lower in calories compared to store-bought treats, so it can be a good training tool for dogs who need to lose weight,” Dr. Wigfall told The Dodo.

While zucchini is generally safe for your dog (and you!) to enjoy, sometimes you might actually end up with a bitter zucchini that’s toxic to dogs.

A bitter zucchini’s full of something called cucurbitacins, which is a class of biochemical compounds found in some plants that can cause vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea in dogs. (Bitter zucchinis are harmless to humans, though.)

To avoid these risky zucchinis, always make sure you’re purchasing fresh, healthy ones — and taste a little piece before tossing a few chunks to your pup to make sure it isn’t bitter.

Zucchini’s safe to feed to your pup every day, just make sure you’re never exceeding more than 10 percent of her total daily calorie intake.

When feeding your pup zucchini, peel it and cut it into small pieces. Your dog can enjoy zucchini that’s raw, steamed, boiled and baked, as long as it’s plain.

If your dog loves zucchini, here are some other healthy foods she can snack on:

So the next time you’re getting those zoodles ready, you can set a few plain ones aside for your pup to enjoy, too!