Can dogs eat sage?

Common garden sage has soft, fuzzy grey-green leaves. Chop one or two leaves finely and mix them into food. For a medium dog of around 15 kg (33 lb), that is plenty. Dried rubbed sage is more concentrated, so use only a tiny sprinkle.

Large amounts of any strong herb can cause vomiting or loose stools.

Sage and onion stuffing is one of the most common festive foods dogs sneak from plates. It is made with onion, often in large quantities, plus butter, breadcrumbs and sometimes sausage meat. Onion is toxic to dogs, and stuffing concentrates it. Brown butter and sage sauces for pasta are rich and often include garlic.

Sage oil contains compounds such as thujone, which can affect the nervous system at high doses. It is far more concentrated than the leaves and should not be used on or near dogs. Fresh leaves in food carry only a tiny fraction of that.

Sage belongs to the Salvia genus, which also includes many ornamental garden plants with red, purple or blue flowers. These are generally not considered toxic to dogs, but they are not grown for eating and may be treated with garden chemicals. Only offer sage you know is a culinary variety.

Herbs are optional extras for a dog. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, is on medication or has a seizure disorder, it is simplest to skip strongly flavored herbs like sage unless your vet approves. Plain food is perfectly fine.