Food
Can dogs eat fava beans? Raw, cooked, with skins
Igor, founder of ZoozyJars and maltipoo owner · Updated October 14, 2026 · 3 min read
Can dogs eat fava beans? Not raw. Cooked fava (broad) beans, peeled, with no salt or butter, are fine in the amount of a few beans. Your dog doesn't need them, and a lot of fibre and plant protein at once often ends in gas.
- No: raw beans, beans with salt, butter, garlic or creamy sauce.
- OK: a few cooked, peeled beans with nothing added.
- How much: 3–4 beans for a 3 kg dog, about 5 for 5 kg, about 7 for 8 kg.
- Typical result of overdoing it: gas, loose poop, vomiting.
Repeated vomiting, bloody or watery diarrhoea, lethargy or a painful belly after eating fava beans is a reason to see a vet.
Raw or cooked fava beans
Raw fava beans are hard and tough to digest. They also contain anti-nutrients that cooking largely breaks down. That's why dogs should only get beans cooked until soft, in plain water.
The real risk is how people usually eat them: with plenty of salt, butter and sometimes garlic. A few salted beans won't hurt a big dog, but a bowl of dinner leftovers for a 3–4 kg dog is too much salt and fat at once. Garlic is toxic to dogs in any form.
How many fava beans can a dog eat
Cooked fava beans have about 110 kcal per 100 g. Treats should be 10% of daily calories at most, and fruit and vegetables should take half of that at most.
| Dog's weight | Fava beans per day | Peeled beans |
|---|---|---|
| 3 kg | up to 8 g | 3–4 |
| 5 kg | up to 10 g | about 5 |
| 8 kg | up to 15 g | about 7 |
The first time, give 1–2 beans and watch your dog for 24 hours. My maltipoo weighs about 4 kg. We don't give her fava beans. The most she gets is the occasional piece of apple or a few blueberries.
Fava bean skins
The skin is fibrous and tough. A small dog swallows the bean whole, so peeled beans mean less risk of vomiting and blockage. Peeling takes a minute, and a dog only needs a few beans.
When to skip fava beans
- Your dog has a sensitive stomach or often has loose poop.
- Your dog is on a veterinary diet.
- Puppies under 6 months: there are much better first tastes.
Better than fava beans: what to give instead
If you want to give your dog some vegetables, plain cooked carrot or pumpkin is easier to digest. And if your dog happily eats table scraps but skips its bowl, read what to do when your dog won't eat.
The full list of forbidden foods is in what dogs can't eat.
Frequently asked questions
No. Raw fava beans are hard to digest and contain substances that cooking largely breaks down. In dogs they can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and gas.
AKC — Can dogs eat beans?; ASPCA Animal Poison Control (garlic, onion); NRC 2006 (RER); WSAVA — 10% of calories from treats. This article is for education only and does not replace advice from a veterinarian.
About the author
Igor, founder of ZoozyJars and maltipoo owner
I run ZoozyJars and live with a maltipoo myself. I write from my own experience and lean on the sources listed under each article.
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