Can Dogs Eat Beans? Some, if Plain, Cooked and Unsalted

Why plain cooked beans are safe

Beans are legumes packed with fiber, plant protein, folate and minerals. When soaked and cooked until soft, varieties like black, pinto, navy, lima and kidney beans contain nothing that poisons dogs. Green beans are even easier: the AKC says plain green beans are safe, whether chopped, steamed, raw or canned with no salt.

Beans are still a side, not a meal. They are high in fiber and carbohydrate, so a large helping commonly causes gas and loose stool. A complete dog food already provides the protein your dog needs, so beans work best as an occasional low-fat extra.

Beans to avoid

Raw and undercooked kidney beans contain phytohemagglutinin, a lectin that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea. Only fully cooked kidney beans are safe. Never let your dog eat dry beans from the bag or a pot of beans that has only soaked.

Avoid baked beans, which carry molasses, brown sugar and sometimes onion; chili, which adds spices, onion and garlic; and refried beans, which are fatty and seasoned. Coffee beans and cocoa beans are not legumes at all, and both contain stimulants that can poison dogs. If your dog ate coffee beans, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661. A fee may apply.

How to prepare beans for your dog

The simplest route is dried beans soaked overnight, then boiled in plain water until they mash easily between your fingers. Drain and cool them. If you use canned beans, choose no-salt-added cans and rinse the beans well in a colander to remove the liquid.

For green beans, steam or boil them plain and cut them into one-inch pieces for small dogs. Do not use beans cooked with butter, bacon, garlic, onion or seasoning. Mash beans slightly for toy breeds so they cannot be swallowed whole.

Spreading a few safe pieces across a snuffle mat or packing them into a puzzle toy turns a small treat into a few minutes of sniffing work.

How many beans by dog size

Under 20 lb: about a teaspoon of cooked beans or two or three green bean pieces. Between 20 and 50 lb: about a tablespoon. Over 50 lb: up to two or three tablespoons. Introduce them slowly, since a sudden jump in fiber is the usual cause of gas.

Green beans are low in calories and can be offered a little more freely as a crunchy snack. Ask your vet before using beans to bulk up meals for weight loss, because a diet needs to stay balanced to keep your dog healthy.

Puppies and beans

Puppies can try a couple of mashed, plain cooked beans or soft green bean pieces once they are eating solid food well. Their digestion is still settling, so a little goes a long way, and a puppy with gas or diarrhea should skip beans until it clears.

Growing puppies need the protein and minerals in a complete puppy food. Use beans as an occasional chew or treat rather than a regular part of meals.

Signs of trouble and other options

Mild trouble after beans looks like gas, bloating or soft stool within 12 to 24 hours. Offer water and skip beans for a few days. Call your vet the same day if your dog vomits repeatedly, seems weak, has a hard and swollen belly, or ate raw kidney beans, chili, coffee beans or a dish with onion or garlic.

Other plain vegetables that suit dogs include peas, carrots, pumpkin and cooked sweet potato. Edamame is also a soybean and has its own guidance.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.