Yes, dogs can eat lettuce!
Plain lettuce (romaine, iceberg or green leaf) is safe for dogs. It is mostly water and very low in calories. Avoid salads with dressing, onion, garlic, croutons or raisins.
| Can dogs eat it? | Safe |
| Calories | About 1 kcal per lettuce leaf |
| Main benefit | Almost calorie-free |
| Main risk | Large amounts can cause loose stool |
| Puppies? | In tiny amounts once on solid food; puppies have sensitive stomachs |
Free · instant · based on veterinary formulas
Vets recommend keeping all treats under 10% of daily calories. One lettuce leaf has about 1 kcal. The chart shows the most a typical spayed or neutered adult dog could have in a day if lettuce were the only treat.
| Dog weight | Daily treat budget | Max lettuce per day |
|---|---|---|
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 35 kcal | 34 × lettuce leaf |
| 20 lb (9.1 kg) | 59 kcal | 58 × lettuce leaf |
| 40 lb (18.1 kg) | 98 kcal | 98 × lettuce leaf |
| 60 lb (27.2 kg) | 133 kcal | 133 × lettuce leaf |
| 80 lb (36.3 kg) | 166 kcal | 165 × lettuce leaf |
Eating more than the recommended amount usually causes nothing worse than an upset stomach: soft stool, gas or vomiting. Skip treats for the rest of the day, keep fresh water available and call your vet if vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than 24 hours or your dog seems unwell.
Planning treats? Check your dog's full daily needs with the dog food calculator or dog calorie calculator.
Yes. Plain lettuce (romaine, iceberg or green leaf) is safe for dogs. It is mostly water and very low in calories. Avoid salads with dressing, onion, garlic, croutons or raisins.
No. Dressing contains garlic and fat, and croutons may be seasoned.
Yes, it is a near-zero-calorie crunchy snack.
Yes, in small cooked or raw amounts, though it can cause gas.
Yes, in very small amounts once they are eating solid food. Puppies have sensitive stomachs, so offer a tiny piece and stop if you see loose stool. Most of their calories should come from a complete puppy food.
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This guide is general information for healthy adult dogs. Dogs with medical conditions (such as diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or food allergies) may need different advice from their vet.
Safe
Yes. Plain lettuce (romaine, iceberg or green leaf) is safe for dogs.