Can dogs eat beans and pulses?
Plain cooked beans are safe in small amounts. Raw and undercooked beans are not, and tinned baked beans and hummus are unsuitable for different reasons.
Signs to watch for
- wind
- bloating
- diarrhoea
- vomiting
What makes it harmful
Phytohaemagglutinin in raw kidney and lima beans
Raw kidney beans contain a lectin that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea, destroyed by proper boiling. Beans also produce a lot of gas. Baked beans are high in sugar, salt and often onion; hummus almost always contains garlic.
How to prepare it
Never in this form
Raw or undercooked kidney and lima beans. Tinned baked beans. Hummus, which contains garlic. Refried beans, which contain onion and lard.
Also check for
- garlic in hummus
- onion in baked beans
- salt in tinned beans
How confident is this
established
Well established in the veterinary literature and consistent across sources.
- USDA FoodData Central
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
Further reading
- Can Dogs Eat Lentils?
- Can Dogs Eat Pinto Beans?
- Can Dogs Eat Lima Beans? Unveiling the Truth About a Canine's Favorite Legume
- Can Dogs Eat Garbanzo Beans?
- Can Dogs Eat Hummus? Unraveling the Canine-Cuisine Conundrum
- Can Dogs Eat Baked Beans?
- Can Dogs Eat Black Beans? Unveiling the Canine Culinary Curiosity
- Can Dogs Eat Chickpeas?
Check another food
Informational only, and not a substitute for veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and this page cannot account for your dog's age, size, health conditions or medication. If you are worried, phone a vet — that call is always the right call.