Olives And Olive Oil For Dogs – Good Or Bad?

olives growing on vines

Tossing a salad with some olive oil today, are you? Or preparing a sandwich with some olives inside? In both cases, if Fido’s around, you can bet that Fido has their eye on you and wants in on some of those olives and that olive oil!

Why they would possibly want either is beyond me, and beyond you I’m sure, but hey, dogs are like that and we love them just the way they are, don’t we? 🙂

But, we do know for a fact that not all human foods are safe for dogs to eat.

Which brings us to the question, can dogs have olives? And can dogs have olive oil?

Can Dogs Eat Olives?

Fortunately, dogs can eat olives as long as they are safe.

However, this doesn’t mean that you’re clear to give your canine olives all the time, and most definitely doesn’t mean that you’re clear to give your dog any kind of olives you find.

There are certain rules that you have to abide by when feeding your pet olives, which we will be discussing in just a few.

Best Way To Feed Dog Olives

Any olive you give to your dog must have the pit (or seed) completely removed from it first, as the pit can make your animal choke on it and can be dangerous to their teeth if they chew on it.

Sodium In Olives

The best form of olives you can feed your dog is plain, unsalted olives.

Try to stay as far away from pickled or canned olives, as these two tend to contain very high levels of sodium and spices as well, both of which can lead to terrible health repercussions in dogs.

Plain Olives With No Additives/Toppings

If you’re out there shopping for olives in the grocery store/supermarket, you have to be very careful about the kind of olives you’re going to buy if you plan on feeding any of it to your dog.

olive oil and olives

Many olive products out there, and besides the fact that they’re loaded with sodium, have a whole lot of seasonings/additives added to them, and are also mixed with other ingredients in order to boost their market appeal. (Or else how will one olive-producing company compete with another?).

Some examples of these additions to your good ol’ olives are hot spices, different varieties of highly processed cheese, different varieties of pepper, etc ..

All of these are very harmful and poisonous for dogs and should never be consumed by them.

The only form of olives that canines should ever consume is olive in its most natural form, so even if that means you’re going to have to do a little bit more searching around for that or that you’ll have to pay an extra few bucks for organic olives, that’s the best choice you could take for your dog, as well as for yourself.

Fresh Olives

Moreover, only stick to feeding your dog fresh olives.

If the olives you have are old and have mold on them, throw them away and don’t feed them to your dog, because that can induce seizures and lead to tremors.

Can Dogs Eat Black Olives Or Green Olives?

When it comes to olives, there are generally two kinds to choose from, green olives and black olives.

And, the question about whether black olives and green olives are both okay to feed dogs or not always gets asked around, so we thought we’d address it here.

Black olives have become fully ripened, while green olives are not completely ripe yet – that’s practically the only difference there is between the two (in their most natural form, that is).

With that being said, both black olives and green olives are fine to feed your dog, so you’re good to go with choosing either. The choice is up to you to make.

How Much Olives Are Safe For Dogs To Eat?

You always want to start off by giving your dog the smallest piece of olive there is when newly introducing olives into their diet and before you make that an occasional habit.

Give your pet the tiniest piece there is and check if they like it and if they don’t negatively react to it.

black dog outside

For all you know, your dog might just not like olives after all, or might even be allergic to them. So, start off small at first if unsure, because as they say, better safe than sorry!

You also don’t want to make a regular habit out of feeding your dog olives, because they are very rich in sodium, as we stated earlier on in this article.

If your dog consumes 1-2 pieces of plain, unsalted olives every now and then, that’s completely fine. But, if they goes down on something like a small bowl of olives all at once, you’ve got a problem.

Don’t forget the fact that olives are rich in fat, and if your canine consumes an excessive amount of fat in their diet they become at a huge risk of developing pancreatitis, a life threatening disease where your dog’s pancreas becomes inflamed and requires surgery.

A general rule of thumb you should always keep in mind is that your dog’s diet should be made up of 95% high quality dog food, while other other 5% can be made of human foods like olives.

Why Are Olives Good For Dogs?

Here are some of the most important benefits that olives have to offer your dog.

Olives:

  • Are a good source of protein
  • Are rich in minerals like calcium
  • Are rich in vitamins like vitamin A, E and K
  • Help improve your dog’s vision
  • Help improve your dog’s coat condition
  • Help improve your dog’s bone health
  • Help fight inflammations in the body
  • Are rich in the good kind of fat (monounsaturated fat) that helps reduce unhealthy cholesterol levels

Learn more about the health benefits of olives by watching this video!

Olive Oil For Dogs: Is Olive Oil Good For Dogs?

Before we kick off this section, let it be made very clear that dogs don’t need to consume olive oil at all. Your dog should be getting all the nutrients they need from the dog food you buy for them, which (we hope, at least) is high quality dog food.

Supplementing your animal’s diet with something like olive oil isn’t really needed, although it can make a welcome addition from time to time.

As long as you stick to giving your dog olive oil in moderate amounts and only once in a while as part of their diet, here are some of the benefits olive oil can offer your dog. Here’s why:

  • Weight Loss: Olive oil is renowned for its weight-loss properties, being rich in monounsaturated fats that help the body improve the process of breaking down fat cells and shedding those extra pounds your dog might be struggling with!
  • Very Healthy: Olive oil is a wonder food for both man and dog alike, doing everything from lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, all the way to improving the immune system so it can fight off illnesses.
  • Youth: Olive oil, and thanks to the many antioxidants present in it, helps to prevent the oxidation of free radical cells in the body, a process which drastically speeds up the aging process.
  • Brain Function: Olive oil is excellent to help improve the brain functions of your dog and keep them well sustained as your canine ages.
  • Improved Circulation: Olive oil improves overall blood flow and oxygen circulation in the body
  • Hair And Skin: Being a very important ingredient in many human hair and skin improvement products, olive oil works the same wonders for your dog. A small serving of olive oil can make sure that your dog’s coat is as clean, fresh and shiny as ever! 🙂

1 COMMENT

  1. I live on an Olive grove and my golden Retriever loves Olives. She just goes from tree to tree picking the ripest ones. I am glad I found this article as I was worried they might not be good for them.

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