Can my dog eat beetroot?
Can dogs eat beetroot?In moderation
Cooked or finely grated, unseasoned and not every day; nothing from a jar, no juice.
Yes, dogs can eat beetroot in small amounts. It isn't toxic to dogs and provides fibre, folate and potassium. But it contains sugar and a lot of oxalic acid, so give it no more than two to three times a week, cooked or finely grated raw, and without seasoning. Pickled beetroot from a jar and beetroot juice aren't suitable. If your dog has had oxalate stones before, leave it out. Urine and stools may turn red afterwards; this is harmless.
How much beetroot 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 ÷ 44 kcal/100 g = 195 g of beetroot.
- Guide value for dogs 10–25 kg: 2 × teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended) at 5 g each = 10 g (guide value from the source).
- Recommendation: the smaller of the two, rounded down to half portions → 2 × 5 g = 10 g ≈ 4 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 2
× teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended) on a snack day
(≈ 10 g, 4 kcal)
How often: According to PetMD, no more than two to three times a week in small amounts, not every day. All treats together should stay below 10% of daily calories. The amounts in the calculator apply to one such day.
Treat allowance 86 kcal (10% of 855 kcal) · 1 teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended) ≈ 5 g
Limited by: guide value
Here the guide value for dogs 10–25 kg sets the limit (guide value from the source): at most 2 × teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended). In terms of calories, up to 195 g would be possible.
According to PetMD (written by a vet): 1–2 teaspoons of purée up to about 9 kg, 2–4 up to about 14 kg, 1–2 tablespoons up to about 23 kg, 2–4 up to about 41 kg, 5 above that, at most 2 to 3 times a week. We use the lower value.
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.Beetroot for dogs: amount by weight
| Weight | Maximum per snack day | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kg | 1 teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended)≈ 5 g | ≈ 2 |
| 10 kg | 1 teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended)≈ 5 g | ≈ 2 |
| 20 kg | 2 × teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended)≈ 10 g | ≈ 4 |
| 30 kg | 6 × teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended)≈ 30 g | ≈ 13 |
| 40 kg | 6 × teaspoon of beetroot purée (cooked, blended)≈ 30 g | ≈ 13 |
- 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: According to PetMD (written by a vet): 1–2 teaspoons of purée up to about 9 kg, 2–4 up to about 14 kg, 1–2 tablespoons up to about 23 kg, 2–4 up to about 41 kg, 5 above that, at most 2 to 3 times a week. We use the lower value.
What's in it
- Provides fibre, folate, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C.
- Almost fat-free: 0.2 g of fat per 100 g when cooked, and a teaspoon of purée has just over 2 kcal.
- Cooked and puréed, it's easy to mix into your dog's food in small amounts.
What to watch out for
- Beetroot contains a lot of oxalic acid. This can encourage urinary crystals as well as bladder and kidney stones.
- If your dog has had oxalate crystals or calcium oxalate stones before, vets advise leaving beetroot out altogether. If your dog has kidney disease or is on a vet-prescribed diet, only give it after checking with your vet.
- Watch the sugar: cooked beetroot contains around 8 g per 100 g, plus a lot of carbohydrates. Too much of it encourages weight gain.
- Too much at once can cause flatulence, diarrhoea or other digestive upsets.
- Raw and with the skin on, beetroot is hard to digest, and larger raw pieces can get stuck in the throat.
- Pickled beetroot from a jar isn't suitable: it contains vinegar, sugar or syrup and salt, and some varieties also contain onions, which are toxic to dogs.
- Never give beetroot juice: it contains the sugar in concentrated form, and PetMD advises against it altogether.
- Urine and stools can turn pink to red. This is harmless, but can look like blood. If the urine stays red for longer than a day, have it checked by your vet.
How to prepare beetroot
How to do it
- Choose fresh, firm beetroots, scrub them thoroughly and peel them
- Boil until soft in unsalted water, or bake in slices in the oven without oil
- Leave to cool, then purée or cut into small cubes
- Give it raw only finely grated or in very small cubes of about 3 mm
- Introduce it slowly: give only a little at first and keep an eye on digestion
- Use ready-cooked beetroot only if the packet lists no other ingredients
Better not
- Pickled beetroot from a jar
- Beetroot juice
- Beetroot with salt, vinegar, onions, garlic or seasoning – so no beetroot salad either
- Large raw pieces or a whole beetroot to chew on
- Beetroot every day
- Beetroot without checking with your vet if your dog has oxalate stones or kidney disease, or is on a prescription diet
How often?
According to PetMD, no more than two to three times a week in small amounts, not every day. All treats together should stay below 10% of daily calories. The amounts in the calculator apply to one such day.
Frequently asked questions about beetroot
Can dogs eat raw beetroot?
Yes, but only peeled and finely grated, or in very small cubes of about 3 mm. Raw beetroot is harder to digest, and larger pieces can get stuck in the throat, which is why most people give it cooked. Raw beetroot also stains heavily, so the AKC suggests feeding it outdoors.
Can dogs eat cooked beetroot?
Yes, that's the easiest way. Peel it, boil it until soft in unsalted water or bake it in slices in the oven, leave it to cool, then purée it or cut it into small pieces. A teaspoon of purée has just over 2 kcal.
Can dogs eat ready-cooked beetroot?
Yes, if the packet lists only beetroot. Vacuum-packed beetroot with vinegar, salt or herbs isn't suitable. The same applies to tinned beetroot: only without salt and without other additives.
Can dogs eat pickled beetroot from a jar?
No, pickled beetroot isn't suitable: a jar of sliced beetroot, for example, contains spirit vinegar, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar and salt as well as beetroot – 11 g of sugar per 100 g in total – and some varieties also contain onions. PetMD advises avoiding it completely. If your dog has eaten a larger amount or there were onions in it, call your vet, because onions are toxic to dogs.
Can dogs drink beetroot juice?
No. Juice contains the beetroot's sugar in concentrated form, and PetMD advises never giving it to dogs. A little cooked purée is the better choice.
Does beetroot turn a dog's urine red?
Yes. The red pigments (betalains) are excreted in the urine, which can turn pink to red for 12 to 24 hours. This is harmless. If the colour lasts longer than a day, or your dog hasn't had any beetroot at all, cystitis or a bladder stone could be behind it; in that case your dog needs to see your vet.
Can a dog with kidney problems or bladder stones eat beetroot?
Only after checking with your vet. With calcium oxalate stones, vets advise avoiding oxalate-rich foods such as beetroot, spinach, nuts, green beans and rhubarb altogether. If your dog is on a prescription diet, PetMD says no other treats should be given alongside it.
Can my dog eat beetroot every day?
No, not every day: PetMD recommends no more than two to three times a week, because beetroot contains sugar, a lot of carbohydrates and oxalic acid. The amounts in the calculator apply to one such day.
How much beetroot can my dog eat?
As a rule of thumb, PetMD gives 1 to 2 teaspoons of beetroot purée per 15 pounds (just under 7 kg) of body weight, on no more than two to three days a week. The calculator on this page uses the lower value for each weight class.
Can red stools after beetroot look like blood?
They can. According to PetMD, coloured foods such as beetroot can make stools look bloody. Think about what your dog has eaten over the last few days. If it is lethargic or weak, has pale mucous membranes, is vomiting, straining without success, or not eating or drinking, take it to your vet immediately.
How many calories does beetroot have?
Cooked beetroot has around 44 kcal per 100 g, raw 43 kcal, and a teaspoon of purée just over 2 kcal. So it's the sugar content and the oxalic acid that limit the amount, not the calories.
Is beetroot healthy for dogs?
It provides fibre, folate, potassium and vitamin C, and PetMD considers it a good small addition for most dogs. But it isn't necessary: your dog gets all the nutrients it needs from its normal food.
Similar foods
- YesVegetablesCarrotRaw or cooked, without salt, butter or seasoning, in small pieces; not carrot cake.See the answer
- In moderationVegetablesSpinachCooked, chopped, unseasoned; with kidney problems or bladder stones, ask your vet first.See the answer
- In moderationVegetablesPotatoOnly cooked and peeled; raw, green and sprouting potatoes contain solanine.See the answer
- YesVegetablesCourgetteRaw or cooked, without oil or seasoning; never feed courgettes that taste bitter.See the answer
- In moderationVegetablesKohlrabiPeeled, unseasoned, ideally cooked or finely grated.See the answer
- YesVegetablesCucumberRaw in thin slices, unseasoned; not bitter-tasting cucumbers or pickled gherkins.See the answer
Sources
- Can Dogs Eat Beets? – PetMD (written by a vet)
- Can Dogs Eat Beets? – American Kennel Club (AKC)
- Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones in Dogs – VCA Animal Hospitals
- Dog Pooping Blood: Common Causes and What To Do – PetMD (vet-reviewed)
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets – ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Kühne Rote Bete Scheiben: Zutaten und Nährwerte – Knuspr (product page)
- Beets, cooked, boiled, drained (SR Legacy, FDC 169146) – 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.
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