Celery root, also known as celeriac is the root of a celery plant. It’s a highly nutritious vegetable packed with vitamins and minerals and just like celery itself, it’s safe for canine consumption!
CAN DOGS HAVE CELERY ROOT (CELERIAC)?
Maybe you’ve given your dog a piece of celery before while prepping dinner (it’s probably one of the most ubiquitous veggies in our fridges!) but you’re wondering if the root of the celery plant is also safe for consumption?
Good news, celery root, which is packed with healthy vitamins and minerals is just as safe for our pups as the rest of the plant.
People often consume celeriac raw as a crunchy snack (it’s great cut up into matchsticks and dipped in hummus) or, cooked and pureed into a celery root mash or a root vegetable soup.
Since you’ll likely not spend the time making a celery root mash for your dog (or maybe you will?), the most common way to share this vegetable with your pup is as a raw snack.
Just like dogs can eat fennel, dogs can eat celery root in both raw and cooked form.
So whichever way you choose to share is safe for consumption.
As always though, never feed your dog too much of any vegetable especially in raw form. A small piece or two of celery root is plenty as a treat.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CELERY ROOT FOR DOGS
Celery root is often used among humans as a lower calorie starch option.
It can be swapped out for potatoes or other higher carbohydrate starches in many dishes and makes a much healthier raw snack than crackers or or chips. It’s similar to both parsnips and turnips in this way, two other safe root vegetable for dogs to eat.
Part of its raw appeal is the crunch factor.
Similar to jicama, raw celery root has a great crunchy texture that both people and dogs enjoy.
If you decide to share a few pieces of raw celery root with your dog you’ll also be sharing all the vitamins and minerals in this delicious root veggie.
Celeriac is high in vitamin K, a good source of dietary fiber and also contains a reasonable amount of vitamin C.
Mineral wise, phosphorous, potassium and manganese rank high in celery root.
Like most vegetables, it’s a good source of antioxidants and considered a digestive aid thanks to both the soluble and insoluble fiber it contains.
CAN CELERY CAUSE DIARRHEA IN DOGS?
If dogs eat too much celery (or too much of any vegetable for that matter!) it can also cause gastrointestinal upset, including gas, abdominal bloating, nausea, vomiting and potentially diarrhea.
The celery plant itself is also considered a diuretic which just means it’s something that can cause the body to expel water. If your dog eats too much celery or celery root, it could cause them to urinate more than usual.
Finally, since many dogs (and humans!) don’t digest raw vegetables well, it’s best to stick to small amounts.
Think about how you’d feel if you polished off a whole tray of raw veggies. Probably not so great. Now imagine that in a dog that’s probably 1/3 your size or less.
This is why even though celery root and many other vegetables (like beets) are ok for dogs to eat, it’s best to stick to small amounts, especially when raw.
HOW TO FEED A DOG CELERY ROOT
With all “human” food we share with our dogs, it should make up a very small amount of their diet.
Estimates are about 10% of a dog’s diet should consist of “treats”. And yes, even a vegetable like celery root is considered a treat for them.
The easiest way to incorporate celeriac into your dog’s diet is to offer freshly washed small pieces (to avoid it becoming a choking hazard) of raw or cooked celeriac.
Cooked celeriac eliminates some of the potential gastrointestinal issues too many raw vegetables can cause and as long as it’s prepared simply by steaming, roasting (like roasted cauliflower for dogs) or boiling without additional seasonings or fats, sharing this root vegetable with your dog is safe!
As always, be careful when offering cooked celery root that it is not prepared with any unsafe ingredients for dogs like leeks, garlic or onions, all of which are toxic to them.
Related article:
Can dogs eat chicory and chicory root?