Can Dogs Eat Brussels Sprouts?
In moderation. Cooked, unsalted and cut up, they are safe in small amounts. They cause a lot of gas and, whole and raw, they can choke a small dog.
What it gives your dog
Brussels sprouts have about 40 kcal per 100 g and plenty of fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, folate and antioxidant compounds. They are not toxic. They are cruciferous, like cabbage and broccoli, and among the ones that ferment the most: a few are enough to give many dogs gas and a bloated belly.
Their shape matters too. A whole raw sprout is a firm little ball just the right size to get stuck in the throat of a small dog or one that swallows without chewing. Cooked and cut into halves or quarters, that risk goes away. Like other cruciferous vegetables, they have glucosinolates that in large raw amounts could affect the thyroid, which is irrelevant at the portion size of an occasional extra.
How to serve it
- Boiled or steamed with no salt, until tender
- Cut into halves or quarters, or chopped for small dogs
- Without the yellowed outer leaves
- Mixed into their food, one at a time at first
- Never sauteed with bacon, butter, garlic or nuts
How much can they eat?
As an occasional extra: small dog (under 10 kg / 22 lb), 1 cooked, chopped sprout (10 g); medium dog (10-25 kg / 22-55 lb), 2-3 sprouts cut up (20-30 g); large dog (over 25 kg / 55 lb), 3-4 sprouts (40 g).
Risks
- Lots of gas, bloating and soft stools
- Whole and raw: choking in small or greedy dogs
- Sauteed with bacon, butter or garlic
- Baked with cheese or cream sauce: fat
- Dogs with hypothyroidism: not in large amounts
Frequently asked questions
Why do Brussels sprouts give dogs so much gas?
Because they contain fiber and sulfur compounds that dogs do not digest and that bacteria in the large intestine ferment. The result is gas, often smelly, and sometimes soft stools. Cooking them well, cutting them up and giving only one or two at first reduces it. If they still disagree with your dog, there are gentler vegetables, like zucchini or green beans.
Can dogs eat raw Brussels sprouts?
It is not a good idea. Raw sprouts are hard, digest worse and cause more gas, and whole ones can choke a small dog. If one falls on the floor and your dog eats it, nothing will happen. To give them on purpose, steam them for about ten minutes, let them cool and cut them into pieces that suit your dog's size.
General information reviewed against veterinary sources. If your dog has eaten something that worries you, call your vet or a 24-hour emergency vet right away, without waiting for symptoms.