Hi there hooman! I like this question because it means you’re thinking of sharing those tasty green leaves! No more hogging them for the pasta you won’t let me eat!
The truth is basil is both yummy and healthy for us dogs. There are lots of things to love about basil apart from the taste!
My hooman tells me that basil has antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties. At first, I was a bit confused because ‘anti’ usually means bad like the anti-chew spray they put on my favorite chair leg. That stuff tastes gross!
But the ‘anti’ properties of basil are actually good things! It means that basil helps keep oxidation, viruses, and microbes out of my body.
Basil can also be good for poor dogs who are hurting with arthritis because it can act as an anti-inflammatory. My hooman said that this means it reduces swelling and has nothing to do with flames…
Another great thing about basil, is that it can calm down anxious dogs. I bet my hooman wishes she’s known that earlier! A few basil leaves could have saved some of the cushions I ate in a nervous panic.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m personally offended that the hoomans have been hogging the basil for so long. Seems like a wonder food to me!
Can Dogs Have Basil Pesto?
Personally, I think pesto is the reason hoomans have been so greedy about the basil! They love that stuff.
Well, they better learn to share the pesto too because we can chow down on basil pesto. As long as the recipe is dog friendly.
A dog friendly pesto recipe won’t have any garlic in it. Yuck! Garlic is gross and super bad for us so please keep it out of our pesto.
You also want to avoid adding salt or walnuts. Both of these can make us sick which ruins our day and your carpets.
So, when you’re making pooch pesto, keep it simple with just basil, pine nuts, parsley, and a little bit of cheese.
How to Feed Dogs Basil
We will eat basil as a fresh snack, as leaves on top of our kibble, or as pooch pesto. We’re not fussy.
If you’ve got a fancy fur friend, whip up some pesto and serve it with their food. Maybe throw some smooth Italian background music and a few candles to create some atmosphere.
I mean, if you’ve gone to the trouble of making pooch pesto you might as well go the whole hog. (mmmmm hog.)
Dogs, if your chef is too busy or lazy to make you pesto, just go ahead and eat the leaves right of the plant. They will be super fresh and super tasty!
Hoomans, if you want to stop your pup from ravaging your basil plant, keep it out of reach and put a few leaves in their food bowl at dinner time.
Can Basil Kill Dogs?
What a horrible thought! Luckily, the answer is no! Basil will not kill us. We’re tougher than that little plant thanks you very much!
If we eat too much, then it can make our tummy a bit upset which can make us vomit or poop. This usually makes you guys upset which is not what we want at all!
It’s ok though, we’d have to eat a whole lot of basil to get to that point!
Basil must be like that stinky grape juice you hoomans drink. You know the one that makes you sick and grumpy the next day?
What Herbs are Toxic to Dogs?
This bit isn’t very fun, but it is important! We dogs like to explore the world with our mouths but it can go horribly wrong.
I’m going to talk you through all the herbs that are bad for us and then you can run around the house getting rid of them.
Oh, also, I’m a dog. I’m not really sure what counts as an herb or not. So basically, if it’s stinky and goes in food, I’m counting it as an herb!
1. Onions and shallots – these things are so gross! I don’t understand why you put them in like all of your foods. Sometimes I think you do it just so I can’t eat it.
You need to keep these stink bulbs away from any fur friends that means dogs and cats. We may be sworn enemies, but I wouldn’t even wish onions on the cat!
2. Garlic – This one makes me sad because garlic always smells so darn good. Unfortunately, it can do really bad things to our bodies.
Please keep these tasty little nuggets out of our reach. We lack self-control and we’ll probably eat anything flavored with garlic if we can get our paws on it.
3. Chives – Somehow, these long green plants are related to onions. I think it’s like how my hooman calls the cat my sister even though I’m much cuter than she is.
Anyway, chives are bad for dogs because they’re like onions. Keep them away at all costs.
What Spices are Bad for Dogs?
Spices are a little bit different to herbs. Usually, spices are ground up or dried. Honestly, I don’t get why hoomans like to pour so much dust on their food. Do you have bad taste buds or something?
The spices you use can sometimes be pretty bad for us so please avoid putting them on the tasty stake you’re cooking. It means that you can’t share it with us.
These are some of the worst spices.
1. Salt – Ok, maybe it’s not technically a spice but I’m a dog not a chef!
We can be quite sensitive to salt in our food. It makes us really thirsty and makes us want to wee more. This can dehydrate us to the point of sickness.
If you are making food for us, just leave the salt out. We don’t need it.
2. Nutmeg – This stuff seems to come out of hiding around the same time as the big house tree and all the fun boxes we’re not allowed to open!
Nutmeg is definitely a no-no for dogs. It makes us really hyperactive and excitable and then makes us crash hard. If we get enough of it, it can kill us.
3. Chili powder – This stuff is too spicy for me! Even the mild flavors are too hot.
Spicy foods make our tummies wriggle and make us have accidents on the floor. It’s not our fault. We just can’t handle spice.
Final Thoughts
To sum all this up, stop hogging the basil!
