Can pets eat carrot?
By animal
| Animal | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | Safe | Genuinely good as a low-calorie chew. Whole raw carrots can be a choking risk for enthusiastic eaters. |
| Cats | Safe | Safe cooked or raw, and of little interest. |
| Rabbits | In moderation | Not the staple the cartoon suggests — a carrot is a sugary root, and hay should be most of the diet. |
| Birds | Safe | Well tolerated. |
What it actually does
Carrots are mostly water and fibre, and a chilled raw carrot is one of the better low-calorie chews for a dog. The rabbit case is the interesting one: Bugs Bunny has convinced several generations that carrots are rabbit staples, when in fact a rabbit needs unlimited grass hay for gut motility and dental wear, and root vegetables are a sugary treat. Carrot tops — the green leaves — are actually the better part for a rabbit.
No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.
The bit that is usually got wrong
Carrots are a treat for rabbits, not a food. Hay should be about 80 per cent of what a rabbit eats.
Body weight decides almost everything here, so what is trivial for a 40 kg dog can matter for a 4 kg one, and a bird is smaller again. Where a real published threshold exists this page gives it; where none does, it says so rather than inventing one.
Vegetables
| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onion, garlic, leek and chives | Toxic | Toxic | Toxic |
| Corn on the cob | Not safe | Not safe | Risky |
| Mushrooms | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Tomato | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Pumpkin | In moderation | Safe | Safe |
| Potato | Not safe | Risky | Risky |
| Lettuce and leafy greens | Risky | Safe | Safe |
| Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower | Risky | In moderation | In moderation |
| Peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels | Risky | Safe | Safe |
| Rhubarb | Toxic | Not safe | Not safe |
Common questions
- Can dogs eat carrot?
- Safe. Genuinely good as a low-calorie chew. Whole raw carrots can be a choking risk for enthusiastic eaters.
- Can cats eat carrot?
- Safe. Safe cooked or raw, and of little interest.
- What does carrot actually do?
- Carrots are mostly water and fibre, and a chilled raw carrot is one of the better low-calorie chews for a dog. The rabbit case is the interesting one: Bugs Bunny has convinced several generations that carrots are rabbit staples, when in fact a rabbit needs unlimited grass hay for gut motility and dental wear, and root vegetables are a sugary treat. Carrot tops — the green leaves — are actually the better part for a rabbit.
Related pages
- Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives? Toxic — treat as an emergency
- Can pets eat corn on the cob? Not safe
- Can pets eat mushrooms? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat tomato? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat pumpkin? Fine in small amounts
- Can pets eat potato? Not safe
- Can pets eat chocolate? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar? Also an emergency
- Everything, for dogs 46 foods
- Everything, for cats 46 foods