Can Dogs Eat Hummus?

can-dogs-eat-hummusIf hummus is one of your favorite things to eat, then you might want to share it with your four-legged best friend. But that raises a question: can dogs eat hummus? Unfortunately, the answer is no, It wouldn’t be safe for dogs to eat hummus. In fact, some of the ingredients of hummus are dangerous to dogs.

While Dogs Can Eat Chickpeas, They Cannot Eat Hummus

While dogs can eat chickpeas (the main ingredient of hummus), and even benefit from its nutritional value, some other hummus ingredients like lemon juice and garlic make hummus a definite no-no food for all dogs.

The garlic in hummus is the main reason why it wouldn’t be a good idea to give hummus to your dog — garlic is mildly to moderately poisonous to dogs[1].

Dogs can only handle a very small amount of garlic, in large amounts garlic can damage the red blood cells of dogs and lead to collapse.

The citric acid from the lemon juice, though, wouldn’t be good for your dog either. Citrus fruits and citrus fruit juices are too acidic for dogs. If ingested by a dog, citric acid can cause abdominal pain and discomfort.

What If My Dog Already Ate Some Hummus?

If your dog already ate some hummus, then now, knowing that hummus is not okay for dogs, you are probably worried about your dog. But is there real cause for concern? Well, it depends on the amount of hummus your dog ate. As I already said before, dogs can handle a small amount of garlic, so if your dog only ate a very small amount of hummus, then she is most likely going to be fine.

However, if your dog managed to eat a rather good amount of hummus, then there is legitimate cause for concern. In that case, you should contact a veterinarian as soon as possible, even if your dog doesn’t show any immediate ill effects — garlic poisoning in dogs can have a delayed onset and the symptoms can stay hidden for several days[1].

Can Dogs Eat Hummus without Garlic?

Traditionally, hummus is made with garlic and lemon juice, however you can easily make hummus without these ingredients. For example, garlic can be replaced with roasted beets.

Garlic, though, is not the only thing that is toxic to dogs, so if you have made or bought garlic-free hummus, then you still  need to make sure that the hummus doesn’t contain anything else that is harmful to dogs. If it doesn’t, then yes, your dog could have a little bit of that particular hummus.

In Conclusion

The answer to the question “can dogs eat hummus?” is no. While hummus is a delicious and healthy food spread for us humans, it’s not safe for dogs. The main problem is that hummus contains garlic, which is toxic to dogs.

However, if you really want to share hummus with your dog, then you can buy or make hummus without garlic or any other ingredients that are not okay for dogs.


  1. Garlic and Dogs, Garlic and Cats – Is Garlic Bad for Dogs and Cats?” Pet Poison Helpline. Web. 5 Jun. 2016.

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