Can Dogs Eat Chickpeas?
Yes, in moderation: well-cooked chickpeas with no salt and no seasoning. Never raw, and never in hummus or stews, which bring garlic, onion, salt or sausage fat.
What it gives your dog
Cooked chickpeas provide about 160 kcal per 100 g, around 9 g of plant protein, 7-8 g of fiber, iron, magnesium and folate. Some dog foods use them as an ingredient, so they are not strange to a dog. As an extra, mashed and mixed into their food, most dogs like them.
They have two drawbacks. Raw or undercooked, they contain lectins and digestive enzyme inhibitors that cause vomiting and diarrhea, and that soaking and long cooking deactivate. And they ferment a lot in the gut: many dogs get gas or soft stools if they eat more than a few spoonfuls. Besides, the chickpeas that usually reach a dog are not plain chickpeas but hummus (garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt) and hearty stews and soups (chorizo or other sausage, bacon, salt), and there the problem is everything else in the dish. As for the FDA investigation that linked legume-heavy "grain-free" dog foods to a heart condition, it never proved a cause and it concerned foods where legumes were the base, not a few spoonfuls here and there.
How to serve it
- Well cooked, until they mash with a fork, and with no salt
- Canned only if you rinse them well under the tap to remove the salt
- Mashed or pureed and mixed into their food, better than whole
- Start with a teaspoon and check their stool the next day
- Never raw, never salted roasted chickpea snacks, never in hummus or stews
How much can they eat?
As an extra, 2-3 times a week: small dog (under 10 kg / 22 lb), 1 tablespoon (15 g) of cooked chickpeas; medium dog (10-25 kg / 22-55 lb), 2 tablespoons (30 g); large dog (over 25 kg / 55 lb), 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 g). Keep it within the 10 % of daily calories set aside for extras.
Risks
- Gas, bloating and soft stools if given in quantity
- Raw or undercooked: lectins that irritate the gut
- Hummus: garlic, salt and tahini
- Stews and soups: chorizo or other sausage, bacon, salt and sometimes onion
- Roasted or fried chickpea snacks: salt and fat
- Purines: best limited in dogs with urate stones
Frequently asked questions
Can dogs eat hummus?
No. Hummus almost always contains garlic, which damages a dog's red blood cells, plus salt, lemon juice and tahini, which is very high in fat. One lick is not an emergency for a large dog, but a whole tub is worth a call to the vet. If you want to give your dog chickpeas, mash a few cooked ones with no salt and nothing else.
Can dogs eat chickpeas from soup or stew?
Better not. Chickpeas from a stew or soup have simmered with sausage, bacon, salt and often onion, and they soak up that fat and flavor. A few rinsed ones do not usually cause problems, but the broth and the meats can trigger gastroenteritis or pancreatitis. If you cook chickpeas for your dog, cook them separately, in plain water.
Do chickpeas give dogs gas?
Yes, quite often. Their fiber and some sugars that dogs cannot digest ferment in the gut and produce gas. To reduce it, soak them for 12 hours, cook them until very tender, serve them mashed and in small amounts, and increase the portion gradually. If they still disagree with your dog, there are other options, like green beans.
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.