Can Dogs Eat Lemongrass?
Mostly avoid. The ASPCA lists lemongrass as toxic to dogs — a nibble usually means mild stomach upset, but fibrous stalks can cramp or block the gut.
Quick facts
| Verdict | Caution |
|---|---|
| Risky amount | No safe or toxic dose is established — treat any amount as a risk. |
| Key symptoms | Vomiting, Diarrhea, Abdominal discomfort or cramping, Reduced appetite, Straining or repeated vomiting (possible blockage after eating a lot of stalk) |
| What to do | If your dog ate a large amount of lemongrass and shows repeated vomiting, a painful belly or can't keep food down, call your vet — fibrous stalks can bunch up and obstruct the gut. Exposure to lemongrass essential oil also warrants a call. |
A mild toxin wrapped in tough fiber
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) makes the ASPCA’s toxic-to-dogs list on the strength of its essential oils and cyanogenic glycosides — but the listed clinical sign for dogs is stomach upset, not collapse. That matches real life: a dog that chews a stray stalk in the garden or steals one from the counter typically gets away with drooling, a grumbly gut or a loose stool.
The second problem is mechanical. Lemongrass is closer to grass than to a vegetable — dense, stringy fiber a dog can’t digest. Eaten in quantity, it cramps; in an unlucky dog, a wad of fibrous stalk can block the intestine.
Kitchen, garden and oil — three different doses
In cooked dishes like pho or curry, the stalk is usually removed and the flavor trace left behind is trivial — the dish’s salt, garlic and chili are the bigger issue. Garden plants invite repeat grazing, which is worth discouraging. Lemongrass essential oil is the form to treat seriously: concentration turns a mild irritant into a real hazard.
What to do if your dog ate lemongrass
For a small chew, offer water and watch for a day or two. Call your vet if your dog ate a lot of stalk, vomits repeatedly, strains, has a painful belly, or had any contact with the essential oil.
If your dog ate it
If your dog ate a large amount of lemongrass and shows repeated vomiting, a painful belly or can't keep food down, call your vet — fibrous stalks can bunch up and obstruct the gut. Exposure to lemongrass essential oil also warrants a call.
In the US you can also call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply).
Frequently asked questions
- Is lemongrass toxic to dogs?
- The ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs, citing essential oils and cyanogenic glycosides, with stomach upset as the typical sign. In practice a small chew is a minor event — the bigger worries are quantity and the concentrated essential oil.
- My dog chewed a lemongrass stalk in the garden. What should I do?
- A stray chew is usually no drama — maybe some drooling or a soft stool. Offer water and watch for a day or two. Repeated vomiting, a tender belly or loss of appetite means call your vet.
- Why are the stalks themselves a problem?
- Lemongrass is tough and fibrous, and dogs can't digest it well. A dog that eats a lot of stalk can end up with cramping, or in the worst case a fibrous wad that obstructs the intestine.
- Is lemongrass essential oil safe around dogs?
- No — concentrated lemongrass oil is far more potent than the plant and shouldn't be applied to, diffused heavily around, or ever ingested by dogs. Call your vet if your dog licked or wore it.
See all human food dogs can and can’t eat →