Can pets eat corn on the cob?
If this has already been eaten, ring your vet or an animal poison control line now rather than waiting for signs to appear — for several of these the window in which treatment works closes before the animal looks unwell. Do not try to make the animal sick at home: home emetics are dangerous for corrosive and petroleum substances and for an animal already showing signs, and salt-based ones have themselves proved fatal.
By animal
| Animal | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | Not safe | The kernels are fine; the cob is one of the classic causes of intestinal obstruction. |
| Cats | Risky | Same principle, though cats rarely attempt a cob. |
What it actually does
Sweetcorn kernels are harmless and appear in a great deal of commercial dog food. The cob is the problem: it does not break down, it is almost exactly the diameter of a dog's small intestine, and it is one of the most common foreign bodies veterinary surgeons remove. A dog that has swallowed a piece of cob may seem fine for a day or two before the obstruction declares itself.
No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.
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 |
| Carrot | In moderation | Safe | Safe |
| 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 corn on the cob?
- Not safe. The kernels are fine; the cob is one of the classic causes of intestinal obstruction.
- Can cats eat corn on the cob?
- Risky — depends on amount or preparation. Same principle, though cats rarely attempt a cob.
- What does corn on the cob actually do?
- Sweetcorn kernels are harmless and appear in a great deal of commercial dog food. The cob is the problem: it does not break down, it is almost exactly the diameter of a dog's small intestine, and it is one of the most common foreign bodies veterinary surgeons remove. A dog that has swallowed a piece of cob may seem fine for a day or two before the obstruction declares itself.
- What should I do if my pet has eaten it?
- Call your vet or an animal poison control line now, rather than waiting for signs. Do not try to make the animal sick at home.
Related pages
- Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives? Toxic — treat as an emergency
- Can pets eat carrot? Fine in small amounts
- 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