The full answer
Sweet bell peppers are one of the more straightforward vegetables to answer. They are not listed as toxic to dogs, and a few plain pieces are a reasonable low-calorie treat for a dog who enjoys crunchy things. Red, orange, yellow and green sweet peppers are all the same vegetable at different stages of ripeness, so there is no need for a different answer for each colour.
The important distinction is between sweet bell peppers and spicy peppers. Chillies, jalapenos, cayenne and anything else that tastes hot to a person contain capsaicin, and that is a genuinely different situation: it can cause mouth discomfort, drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea in dogs. Nothing on this page should be read as saying that all peppers are fine. It applies to the ordinary sweet bell pepper only.
The parts to leave out are practical rather than toxicological. The stem is tough and not worth eating, and the very top of the core around it is fibrous. Most dogs manage the seeds without any trouble, but there is no reason to include them, and removing the core takes a second. The skin of a raw pepper is a little tough, so cutting into pieces that suit the size of your dog matters more than whether you serve it raw or cooked.
If you cook bell pepper, keep it plain. Steamed or lightly roasted with nothing on it is fine. Peppers cooked as part of a family meal are usually a different matter, because they arrive with oil, salt, and very often onion or garlic — and those are the ingredients that would concern a vet, not the pepper.
Are Bell Peppers Good for Dogs?
In a modest way, yes. Bell peppers are mostly water, low in calories and provide fibre along with vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin A precursors. That makes them a sensible swap for a richer treat if your dog likes the crunch. A dog eating a complete, balanced diet is not short of these nutrients, so we would not describe bell peppers as something your dog needs — just a pleasant, low-calorie option that does no harm in small amounts.
Potential benefits
- Low in calories and mostly water, which suits dogs on a weight-management plan
- Provides fibre and vitamins including vitamin C and carotenoids
- Satisfying crunch, so it works as a lower-calorie swap for biscuit-type treats
Risks and Things to Know
- Eating a large amount can cause gas, loose stools or vomiting, simply because of the fibre and volume
- Whole or large chunks can be a choking risk for small dogs and enthusiastic swallowers
- Stems and the fibrous core are tough and not worth feeding
- Spicy peppers are a completely separate issue and can cause mouth irritation and stomach upset
- Peppers cooked into family dishes usually contain oil, salt, onion or garlic, which are the real problem
How Much Can Dogs Eat?
Treat bell pepper as a treat rather than part of the meal. As with any extra, keeping treats to a small share of the day's food is the usual advice, and a few small pieces suits most dogs.
Start with a single small piece the first time, even for a dog with a robust stomach, and see how the next day goes. Dogs vary a lot in how much raw vegetable they tolerate.
If your dog is on a prescription diet, has a sensitive stomach or a history of pancreatitis or gastrointestinal disease, check with your vet before adding new vegetables.
How Should I Prepare It?
- Wash the pepper and remove the stem and the fibrous core
- Scrape out the seeds — they are not toxic, but there is no reason to include them
- Cut into pieces sized for your dog rather than offering half a pepper
- Serve raw for crunch, or steam or roast plain if your dog finds raw pepper hard going
- Add nothing: no oil, butter, salt, seasoning, onion or garlic
- Skip pickled peppers, stuffed peppers and anything from a family dish
