{"id":44311,"date":"2025-11-26T21:39:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T21:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/?p=44311"},"modified":"2026-05-12T20:17:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T20:17:33","slug":"can-dogs-have-spinach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/can-dogs-have-spinach\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Dogs Eat Spinach?"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p><strong>In this article:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#is-spinach-safe-for-dogs\">Is spinach safe for dogs?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#what-s-the-best-way-to-prepare-spinach-for-a-dog\">What&rsquo;s the best way to prepare spinach for a dog?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how-much-spinach-can-you-feed-a-dog\">How much spinach can you feed a dog?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how-is-spinach-used-in-complete-and-balanced-dog-food\">How is spinach used in complete and balanced dog food?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how-is-spinach-used-in-complete-and-balanced-dog-food\">Which dogs should not eat spinach?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"><div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div><p>Can dogs eat spinach? The short answer is yes. Most healthy dogs can have spinach in small, occasional portions as a treat when it&rsquo;s prepared properly, or as part of a complete and balanced food. Here are the details.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-spinach-safe-for-dogs\">Is spinach safe for dogs?<\/h4><p>Small amounts of plain, cooked spinach can be fine as a treat for healthy adult dogs. The vegetable contains vitamins A, C, and K, plus folate, magnesium, and fiber.<\/p><p>If your dog has had calcium oxalate bladder stones or a high blood calcium level, avoid feeding them spinach as an extra. If your dog has a sensitive stomach or already suffers from bloating and gas, you may want to limit spinach intake. If you are unsure, speak to your veterinarian about which foods your dog can eat, and in what quantities.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-s-the-best-way-to-prepare-spinach-for-a-dog\">What&rsquo;s the best way to prepare spinach for a dog?<\/h4><p>Cooking spinach significantly reduces its oxalate content while preserving essential nutrients&mdash;but talk to your veterinarian about which foods are right for your dog.<\/p><p>Here are some tips if you&rsquo;re cooking spinach for your dog:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cook lightly: steam or blanch plain spinach until just wilted; allow to cool.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep it plain: no oil, butter, dairy, salt, garlic, onion, or seasonings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chop finely and mix a spoonful into a complete meal as an occasional topper.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose cooked over raw; skip canned due to high sodium content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rinse leaves thoroughly; choose fresh or frozen over seasoned options.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stop if you notice vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, or gas, and contact your veterinarian for support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Always ask your vet before feeding your dog any kind of new food.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-much-spinach-can-you-feed-a-dog\">How much spinach can you feed a dog?<\/h4><p>In addition to the restrictions above, remember to follow the &ldquo;10% rule&rdquo; for treats and other extras in general. Keep all foods other than your dog&rsquo;s complete and balanced food under 10% of their daily calories. Talk to your veterinarian about what this means for your dog.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-is-spinach-used-in-complete-and-balanced-dog-food\">How is spinach used in complete and balanced dog food?<\/h4><p>When appropriate proportions of spinach or other leafy greens are included in a complete and balanced dog food, the overall recipe meets dogs&rsquo; needs for daily feeding. This is the case with The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog, where all of our recipes are formulated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/meet-our-on-staff-board-certified-nutritionists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">on-staff, board-certified nutritionists<\/a>.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"which-dogs-should-not-eat-spinach\">Which dogs should not eat spinach?<\/h4><p>Avoid spinach as an extra for dogs with prior calcium oxalate bladder stones, or those who have high blood calcium levels diagnosed by a veterinarian.<\/p><p>If your dog shows any unusual signs after trying spinach, call your veterinarian. And, as always, talk to your vet before making any changes to your dog&rsquo;s diet. They&rsquo;re the person who&rsquo;s best qualified to guide decisions about your dog&rsquo;s health.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-bottom-line\">The bottom line<\/h4><p>Healthy dogs can have small, occasional portions of plain, cooked spinach as a topper, kept within the &ldquo;10% rule.&rdquo; For everyday nutrition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a complete and balanced food<\/a>, formulated by on-staff, board-certified nutritionists, should be your dog&rsquo;s primary diet.<\/p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Is spinach safe for dogs?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Small amounts of plain, cooked spinach can be fine as an occasional treat for healthy adult dogs. Dogs with calcium oxalate bladder stones, high blood calcium levels, sensitive stomachs, bloating, or gas may need to avoid or limit spinach and should ask a veterinarian.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What&rsquo;s the best way to prepare spinach for a dog?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Lightly steam or blanch plain spinach until just wilted, let it cool, and chop it finely before mixing a small amount into a complete meal. Do not add oil, butter, dairy, salt, garlic, onion, or seasonings, and avoid canned spinach because of its sodium content.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How much spinach can you feed a dog?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Spinach should be treated as an occasional extra and follow the 10% rule. All foods outside a dog&rsquo;s complete and balanced diet should make up less than 10% of their daily calories. Ask your veterinarian what this means for your dog.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How is spinach used in complete and balanced dog food?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"When spinach or other leafy greens are included in appropriate proportions in a complete and balanced dog food, the overall recipe can meet dogs&rsquo; needs for daily feeding. The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog recipes are formulated by on-staff, board-certified nutritionists.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Which dogs should not eat spinach?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Dogs with prior calcium oxalate bladder stones or high blood calcium levels diagnosed by a veterinarian should avoid spinach as an extra. If your dog shows unusual signs after eating spinach, contact your veterinarian.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s what to know about whether and how to serve this vegetable to your dog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":44314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44311"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46323,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44311\/revisions\/46323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}