Can Dogs Eat Olives

Can dogs eat olives? You might think its no big deal right?

Well it is. Let’s see why.

When you get a pet for the first time such as a dog, it might take a while for you to understand their habits. Gradually, you will be able to discover what and in how much quantity dogs eat what is meant to keep them healthy.

Some quote that human food types are unsafe for dogs in every way. Meanwhile, a lot of others say that some types of human foods are safe and even healthy for dogs. People question if dogs can pounce on veggies, munch on carrots likes us or can dogs eat olives, something which needs to be dug deeper.

What are the benefits of Olives?

Olives, also known as Olea Europaea, was cultivated in the Mediterranean countries like South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, North and South America. History traces this benefic tree fruit to Asian continent as well. Of the Olive tree, Olive is a small fruit found in dark green color, and found in more than one species across the world. Spain is among the top producers of olives.

Olives are used for extracting oil, which has many health benefits. In the whole form, olives are available as raw green black olives, Spanish green pickled olives, and ripened and pickled Californian olives. In unripe olives the level of bitterness is high, as a reason in many countries, they are ripened and pickled before consumption.

Here are the main benefits of olives, found in different varieties around the world.

1. Olives help in lowering the blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels as hence, the product of olive in the form of oil is popularly used in cooking.
2. They are rich in vitamin E, required for healthy skin and body.
3. Olives contain oleic acid which helps in the prevention of cancer.
4. Olives contain monosaturated fats, required for weight loss and treatment of inflammation inside the body.
5. Olives are loaded with other nutrients like iron, calcium, sodium, and copper.
6. Olives are also rich in antioxidants like oleuropein, tyrosol, quercetin, to name a few.

Humans have consumed olives since thousands of years. History cites these fruits in the meals of Egyptian pharaohs and queens. The traditional cooking in countries like Iran and Palestine also has generous amount of olives in food. Dishes such as olive chicken, charred cauliflower with clementines and olives, and beef braciole with olives are popularly enjoyed. The inclusion of olive in dishes not only increases the nutritional value of the meal but also gives pungent and tangy flavor to the dish.

There are great health benefits of olives including the reduction of cholesterol levels and presence of monosaturated fat in their content. Olives also aid in good digestion of food, hence they are included in meal preps along with other veggies too. You can use them in various forms such as pickled, salted, flavored in onion or garlic and also in raw forms. For humans, olives are completely safe for consumption and can be eaten in any amounts. 

Can Dogs Eat Olives?

A dog’s diet should consist of all the nutrients and proteins for a healthy gut and shiny, smooth coat. Feeding them specific food items which are rich in nutrients will give them a balanced nutrition. Also, at each stage of dog’s growth, they should be fed with different varieties of food items for solid bones and body structure.

A dog’s nutrition requirements also depend upon their age, size and breed. Most dogs can easily consume meat, vegetables, fruits and grains as well. If you own a pup and are an avid vegetable eater then it is safe to put veggies in your pet’s plate also. Dogs can eat fruits and veggies like apples, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, celery, carrots, broccoli, cranberries and some amount of olives too. Veggies and fruits give dogs the required dose of energy to be active all day long. It also supplies them with nutrients they require in their daily intake.

Aside from green veggies, olives are good source of sodium, iron and calcium, thus, it’s a good idea to give some olives to your pooch as snacks. Olives are non-toxic for canines to eat, although, the amount given should be in moderation.

One black olive contains almost 32 ml of sodium and dogs need much lower amounts of sodium in their daily intake. As a reason, moderate amounts of plain olives are allowed and can be given to dogs.

How To Safely Give Your Dog Olives

Olives are also packed with anti-oxidants and they help in fighting disease like cancer in humans. The oil extracted from the fruit is great for cooking healthy food too. Olives thus have high nutritional and rarely lead to any negative impact.

But the digestive system of pets drastically varies. Their diet should supply them with energy giving food and also protein rich items to stay healthy, free from any disease. Sometimes, to cover up the need for nutrients like iron, calcium and copper, moderate amounts of olives can be given to dogs. Always choose to give good quality unsalted and non-pickled olives to your dog. Plain olives are the best bet if the pet likes the taste of the fruit along with other veggies.

For an instance, if you have planned to give a veggie meal for your dog then slit few pieces of plain olives and include them in the mix. Let your pet munch them on with it. This veggie mix will not only balance their nutritional need but will also allow you to include sodium in your doggy’s diet.

Can Olives Be Dangerous For Your dog

As mentioned, olives are found in different varieties and are available in different forms. They are mainly eaten in two ways. Green ones are the raw olives which are bitter and black ones are the ripened and pickled ones.

Olives can lead to diarrhea or upset the tummy of your dog if too many are given to them. Don’t give pickled or salted olives to dogs, as they contain a high level of sodium and can lead to dehydration in your dog. Also avoid giving olives that contain additives and seasoning, or any kind of preservative containing olives to improve their taste. No matter how many times your dog makes faces to eat them, you should not feed olives dipped in alcohol to him. They are altogether bad for your pup’s health.

Often, eating unsliced olives can incur choking hazards in dogs. So, it is better to slice them and mash a little before feeding them to your pet.

Can Dogs Eat Black Or Green Olives 

Olives are rich in antioxidants and provide high nutritional value. They can be cooked in lots of meals for humans. The nutritional content in black and green olives is the same. Although green olives can have higher levels of sodium than black olives.

You can give plain unsalted and unpreserved olives to your dog and check how his gut reacts. Olives preserved with garlic flavor or any other flavor are not good for a dog’s health. Keep the number of olives in moderation. If your pup feels uneasy or shows signs of an upset tummy, take them to the vet quickly.

Summary

Veggies are great for your dog’s health. They supply essential nutrients, and antioxidants to make your pet healthy and strong. However, the canines’ primary diet should contain a combination of all forms of food and nutrients. Meat and grain help them grow. They provide essential energy to keep them fit. While veggies and fruits serve as good snacks for them. Make sure to give those only which are good for their health and your pooch loves chomping on them. Avoid including too many veggies if your dog shows choking symptoms or they often spit the pieces out.

You may want to give your pet snacks like olives to change his or her taste. But moderation is the key. Being high in sodium content, olives are good and bad in both ways. They are filled with antioxidants as well as nutrients like iron and calcium, but high sodium levels can be harmful to your pooch.

As pet parents, if you are determined to fill the diet of your dog with a different flavor then do go for olives. You may want your dog to eat foods that taste good and provide health benefits too. The amount of nutritional value and presence of antioxidants in olives is noteworthy. Check how your pet responds to olive as snacks or direct feeds. Dogs can also eat some forms of stuffed olives such as olives with pimentos. But they should not be given olives with onion, garlic, oil-based seasoned, or pickled garlic.

Olives are perfect oval shaped fruits to be included in a diet. They have content which can improve digestion process in pets and can also reduce inflammation, if given without any preservative and additives.

Choosing black olives over green olives is a wiser choice.