Can my dog eat caraway?
Can dogs eat caraway?No
According to the ASPCA, caraway is toxic to dogs, usually causing mild vomiting or diarrhoea.
No, dogs shouldn't eat caraway, so don't give it to your dog. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center lists caraway as toxic to dogs; the culprits are the essential oils containing carvone and limonene. The only effects it lists are mild vomiting and diarrhoea, so a piece of caraway bread isn't an emergency. Your dog doesn't need caraway tea or caraway oil for wind. If flatulence persists, your dog needs to see your vet.
Emergency
Got hold of caraway, caraway bread or caraway oil?
A few caraway seeds in bread or cheese aren't an emergency: the ASPCA lists only mild vomiting and diarrhoea as effects. Keep an eye on your dog and make sure it drinks enough. If it has got hold of more, for example from the spice jar, or has licked caraway oil, call your vet. Don't induce vomiting after contact with an essential oil. Wash oil off the coat or skin quickly with washing-up liquid, and take the bottle with you to the vet.
Possible symptoms
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- After caraway oil: drooling and pawing at the mouth
- After caraway oil: redness on the lips, gums, tongue or skin
- After caraway oil: weakness, trembling or an unsteady gait
- After caraway oil: breathing problems
When to see a vet?
Immediately after contact with caraway oil or other essential oils, even if your dog isn't showing any signs yet. Likewise if it has eaten a larger amount of caraway, or seasoned food containing onions or garlic. Diarrhoea that lasts longer than two days or keeps coming back needs to be checked by a vet – in puppies with severe diarrhoea, immediately.
From what amount?
No amount is given. The ASPCA names only the toxic components – essential oils containing carvone and limonene – and mild digestive upsets as the result. The seeds contain 3 to 7% essential oil, whereas in caraway oil these substances are highly concentrated.
In an emergency: call your vet or an animal hospital
Outside opening hours, an emergency vet service or an animal hospital can help. Note down the amount, the time and the packaging, and don't try to make your dog vomit yourself. Poison information centres mainly advise on poisoning in people and only help with animals when they have capacity – the first point of contact for your dog is your vet.
What to watch out for
- The ASPCA lists caraway (Carum carvi) as toxic to dogs. It names the essential oils, especially carvone and limonene, as the toxic components.
- According to the ASPCA, mild vomiting and diarrhoea are to be expected. It doesn't give an amount at which caraway becomes dangerous.
- Caraway oil is highly concentrated: according to the European Pharmacopoeia, it consists of 50 to 65% carvone and 30 to 45% limonene. Essential oils are absorbed quickly through the mouth and skin, and according to VCA, depending on the ingredient, even a few licks can cause harm.
- Caraway is often found in bread, cheese, sauerkraut, cabbage dishes and roast pork. Such dishes may also contain salt, onions or garlic. Onions and garlic can damage red blood cells, and a lot of salt can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and trembling.
- Cumin is found in curry and other spice mixes, often together with onions and garlic.
- Raw bread dough with yeast, for example for caraway bread, can rise in the stomach, bloat it and, in the worst case, cause it to twist. The yeast also produces alcohol.
- According to VCA, flatulence together with diarrhoea or weight loss can point to a serious disease of the gastrointestinal tract. A home remedy such as caraway tea then only delays the visit to the vet.
How to protect your dog from caraway
How to prevent it
- Keep caraway, spice mixes and caraway oil out of reach
- Don't leave bread dough to rise unattended within your dog's reach
- If your dog suffers from wind, give several small meals instead of one large one
- If your dog gulps its food, slow it down with a food toy or a slow-feeder bowl
- Have persistent flatulence or diarrhoea checked by your vet
Never
- Sprinkling caraway over the food or feeding it deliberately
- Caraway tea or fennel, anise and caraway tea as a home remedy for wind
- Caraway oil or other essential oils on the coat or in the food, not even against ticks
- Seasoned leftovers such as roast pork, sauerkraut or stuffed cabbage rolls
- Anti-diarrhoea medicine from your own medicine cabinet
How often?
Never deliberately. A few seeds in a piece of bread or cheese aren't an emergency, but they're no reason to feed caraway either.
Frequently asked questions about caraway
Can dogs eat cumin?
Cumin is a different spice plant from caraway. A vet-reviewed guide classes it as non-toxic, but larger amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. The guide sees no benefit for your dog. Be careful with curry and other spice mixes: they often contain cumin together with onions and garlic.
Can dogs eat caraway bread?
You shouldn't feed it deliberately. If your dog has snatched a piece, it isn't an emergency – the ASPCA lists only mild vomiting and diarrhoea as effects. Raw bread dough with yeast, on the other hand, is dangerous, because it can rise in the stomach.
Can a dog eat cheese with caraway, such as Harzer?
Not deliberately. The same applies to the caraway as with bread: a piece with a few seeds isn't an emergency, but your dog doesn't need it. Cheese with onions or garlic is off limits.
Can my dog drink fennel, anise and caraway tea?
No, not as a home remedy. People traditionally drink caraway tea for wind, but the ASPCA lists caraway as toxic to dogs. If flatulence persists, or diarrhoea or weight loss develop as well, VCA says your dog needs to see a vet.
Can I use caraway oil on my dog, for example against ticks?
No. Caraway oil consists mostly of carvone and limonene – exactly the substances the ASPCA names as toxic. Essential oils are absorbed quickly through the mouth and skin. VCA advises never applying an undiluted essential oil to an animal and discussing herbal remedies with your vet first. That includes tick protection.
Is there a recommended dose of caraway for dogs?
No. Because the ASPCA lists caraway as toxic to dogs, there's no recommended amount, not even as a tea or home remedy. Nor does the ASPCA give an amount at which it becomes dangerous. So don't give it deliberately at all.
Why is caraway toxic to dogs?
The ASPCA names the essential oils, especially carvone and limonene, as the toxic components. Carvone is what gives caraway its typical taste and smell. The effects described are mild: slight vomiting and diarrhoea.
What helps with flatulence instead?
According to VCA, most intestinal gas comes from swallowed air, for example when your dog gulps its food. Several small meals and a food toy or a bowl that slows down gulping can help. Whether the food itself is encouraging the flatulence is best clarified with your vet. If diarrhoea or weight loss develop as well, have your dog examined.
My dog has diarrhoea after eating caraway bread. What should I do?
Make sure it drinks enough so that it doesn't become dehydrated. If the diarrhoea lasts longer than two days or keeps coming back, the German Federal Chamber of Veterinarians advises having it checked by a vet. Puppies with severe diarrhoea need to see a vet straight away. Anti-diarrhoea medicines from your own medicine cabinet are off limits – they can be fatal for dogs.
Similar foods
- Not neededOtherCinnamonNot toxic, but unnecessary. The risks are cinnamon oil, inhaled powder and sweet baked goods with cinnamon.See the answer
- In moderationGrains & sidesRuskOnly plain rusks without chocolate or raisins, and rarely, because of the sugar and calories.See the answer
- In moderationVegetablesPotatoOnly cooked and peeled; raw, green and sprouting potatoes contain solanine.See the answer
- YesGrains & sidesRiceOnly cooked and without salt, stock or seasoning, as a small extra portion with the food.See the answer
Sources
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Caraway – ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets – ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Essential Oil and Liquid Potpourri Poisoning in Dogs – VCA Animal Hospitals
- Dogs and Gas – VCA Animal Hospitals
- Durchfall beim Hund (Presseinformation 18/2013) – Bundestierärztekammer
- Can Dogs Eat Cumin? Vet-Verified Nutrition Facts & FAQ – The Vet Desk (vet-reviewed)
- Kümmel – Kräuter- und Gewürze-Lexikon – Gesundheitsportal Österreich (gesundheit.gv.at)
- Assessment report on Carum carvi L., fructus and Carum carvi L., aetheroleum – European Medicines Agency (EMA)
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.
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