Carrot is the treat vets tend to suggest when someone asks what to give a dog that is trying to lose weight, and the arithmetic backs that up: it is the cheapest thing in this series in calorie terms. The one place the popular account goes wrong is cats - and it goes wrong for a reason that is genuinely interesting.
- Yes. Carrot isn't toxic to dogs or cats and is on neither species' toxic-ingredient list.
- 41 kcal per 100 g, which makes it one of the few treats that doesn't eat the day's budget.
- Cut it to size. A whole raw carrot given to a dog that gulps is a choking and obstruction shape, not a chew toy.
- The eyesight claim is true for dogs and false for cats, and the reason is a missing enzyme. See below.
- Raw or cooked both work. Plain, with nothing added.
How many carrots can a dog actually have?
Unlike most of this series, this question has a clean answer, because both halves of the sum are published.
USDA figures put raw carrot at 41 kcal per 100 g (baby carrots come in slightly lower, at 35). And the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee's rule is that treats should always make up less than 10% of daily calorie intake, and should never replace a meal.
The worked example below is our arithmetic on a stated assumption, not a WSAVA figure. Take a moderately active 10 kg dog eating in the region of 600 kcal a day. Ten per cent of that is about 60 kcal, which is roughly 145 g of raw carrot - call it one large carrot, or a decent handful of sticks - for the whole day.
Put that next to the rest of the series and the point lands: the same 60 kcal buys you 14 g of cheddar, or about three quarters of a tablespoon of peanut butter, or less than one egg. Carrot is the treat you can be generous with.
Two caveats on being generous:
- The 10% budget covers everything, so if carrot is going in on top of training treats and the crust off your toast, it isn't 145 g any more.
- A sudden large amount of fibre can cause loose stool or wind in a dog unused to it. That is a change-of-diet effect rather than anything harmful, and it settles - but introduce it gradually rather than handing over a bagful.
WSAVA's guidance is that any treat should be an appropriate size and shape to reduce the risk of choking, and it is blunt about the stakes: the wrong treat, even a popular one, can result in obesity, trauma, obstruction and even death.
A whole raw carrot handed to a dog that chews thoughtfully is fine. Handed to a dog that swallows things whole, it is a plug of exactly the wrong dimensions. Match the piece to the dog, not to the carrot. For a gulper, batons or coins; for a small dog, smaller than you think. And supervise - WSAVA asks for that explicitly with chews and treats.
If your dog has swallowed a large piece and is retching, drooling, pawing at their mouth, repeatedly vomiting, or off their food, treat it as urgent rather than waiting it out.
Raw, cooked, or frozen?
- Raw is the usual form, and the crunchiest. Wash it; peeling is optional.
- Cooked is softer and easier for an older dog or one with dental problems. Plain-boiled or steamed only - roasted in fat, or anything from a roasting tin that held onion or garlic, is a different question.
- Frozen carrot sticks get suggested constantly for teething puppies. We have kept the suggestion because it is sensible on cooling grounds, but the same size-and-shape rule applies and a frozen baton is harder than a fresh one. Supervise, and ask your vet if you're unsure what is appropriate for a young dog's teeth.
Whatever the form: no butter, no salt, no honey glaze, nothing from a seasoned tray.
The cat myth, and why it's a myth
"Carrots are good for eyesight" is the oldest thing anyone knows about carrots, and for dogs there is something in it. Per the MSD Veterinary Manual, vitamin A is essential for normal vision among other things, and "beta-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A found in plants, and dogs can readily use plant and animal sources of vitamin A."
Cats cannot. MSD is specific about the mechanism:
In contrast, cats cannot convert beta-carotene to vitamin A because they lack the intestinal dioxygenase enzyme necessary for beta-carotene cleavage. As a result, cats require a preformed source of vitamin A in their diet, such as that supplied by liver, fish oil, or synthetic vitamin A.
So a carrot delivers a cat beta-carotene it has no way of turning into vitamin A. It is not harmful - carrot is not toxic to cats and isn't on WSAVA's avoid list - but the specific benefit people have in mind simply does not transfer across the species line. A cat gets its vitamin A from its food, which is formulated with that gap in mind.
It is also the same shape of fact as the taurine one, and worth filing next to it: this is the second nutrient where a cat cannot do something a dog can, and it is why dog food is not a cat food.
If you do offer carrot to a cat, the portion is tiny. WSAVA's daily treat allowance for a 4 kg cat is 22 kcal for the entire day, and most cats show very little interest in vegetables anyway.
Which dogs should go carefully
Carrot is a good choice for most dogs on a diet, which is precisely why it is worth saying that "most" is not "all". WSAVA's standing position is that if a pet has a medical condition, dietary sensitivities, or is on a veterinary-prescribed diet, conventional treats may not be appropriate at all. Diabetic dogs, dogs on a strict calorie- or carbohydrate-controlled plan, and dogs on a prescribed therapeutic food should have carrot cleared by a vet rather than assumed - and any dog with a history of swallowing things whole needs the size rule applying seriously.
Not sure about something else your pet got into?
Check any food instantly in the Supernormal app's food safety checker - or try the Pet Food Safety Checker for the foods we've covered so far.
Related guides: Pet Food Safety Checker · Can Dogs Eat Apples? · Can Dogs Eat Blueberries? · Can Cats Eat Dog Food?