Rosemary

Rosemary sits on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's non-toxic list for dogs, cats and horses. The entry for Rosmarinus officinalis names no toxic principle and no clinical signs. Rosemary extract, which shows up on a lot of dog food labels, comes from the same plant and is used as a natural antioxidant to keep the fat in kibble from going rancid. Seeing it in the ingredient panel is not a problem. There is a technique to feeding it. Rosemary leaves are stiff and needle-like, so whole leaves or a sprig can poke the mouth and gums and irritate the gut. Chop it very fine and scatter a little over food. A pinch is right for a small dog and there is no reason to exceed half a teaspoon for a large one. Never hand over the woody stem: it is a genuine obstruction and choking risk. The same applies to dried rosemary. Rosemary in a recipe is not rosemary. Roast chicken, lamb, potatoes and focaccia built around it also carry garlic, butter, olive oil and salt. Garlic is an allium and toxic to dogs, and a fatty meat binge is a classic pancreatitis trigger. If your dog ate something that smelled of rosemary, the herb is the least of it -- check the rest of the dish. Essential oil is its own category. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that essential oils absorb rapidly through the gut, skin, lungs and mucous membranes, that risk rises with concentration, and that diffusers should be run only briefly (under 30 minutes) with pets out of the room, with no concentrated oil applied directly to an animal. Rosemary oil is not exempt from that. One persistent internet claim deserves a straight answer. You will read that rosemary triggers seizures in epileptic dogs. The oils Merck actually lists as seizure-inducing are birch, cedar, eucalyptus, hyssop, pennyroyal, sage, wintergreen and wormwood -- rosemary is not among them, and there is no established evidence against culinary rosemary in small amounts. That said, if your dog is on anticonvulsants, clear any herbal supplement or concentrated oil with your veterinarian first. If a large amount of rosemary causes repeated vomiting or diarrhea, cut it out and have it checked if it does not settle.