Can Dogs Eat Olives Safely (Black or Green)?

When you think about feeding olives to your dog it may not be quite that simple.

Apart from the question of whether it is safe to give them to your dog, you need look at what type of olives they are, as they come in different forms.

You can get green olives right through to black, and then there’s pitted vs natural, pickled olives, stuffed olives, cooked olives, and more.

To begin with, we should look at the basics of whether the actual fleshy fruit part of the olive has nutritional value for dogs, and if it has any harmful side-effects.

Is It Safe For Dogs To Eat Olives?

Dogs can eat olives, although in moderation, and offering them once in a while won’t hurt. The beneficial fats in olives can help your dog with weights loss, and they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

While olives provide many benefits to humans, can dogs benefit from the same nutritional content?

Is The Olive’s High-Fat Content Harmful To Your Dog?

Olives contain monounsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial fats in the dog’s body.

The fatty acids support the body in breaking down fat cells thus reducing cholesterol levels in the body and is suitable for weight loss as well as maintaining healthy skin and coat.

Due to its good fat content, olives are also known to reduce the risk of diabetes and blood pressure among dogs.

Can Dogs Eat Green Olives?

Green olives are pruned from the olive tree way earlier before fully ripening.

Green olives contain a higher sodium content compared to the black olives.

Green olives contain the same nutritional content as black olives, and they are fine to give to your dog.

Can Dogs Eat Black Olives?

Yes, it’s fine to offer your pooch both types of olives, however you need to limit their consumption.

Black olives are well-ripened olives that are picked from the tree when they are completely ripe.

Although they contain the same nutritional content with the green olives, black olives contain lower levels of sodium.

Most dog parents prefer serving their pooches with black olives as opposed to green olives due to the lower sodium content.

Plain Olives

If you decide to offer your dog olives, stick to plain organic olives.

The digestive system of dogs is not designed to process flavors and sodium. Also, their taste buds cannot distinguish one flavor from the other.

Flavored/canned olives contain certain amounts of sodium that may pose health risks to your dog.

Excessive consumption of sodium in dogs can lead to dehydration, high blood pressure, and even toxicity.

In addition, some olives may be coated in oils, seasonings, and garlic that also pose health risks to your furry friend.

Pitted Olives

Olives with pits will harm your pooch.

If they happen to chew the pitted olive they are likely to suffer from teeth injuries and can also choke.

Also, pitted olives are likely to cause digestive issues in your pooch.

Therefore, always ensure to clean your olives well and carefully remove the pits completely, before offering to your dog as a snack.

Fresh Olives

Just like veterinarians insist on feeding your pooch always with fresh dog food to prevent the occurrence of related diseases, the same applies to olives.

In the event that you cannot find fresh olives especially when it’s out of season, find an alternative snack that they can feed on.

Stuffed Olives

Be wary of feeding your furry friend stuffed olives since some of the ingredients may be toxic or detrimental to your dog’s health.

For instance, blue cheese, feta cheese, Jalapeno, Anchovies, and Pimentos among others.

In addition, stuffed olives may also contain other ingredients such as garlic as well as preservatives that are harmful to your dog.

Always check out ingredients found in stuffed olives before giving them to your pooch.

Ideally avoid serving stuffed olives to your dog.

How Many Olives Should I Feed My Dog?

Initially when introducing the olive to them, just offer a small piece of olive and keep an eye out for any allergic reaction at least for the next 24 hours.

If they love the olive, you can increase the amount to one olive then to two olives at a time, but only occasionally. Do not allow them to snack on it on a daily basis.

Olives contain saturated fat that if consumed in high quantities, is likely to cause detrimental effects to your dog.

Also, note that the dog’s internal systems especially the pancreas and kidneys are not designed to process high levels of sodium.

Therefore, too much sodium is likely to cause pancreatitis, a life-threatening disease that can be treated in some rare cases, through surgery.

Understanding Olives

Olives are a healthy and highly nutritious delicacy that scientists dates back its first domestication in Eastern Mediterranean about 6000 years ago.

Olives are rich in good fats, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants thus offering lots of health benefits. Some of the essential vitamins include A, E, and K.

Olives are beneficial in reducing cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and inflammation.

In addition, olives prevent the contraction of diseases such as cancer, infections, allergic reactions, and heart diseases.

What’s more, olives enhance the digestion process, immune system, improves vision and bone health.

Also, if you have a highly intelligent dog breed, you should consider serving them olives as they are known to promote cognitive health and brain function.

Olives are available in diverse varieties, however, the main ones are black and green olives.

Final thoughts.

Dogs can eat olives, and they contain lots of nutritional content that are not only beneficial to humans but dogs too.

They help prevent diseases such as cancer, promote digestion, immune system, and optimal body function.

However, it is recommended to serve your pooch with plain, unsalted olives as they won’t harm their bodies.

Whether it is a green or black olive, remember to initially wash the olive well and remove the pits that are known to cause harm to dogs.

Can Dogs Eat These Other Foods?

Can Dogs Eat Bell Peppers?
Can Dogs Eat Coconut?

Sources

https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-pancreatitis-symptoms-and-treatment#1