Can Dogs Eat Turnip? When it is or isn’t an Emergency

Turnip is safe for dogs to eat as long as it’s given in moderation. Turnips can make healthy supplements to a dog’s diet as they are packed with vitamins and minerals including vitamin C and magnesium.

How many turnips can a dog eat?

For medium-sized dogs, we would allow the dog to eat no more than one cup of turnip per day. This works out to about three or four pieces of turnip. Larger dogs can have a bit more while smaller dogs should be limited to one or two pieces at most. Remember, turnips should be supplements and not a replacement for a dog’s regular diet.

How do you cook turnips for dogs?

Raw turnip is perfectly fine for dogs to eat. If you prefer to give your pet something cooked, we would suggest either boiling, steaming, or roasting the turnip pieces (without any extra ingredients). Frying is not recommended as the cooking oil will introduce a lot of fat.

Want to know what else is safe for dogs to eat in moderation? Visit our human foods for dog database to find out what other vegetables make the “safe” list.

Can dogs eat turnip greens?

It’s safe for most dogs to eat a small amount of turnip greens as long as some preparation goes into it. Like other parts of the turnip, the leafy part is nutritious and offers a number of health benefits. Turnip greens, for example, contains a decent amount of vitamin C!

How to prepare turnip greens for dogs

First, wash the leaves thoroughly to remove all the debris and dirt that may still be intact. Next, steam or roast the turnip green. Turnips are part of the cruciferous vegetable family and these vegetables are known for having goitrogenic properties.

This property can disrupt the production of thyroid hormones in the dog’s body, especially if they are consumed in excessive amounts. Cooking turnip greens can help minimize the impact the goitrogenic compound can have on the dog’s body.

It’s important that you only feed a small amount as cruciferous vegetables like turnip greens are also known to make dogs a bit gassy. This can lead to dangerous conditions like bloat, especially if a dog ate too many turnip greens in one sitting.