He ate pesto pasta. Is basil the problem?

Basil is not, but pesto is essentially a garlic sauce. Garlic is toxic to dogs and the hemolytic anemia it causes shows up days later. Note how much and when, call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435, and watch for pale gums, dark urine and unusual tiredness for 3 to 5 days.

Can I sprinkle dried basil on his food?

It is not toxic, but use a pinch at most. Dried herbs are aromatic enough that many dogs simply stop eating, and packaged seasoning blends very often include onion powder or garlic powder. Check that the jar is pure basil and nothing else.

My dog keeps chewing the basil plant. Should I stop him?

Not urgently, since the plant itself is safe. What can matter is what is in the pot with it: fertilizer, insecticide, or another herb planted alongside. Confirm what has been applied to the soil, and call your vet if a big leafy binge is followed by repeated vomiting or diarrhea.

Basil

Safe

The ASPCA lists basil as non-toxic to dogs. Finely chopped fresh leaves in small amounts are fine. The thing to check is not the basil but the pesto around it, which brings garlic, cheese, nuts and salt with it.

This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.

A little guide to sharing this food

Nutrition facts

Per 100 g of edible food

23 kcal

Food preparation used in the calculationFresh basil leaves

Protein: 3.2 g
Dietary fibre: 1.6 g
Fat: 0.6 g
Water: 92.1 g

USDA FoodData Central · SR Legacy ↗ · 2026-09-07

Nutritional points to consider

A water-containing snack

Complete, balanced food is the nutritional foundation. Treats are not needed to correct nutrients or treat disease.

Kidney health

Phosphorus 56 mg · Potassium 295 mg / 100 g

Kidney disease can require adjustments to phosphorus, potassium and protein across the whole diet. These values alone cannot determine suitability; discuss them with your vet alongside the prescribed diet.

Merck Veterinary Manual ↗

Heart health

Sodium 4 mg / 100 g

Heart disease may require control of total dietary sodium. Values here apply to the stated preparation, not salted, seasoned or processed alternatives.

Tufts HeartSmart ↗

Joints & weight

Replacing part of a higher-calorie treat with this food can help manage calories. A healthy weight supports joint care; the food itself does not treat joint disease.

UC Davis ↗

Treat portions by body weight

Do not scale herbs, seeds or spreads with body weight like ordinary treats. Calories alone cannot determine a suitable amount, so no gram calculator is shown.

Preparation & feeding

Finely chop clean culinary leaves and use only a small flavouring amount. Never substitute essential oils or concentrated extracts.
Do not add salt, oil, sugar, sauces, onions or garlic. Weigh only the edible portion before serving.
Count all treats together and supervise eating. Start small and stop if vomiting, diarrhoea or other problems occur.

Nutrition & feeding references: WSAVA · USDA

Signs and health concerns

This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.

Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Excess gas

More about this food

Basil is on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's non-toxic list for dogs, cats and horses. The entry covers Ocimum basilicum and names sweet basil and Thai basil as the same plant. If your dog stripped a few leaves off the pot on the patio, toxicity is not the question. That leaves the practical side. Wash the leaves, chop them fine and scatter a little over food. One or two leaves is plenty for a small dog; three or four for a larger one. Whole leaves handed over by the fistful tend to come out looking much the way they went in, and they can produce gas. The usual rule applies to herbs as well: treats and toppers together stay inside 10% of daily calories. Dried basil is not toxic either, but it is far more concentrated in aroma and many dogs will refuse a bowl that smells strongly of it, so use a pinch at most. The real caution is the dish, not the herb. Pesto is the common one. Alongside basil it carries a substantial amount of garlic, parmesan for salt and fat, and pine nuts or cashews blended with olive oil. Garlic is an allium and the Merck Veterinary Manual treats it as toxic to dogs: it oxidatively damages red blood cells, and the resulting anemia surfaces days later rather than immediately. So a dog who licked pesto off a plate has not eaten basil, he has eaten a garlic and oil sauce, and that is how to handle it. Caprese and tomato pasta topped with basil come with salt, olive oil and often onion cooked in as well. Basil essential oil is a separate item from the culinary herb. Merck notes that essential oils are absorbed rapidly through skin, mucous membranes and lungs as well as the gut, and that risk climbs with concentration. Do not apply aromatherapy oils to a dog's skin or drip them into food. So: a small amount of washed fresh basil is genuinely safe to share. If a meaningful amount of pesto went down, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA APCC at (888) 426-4435 because of the garlic, and watch gum color, urine color and stamina for 3 to 5 days. If a large amount of plain basil causes repeated vomiting or diarrhea or your dog seems flat, have that checked too.

Frequently asked questions

He ate pesto pasta. Is basil the problem?: Basil is not, but pesto is essentially a garlic sauce. Garlic is toxic to dogs and the hemolytic anemia it causes shows up days later. Note how much and when, call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435, and watch for pale gums, dark urine and unusual tiredness for 3 to 5 days.
Can I sprinkle dried basil on his food?: It is not toxic, but use a pinch at most. Dried herbs are aromatic enough that many dogs simply stop eating, and packaged seasoning blends very often include onion powder or garlic powder. Check that the jar is pure basil and nothing else.
My dog keeps chewing the basil plant. Should I stop him?: Not urgently, since the plant itself is safe. What can matter is what is in the pot with it: fertilizer, insecticide, or another herb planted alongside. Confirm what has been applied to the soil, and call your vet if a big leafy binge is followed by repeated vomiting or diarrhea.

This information is general guidance and does not replace veterinary care. If your dog has swallowed something, contact a veterinarian immediately.