Ginger
CautionGinger is safe for dogs in small amounts, but it thins the blood and lowers blood pressure and blood sugar. Clear it with your vet before surgery or if your dog takes NSAIDs, diabetes or heart medication, and skip pickled ginger.
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.
Check before feeding
Check the precautions before sharing
Risk depends on preparation, ingredients or amount. Read the precautions below; body weight alone cannot establish a safe portion.
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.
- Excess gas
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
- Blood clotting disorder
- Low blood sugar
- Weakness
More about this food
Ginger is not toxic to dogs. The American Kennel Club says ginger in small amounts is safe and may even be good for them, citing antioxidants, an anti-inflammatory effect on joints, and relief from gas and bloating. The qualifier "small amounts" is doing real work, though.
Start with dose. AKC's ceiling is no more than a quarter teaspoon for small dogs and three-quarters of a teaspoon for larger breeds. Above that you get gas and nausea. Fresh, powdered and ginger juice all count against the same budget.
The bigger issue is that ginger behaves like a drug. It acts as a blood thinner, so AKC says to avoid it in dogs with bleeding disorders, dogs with surgery coming up, and dogs taking NSAIDs such as carprofen or meloxicam. It also lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, so a diabetic dog or one on cardiac medication needs a veterinary conversation first. Safety in pregnant and nursing dogs has not been established. If a dental, a spay or a TPLO is on the calendar, stop the ginger and ask your vet when to resume.
Form matters as much as amount. AKC specifically discourages pickled ginger because of the vinegar, citric acid, heavy salt, and the possibility of xylitol, which causes life-threatening hypoglycemia and liver damage in dogs. The same logic rules out most ginger in an American kitchen: gingerbread and ginger snaps are sugar and often nutmeg, crystallized ginger is candy, ginger ale is soda, and ginger-garlic stir-fry sauce brings garlic and onion, which are the actual poisons on that plate.
If you want to use it, grate peeled fresh ginger finely or use plain ground ginger with no additives, stay inside AKC's teaspoon limits, and mix it into food. Call your veterinarian if your dog ate far more than that, or if you see bruising, gums or a nose that will not stop bleeding, weakness or wobbliness. If a xylitol-sweetened product was involved, that is an emergency even with no symptoms; call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Do not induce vomiting at home.
Frequently asked questions
- How much ginger can I give my dog?
- AKC caps it at a quarter teaspoon for small dogs and three-quarters of a teaspoon for large breeds, counting fresh, powdered and juiced ginger together. More than that tends to cause gas and nausea rather than any added benefit.
- My dog has surgery next week. Should I stop the ginger?
- Yes. Ginger acts as a blood thinner, and AKC advises avoiding it before surgery, in dogs with bleeding disorders, and in dogs on NSAIDs. Ask your veterinarian when it is safe to start again.
- He ate the pickled ginger off a sushi plate. Is that a problem?
- Pickled ginger carries vinegar, citric acid and a lot of salt, and some products are sweetened with xylitol. Check the label, and if xylitol is listed, call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 right away even if your dog seems fine.