Can dogs eat leeks? Leeks are an immensely popular addition to grain bowls, soups, casseroles, and even veggie pizzas, so it’s natural to wonder if our canine friends can eat them. But are leeks safe for dogs to eat?
The short answer is no; leeks are a toxic vegetable for dogs. Closely related to both onions and garlic, leeks are a no-no for our pups. This includes foods that you’ve added leeks to, so be mindful of your ingredients before sharing scraps with your beloved companion.
Your veterinarian will have all of the trusted information you need about leeks, so be sure to consult your vet for the facts. In the meantime, here’s you should know about how leeks are toxic to dogs.
Why Are Leeks Bad For Dogs?
Leeks reside in the Allium family, which further includes other toxic vegetables for dogs like onion, chives, and garlic, all of which are poisonous to dogs, with garlic being the greatest threat.
Toxicity occurs from the oxidative damage these vegetables leave in their wake. Red blood cells are attacked, often causing ruptures and extreme gastrointestinal upset with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal swelling, drooling, and nausea.
Furthermore, this toxicity can cause anemia in our dogs. Signs of this are lethargy, increased respiratory rate, increased heart rate, pale gums, collapse, weakness, and more.
What’s worse is that everything can appear to be fine, at first, with a ticking time bomb of buildup happening internally. Sometimes it can even take several days for leek poisoning to present itself.
It’s natural to want your dog to benefit from the nutrients available in vegetables. But, unfortunately, some veggies simply don’t jive with our dogs’ internal systems. Always research before offering any human food to dogs.
What Should I Do If My Dog Ate A Leek?
If your dog consumed a tiny scrap of leek off the floor, this isn’t much cause for concern. You’ll want to keep an eye on them, all the same, but likely they will process it without much issue.
However, if your dog gets into a leek bunch, slurps up a significant helping of unattended leek soup, or has more than a scrap of leeks in any fashion, seek veterinary care. At a minimum, call your veterinarian for council.
Fortunately, the time window for fatality is a bit more forgiving than poisoning from something like a starfruit, but quick and proactive action can save your pup’s life.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a hard and fast rule when it comes to how much leek a dog needs to eat for toxicity to occur. But if we look at other vegetables in the Allium family, we can find some clues.
For instance, it takes about five grams of onion to be eaten for every one kilogram your dog weighs for toxicity to usually take place.
Keep in mind, though, that underlying health conditions can dramatically increase the chance of toxicity and anemia.
Do you make sure to keep dangerous foods like leeks away from your dog? Have you had bad incidents with your dog eating certain veggies? Let us know in the comments below.
