Kyo's Kitchen
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Can Dogs Eat Olives?

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LIMIT — plain, pitted olives are not toxic to dogs and one or two are fine occasionally, but brined olives are salty, pits are dangerous, and stuffed or marinated olives are a different question.

Olives themselves are not poisonous to dogs. The problems come with how they are sold: most are brined, canned or pickled and can be high in salt, the pits can cause choking, blockages or tooth damage, and stuffings and marinades can contain garlic or other unsafe ingredients.

See our guide to fruits dogs can and can't eat to compare this with the rest of the fruit list.

On this page
A small cream bowl of plain pitted green and black olives

Quick answer

Category
Fruit
Recommended preparation
Plain, pitted, unseasoned; one or two at most
Main concern
Salt in brined olives, and pits
Suitable as everyday food
No

The full answer

Veterinary and kennel-club sources describe plain olives as non-toxic to dogs, and a small number can be eaten occasionally.

Most olives people buy are brined, canned or pickled. Those products can be high in sodium, which is why olives should stay a rare, small extra. Our salt page explains why too much salt is a concern for dogs.

Olive pits are a choking hazard, can cause a blockage in the gut and can damage teeth. Only ever offer pitted olives.

Stuffed and marinated olives can contain ingredients that are not suitable for dogs, such as garlic, blue cheese, chillies or herbs in oil. Olives soaked in alcohol, such as cocktail olives, should never be given to a dog.

Risks and Things to Know

  • Brined, canned and pickled olives can be high in salt.
  • Pits can cause choking, blockages or damage to teeth.
  • Stuffings and marinades may contain garlic, blue cheese or other unsuitable ingredients.
  • Alcohol-soaked olives should never be fed.

How Much Can Dogs Eat?

If you share olives at all, keep it to one or two plain, pitted olives, and not often.

Rinsing brined olives removes some surface brine but does not make them low-salt.

Dogs with heart or kidney disease, or on a salt-restricted diet, should not be given olives without veterinary advice.

How Should I Prepare It?

  • Use only pitted olives, and check that no pit fragments remain.
  • Choose plain olives — no stuffing, marinade, herbs, garlic or oil.
  • Cut larger olives into pieces for small dogs.

What If My Dog Ate Too Much?

If your dog ate one or two plain olives and is acting normally, keep fresh water available and watch.

Contact a vet if your dog swallowed pits, ate a lot of brined olives, or shows vomiting, diarrhoea, unusual thirst, wobbliness or tiredness.

If the olives were stuffed with or marinated in garlic, or soaked in alcohol, contact a vet for advice without waiting for symptoms.

This guide is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for advice from your veterinarian. If your dog has eaten something potentially toxic or is showing concerning symptoms, contact a veterinarian promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Plain olives are not toxic to dogs. The concerns are the salt in most olive products, the pits, and what olives are stuffed with or marinated in.

Plain, pitted black olives are treated the same as green ones: one or two occasionally. Canned black olives are often salty.

Yes. Pits can cause choking, block the gut or damage teeth. Contact a vet if your dog swallowed pits.

It is better not to. Stuffings such as garlic or blue cheese are not suitable for dogs. Check what was inside, and contact a vet if it contained garlic.

No. Alcohol-soaked olives should never be given to a dog. If your dog ate some, contact a vet.

No. This page covers olives only. Olive oil is a different product and is not assessed here.

How this guide was written

Last updated 29 September 2026. We write from widely published, mainstream pet-health sources and avoid presenting feeding amounts as veterinary prescriptions.

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