Can my dog eat oats?
Can dogs eat oats?In moderation
Plain and cooked in water, in small amounts and no more than twice a week.
Yes, dogs can eat oats – plain, cooked in water and cooled. They provide soluble fibre, iron, zinc and B vitamins, but too much in one go can cause diarrhoea, vomiting or a bloated stomach. Depending on size, half a tablespoon to three tablespoons of cooked oats are enough, no more than twice a week.
How much oats can your dog eat?
Enter the weight – the amount updates straight away. You can adjust age, activity and neutering below.
How the calculator works
- Daily requirement: Resting energy requirement 70 × 15 kg^0.75 ≈ 534 kcal × factor 1.6 ≈ 855 kcal.
- Treat allowance: at most 10% of that = 86 kcal for all treats combined.
- Calorie limit: 86 kcal ÷ 71 kcal/100 g = 121 g of oats.
- Guide value for dogs 10–25 kg: 1½ × tablespoon of cooked oats at 14.6 g each = 22 g (guide value from the source).
- Recommendation: the smaller of the two, rounded down to half portions → 1½ × 14.6 g = 21 g ≈ 15 kcal.
Sources: 10% rule from the WSAVA guide to treats · kcal value: USDA FoodData Central. Daily requirement as in the dog calorie calculator.
Result · 15 kg · Adult
Up to 1½
× tablespoon of cooked oats on a snack day
(≈ 21 g, 15 kcal)
How often: No more than twice a week as an extra on top of the usual food, not every day. All treats together should make up no more than 10% of daily calories. Home-cooked bowls are different: there, the DoggoMeal app works out the oats to suit the recipe.
Treat allowance 86 kcal (10% of 855 kcal) · 1 tablespoon of cooked oats ≈ 14.6 g
Limited by: guide value
Here the guide value for dogs 10–25 kg sets the limit (guide value from the source): at most 1½ × tablespoon of cooked oats. In terms of calories, up to 121 g would be possible.
Based on PetMD (approx. up to 9 kg: 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon; 10–14 kg: 1–2 tablespoons; 14–23 kg: up to 4; 23–41 kg: up to 8 tablespoons) and AKC (1 tablespoon per approx. 9 kg), at most twice a week. We stay at the lower end.
This applies if it's the only snack that day – if your dog gets other treats too, give correspondingly less.
The app calculates recipes in grams, kcal and portions to suit your dog's weight, age, activity and allergies.Oats for dogs: amount by weight
| Weight | Maximum per snack day | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kg | ½ tablespoon of cooked oats≈ 7 g | ≈ 5 |
| 10 kg | ½ tablespoon of cooked oats≈ 7 g | ≈ 5 |
| 20 kg | 1½ × tablespoon of cooked oats≈ 21 g | ≈ 15 |
| 30 kg | 3 × tablespoon of cooked oats≈ 43 g | ≈ 31 |
| 40 kg | 3 × tablespoon of cooked oats≈ 43 g | ≈ 31 |
- All snacks together no more than 10% of daily calories (WSAVA recommendation). If your dog gets other treats too, give correspondingly less.
- Guide value per weight class – small up to 10 kg, medium 10–25 kg, large over 25 kg: Based on PetMD (approx. up to 9 kg: 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon; 10–14 kg: 1–2 tablespoons; 14–23 kg: up to 4; 23–41 kg: up to 8 tablespoons) and AKC (1 tablespoon per approx. 9 kg), at most twice a week. We stay at the lower end.
What's in it
- Provides soluble fibre, iron, zinc and B vitamins.
- According to the AKC, an alternative for dogs that are sensitive to wheat.
- A tablespoon of cooked oats has around 10 kcal (71 kcal per 100 g).
What to watch out for
- Because of the high fibre content, too much in one go can cause diarrhoea, vomiting or a bloated stomach – and gastric bloat can become life-threatening.
- Oats are high in carbohydrates and, according to the AKC, relatively high in calories: 379 kcal per 100 g dry.
- Raw, or sprinkled dry over the food, they're hard to digest and can upset the stomach.
- Cooked with milk, they're harder for dogs to tolerate: dogs can hardly break down milk sugar, and dairy products can cause diarrhoea.
- Flavoured instant oats and ready-made porridge often contain sugar and sometimes xylitol (birch sugar), which is toxic to dogs.
- Muesli and oat biscuits can contain raisins, chocolate, nuts or nutmeg – these are dangerous for dogs.
- If your dog is on a prescription diet from the vet, don't add anything; if your dog has existing health conditions, ask your vet first.
How to prepare oats
How to do it
- Bring the oats to the boil with water, without sugar or salt
- Let them cool to room temperature
- Mix them plain into the usual food
- The first time, give only a little and keep an eye on digestion
- Choose minimally processed oats rather than instant oats
Better not
- Raw oats sprinkled dry over the food
- Oats cooked with milk
- Added sugar, salt, butter or spices such as cinnamon
- Muesli, porridge sachets or flavoured instant oats
- Shop-bought oat biscuits
- Oats served hot
How often?
No more than twice a week as an extra on top of the usual food, not every day. All treats together should make up no more than 10% of daily calories. Home-cooked bowls are different: there, the DoggoMeal app works out the oats to suit the recipe.
Frequently asked questions about oats
Can dogs eat raw oats?
Better not. Uncooked oats are hard for dogs to digest and can upset the stomach. PetMD and the AKC advise cooking them in water and giving them once they've cooled.
Is it enough to soak oats?
Cooking is the safe option: the AKC and PetMD recommend cooked oats. Neither says anything about oats that have only been soaked. So briefly bring the oats to the boil with water and let them cool.
Can dogs eat oats with milk?
No – cook them with water. Dogs break down milk sugar poorly; milk and dairy products can cause diarrhoea or other digestive problems.
Can dogs eat muesli or porridge sachets?
No. Ready-made mixes often contain sugar and sometimes raisins, chocolate, nuts or xylitol. Raisins can damage the kidneys, and xylitol can lower blood sugar dangerously and damage the liver. Only use plain oats.
Do oats help with diarrhoea?
The AKC and PetMD don't mention oats as a remedy for diarrhoea; if anything, they point out that too many oats can cause diarrhoea because of the fibre. For a bland diet, the German Federal Chamber of Veterinarians suggests low-fat quark or cottage cheese with rice; the bland diet calculator at doggomeal.de/en/schonkost-hund-rechner works out the amount. If the diarrhoea lasts longer than two days, your dog needs to see the vet.
Can my dog eat oat biscuits?
Not shop-bought ones. They can contain raisins, chocolate, nutmeg or xylitol, and even without these ingredients, a lot of sugar, butter and oil makes dogs ill.
Can my dog have oats every day?
Not as an extra: PetMD gives twice a week at most, and the AKC, for large dogs, no more than half a cup of cooked oats once or twice a week.
How many dry oats are in a tablespoon of cooked oats?
About half a tablespoon. According to the USDA, dry oats have 379 kcal per 100 g, and oats cooked in water 71 kcal. A tablespoon of cooked oats (around 15 g) therefore corresponds to just under 3 g of dry oats; a level tablespoon of dry oats weighs about 5 g.
Porridge oats or jumbo oats – which is better?
Both are fine, as long as they're plain and cooked. The AKC advises against instant oats: they're highly processed and lose nutritional value – the less processed, the better.
Are oats suitable for dogs with a wheat allergy?
The AKC calls oats an alternative for dogs that are sensitive to wheat. If your dog has a diagnosed food allergy, check any new ingredients with your vet first.
Do these amounts apply if oats are in my home-cooked recipe?
No. The amounts on this page apply to an extra portion on top of the usual food. In a home-cooked recipe, oats are part of the daily ration, so the amount then depends on the recipe and your dog's needs.
Recipes with oats
Ingredients and method are on the website; the app works out the amounts for your dog.
Snacks & TreatsPumpkin Oat Bites
Snacks & TreatsTurkey Treats (Oven)
Special OccasionsBirthday Cake
Special OccasionsMini Muffins- Dog biscuitsDog biscuits with rolled oats, egg and chicken liver≈ 21 kcal per biscuit
- Dog biscuitsBanana dog biscuits with just 3 ingredients≈ 19 kcal per biscuit
- Dog biscuitsCheese biscuits for dogs with Parmesan≈ 19 kcal per biscuit
MagazineDog birthday cake with banana, peanut butter and oatsFrom “Dog birthday cake recipe”
MagazineCarrot and apple biscuitsFrom “Homemade dog treats”
Similar foods
- YesGrains & sidesRiceOnly cooked and without salt, stock or seasoning, as a small extra portion with the food.See the answer
- In moderationGrains & sidesRuskOnly plain rusks without chocolate or raisins, and rarely, because of the sugar and calories.See the answer
- In moderationGrains & sidesCouscousOnly cooked plain in water, without salt or seasoning; not if your dog has a wheat allergy.See the answer
- In moderationGrains & sidesPastaOnly cooked, without salt, oil or sauce, and only a small bite now and then.See the answer
- In moderationVegetablesPotatoOnly cooked and peeled; raw, green and sprouting potatoes contain solanine.See the answer
- In moderationFruitBananaPeeled, sliced and, because of the sugar, only as a small snack.See the answer
Sources
- Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal? Is Oatmeal Good for Dogs? – American Kennel Club (AKC)
- Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal? – PetMD (vet-reviewed)
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets – ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Durchfall beim Hund (Presseinformation 18/2013) – Bundestierärztekammer
- Vergiftungssteckbrief Xylit – TFA-Wissen
- Cereals, oats, regular and quick, unenriched, cooked with water (includes boiling and microwaving), without salt (SR Legacy, FDC 173905) – USDA FoodData Central
- Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry (SR Legacy, FDC 173904) – USDA FoodData Central
- Feeding treats to your dog – WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee (10% rule in the calculator)
Reviewed on · DoggoMeal editorial team
This page is no substitute for veterinary advice. Dogs with pre-existing conditions – for example of the kidneys, liver or pancreas, or with diabetes – and dogs with allergies often need their own rules. If your dog has symptoms or you're unsure, ask your vet.
Recipes that fit your dog
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