Olive Oil for Dogs: Is It Safe, How Much, and When to Skip It
Olive oil for dogs is usually a kitchen question first. You drizzle it over your own supper, a dog watches every move, and you wonder whether a little on their food would be kind or a mistake. The honest answer sits in between. Plain olive oil is not toxic to dogs, and some owners add a small amount to meals — but the direct canine research is thin and mostly old, the calories are easy to underestimate, and for some dogs any added fat is a poor idea. This guide covers what the veterinary evidence shows, how much is sensible in calorie terms, and when to skip it and speak to your vet first.
For our own oil — made for people's kitchens, not as a pet product — see our cold-pressed organic Marrakech olive oil.
The Short Answer
- Plain olive oil is not poisonous to dogs, and small amounts in food are generally tolerated. That is not the same as being proven beneficial: direct research on olive oil in dogs is limited.
- Olive oil is almost pure fat: about 40 kcal per teaspoon (USDA). UC Davis veterinary nutritionists advise that treats and extras stay under 10% of a dog's daily calories — the most useful ceiling for any oil you add.
- Too much, or too quickly, commonly means loose stools or vomiting. Dogs with a history of pancreatitis, digestive disease, or weight problems should not be given added fat without veterinary advice.
- Never share garlic-, onion- or chilli-infused oils, or oil from the frying pan. Alliums are toxic to dogs even when cooked.
- Sidr & Stone makes a single-estate, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for people. We make no health claims for dogs; if your vet is happy for your dog to have a little, plain extra virgin olive oil is the sensible kind.
Is Olive Oil Safe for Dogs? What the Evidence Actually Covers
Olive oil is not on the lists of foods poisonous to dogs, and a small amount mixed into a meal is something many owners do without incident. What is in short supply is good evidence that it does a dog any particular good.
The most-cited canine study is old and narrow. Ballesta and colleagues, in Die Nahrung in 1991, fed growing dogs from weaning to six months on two otherwise identical high-fat diets, one made with virgin olive oil and one with sunflower oil, and reported better protein digestive and metabolic utilisation in the adult animals on olive oil, with normal weight gain in both groups. It is a laboratory feeding study using research diets built around the oil, it measured digestion rather than health outcomes, and the published abstract does not state how many dogs were involved — so it tells us olive oil is a digestible fat for dogs, not that a spoonful on kibble improves anything.
The much larger body of research on olive oil has been carried out in people and cannot simply be transferred to a terrier — see our overview of olive oil polyphenols. Our position for dogs is simple: we make no health claim, and the evidence would not support one.
How Much Olive Oil Can a Dog Have? Think in Calories
How much olive oil can a dog have? There is no official dose, so the most useful limit is a calorie one. UC Davis veterinary nutritionists advise that treats and extras stay under 10% of daily calories. At about 40 kcal per teaspoon, that allowance is used up quickly — for small dogs, a fraction of a teaspoon.
The table below uses the resting energy requirement formula published by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (70 × body weight in kg0.75) as a deliberately cautious baseline. Most dogs need somewhat more than their resting figure, depending on age, neutering and activity, so treat these numbers as an illustration of scale — your vet can calculate your own dog's real requirement.
| Dog's weight | Resting energy (approx. kcal/day) | 10% of that | Olive oil equivalent (at ~40 kcal/tsp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg | ~235 | ~23 kcal | a little over ½ teaspoon |
| 10 kg | ~395 | ~39 kcal | about 1 teaspoon |
| 20 kg | ~660 | ~66 kcal | a little over 1½ teaspoons |
| 30 kg | ~900 | ~90 kcal | a little over 2 teaspoons |
These are ceilings for all extras combined, not targets for oil alone. Published pet-care guidance tends to be more cautious still: Rover's vet-informed guide suggests no more than a quarter of a teaspoon a day for small and medium dogs, and up to half a teaspoon for large and giant breeds. Start at the low end, mix it into food rather than giving it neat, and watch the stools for a few days before deciding whether it suits your dog at all.
The Real Risks: Diarrhoea, Weight and the Pancreatitis Question
The commonest problem is digestive upset: a sudden dose of fat can bring on loose stools or vomiting, so small and gradual matters more than which oil you choose. Weight is the slower risk — a daily drizzle on top of a full ration quietly adds up. Lem and colleagues' retrospective case-control study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2008; 198 dogs with pancreatitis compared with 187 control dogs with kidney failure) found that being overweight was associated with higher odds of pancreatitis, alongside eating unusual food items, table scraps and getting into the bin — associations, not proof of cause.
Pancreatitis deserves a careful, honest word. The long-standing advice to keep fat low for susceptible dogs rests partly on older experimental work, and a 2026 narrative review by Yamka and colleagues in the same journal concluded that more recent studies have generally not confirmed a consistent, straightforward link between dietary fat and the onset of pancreatitis. That uncertainty is not a licence to add oil: for a dog that has already had pancreatitis, or has chronic digestive disease, your vet's dietary plan comes first and extra fat should not be added without their say-so.
Finally, the oil in your kitchen is not always plain. The PDSA notes that all parts of onion and garlic are toxic to dogs "even when cooked or dried", so garlic- or onion-infused oils, dressings and pan juices are off the table entirely.
When to Skip Olive Oil Entirely
For some dogs the sensible answer is simply "not without your vet". Skip added olive oil, or ask first, if your dog:
- has had pancreatitis, or is on a prescribed low-fat diet
- has chronic vomiting, diarrhoea or another digestive condition
- is overweight, or on a weight-loss plan
- is a young puppy on a complete puppy food, or is pregnant or nursing
- has a medical condition or takes regular medication
- already gets loose stools from rich food or treats
Olive oil is also not a remedy for constipation, itchy skin or a dull coat — those signs have many possible causes and deserve a vet's look. And do not rub it into the coat or paws: dogs lick it off, turning it into an unmeasured dose and leaving a greasy coat behind.
If Your Vet Says Yes: Choosing the Right Olive Oil
If your vet is comfortable with a small amount, choose the plainest option: extra virgin olive oil with a single ingredient and nothing added. Avoid flavoured and infused oils, spray oils with propellants, and anything that has been used for cooking. Olive oil also goes stale, so it is worth knowing how to tell when olive oil has gone off.
For a fuller walkthrough of what separates a well-made bottle from a tired one, see our guide to choosing a quality olive oil. And if you have been reading about seed oils for pets more generally, our article on black seed oil for dogs takes the same vet-first approach to a very different oil.
Why Sidr & Stone
Sidr & Stone's olive oil is made and sold as food for people, not as a dog product, and we make no claims about what it does for animals. What we can stand behind is how the oil is made — the things worth checking in any extra virgin olive oil.
- Single-estate: Sidr & Stone olive oil comes from our own family-owned farm on the plains outside Marrakech, Morocco, and we control every step from tree to bottle, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed: the trees are not irrigated; they take what the season gives.
- Organically grown: no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used (not yet certified organic; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest: a small, limited single-harvest batch, picked when the fruit is ready.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest, to preserve flavour, aroma and polyphenols.
- Unfiltered extra virgin: minimally processed, so a little natural sediment in the bottle is normal.
- 100% natural: a single ingredient — olive oil — with nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label, protecting the oil from light, in a 500ml bottle.
- 10% of profits to charity, as with every Sidr & Stone product.
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you Sidr & Stone is the best olive oil — that would be the kind of claim this article warns against. What we will say is that our oil is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that the care shows in the taste, the colour and the small single-harvest batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is olive oil good for dogs?
Plain olive oil is not toxic and is generally tolerated in small amounts, but there is little direct evidence that it benefits dogs. It is best thought of as an occasional extra, not a supplement, and worth checking with your vet first.
How much olive oil can I give my dog?
Keep all treats and extras under 10% of daily calories. At about 40 kcal per teaspoon, cautious guidance suggests no more than a quarter of a teaspoon a day for small and medium dogs and half a teaspoon for large breeds, introduced gradually.
Can olive oil give my dog diarrhoea?
Yes. Too much fat, or a sudden change, commonly causes loose stools or vomiting. If that happens, stop the oil, and speak to your vet if it does not settle quickly.
Is olive oil safe for dogs with pancreatitis?
Do not add olive oil, or any extra fat, for a dog that has had pancreatitis unless your vet specifically agrees. The research on fat and pancreatitis is being revisited, but individual dietary plans matter more than general rules.
Is extra virgin olive oil better for dogs than other olive oils?
If your vet is happy for your dog to have a little, plain extra virgin olive oil is the simplest choice: single-ingredient and unrefined. Never use garlic- or onion-infused oils, which can be toxic to dogs.
Can I put olive oil on my dog's skin or coat?
It is not recommended. Dogs lick it off, turning it into an unmeasured oral dose, and it leaves the coat greasy. Skin problems have many causes and are worth a vet's examination.
Where can I buy a good extra virgin olive oil?
Look for a single-origin, cold-pressed extra virgin oil in dark glass with a clear harvest or best-before date. Our cold-pressed organic Marrakech olive oil is available on pre-order, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
Olive oil for dogs is not the miracle some pet blogs describe, nor the hazard others fear. Plain olive oil is a digestible, non-toxic fat, and a small amount on a healthy dog's dinner is unlikely to do harm. But the direct canine evidence is limited, the calories add up faster than most owners expect, and for dogs with pancreatitis, digestive disease or weight problems, added fat is a decision for your vet.
So keep it plain, keep it small, count it within the 10% treat allowance, and keep the garlic oil well out of reach.
Our cold-pressed organic Marrakech olive oil — single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest — is available now on pre-order, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
Pre-Order Sidr & Stone Organic Marrakech Olive Oil — Limited Single-Harvest Batch →
Disclaimer: This article summarises published veterinary research and general guidance on olive oil and dogs at the time of writing; research findings and guidance may change, and readers should check current sources. Sidr & Stone olive oil is made and sold as food for people, not as a veterinary product, and nothing here is veterinary advice — before adding any food or oil to your dog's diet, consult a qualified veterinary professional. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern of your own, consult a qualified medical professional.