Can dogs eat rhubarb? No. Rhubarb leaves are toxic to dogs: they are high in oxalates, which can irritate the mouth and, in quantity, affect the kidneys. The stalks are far less dangerous than the leaves, but no part of the plant belongs in a dog's bowl. If your dog ate leaves, contact your vet.
Call a vet or poison control now. Do not wait for symptoms.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661. A consultation fee may apply.
Part of our guide to Can Dogs Eat Rhubarb leaves? Ingredients, Amount, Symptoms & What to Do.
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Why Rhubarb Leaves is dangerous
The leaves are high in oxalates, which can irritate the mouth and, in quantity, affect the kidneys.
Leaves vs stalks
The oxalates concentrate in the leaves, which makes them the true hazard. A stolen nibble of stalk is usually minor: watch for drooling and let it pass. Leaves eaten in any quantity are a call to your vet.
Rhubarb pie and cooked rhubarb
Desserts are made from the stalk, so the poisoning question is smaller than the leaf scare suggests. They are still a poor thing to share: sugar-heavy, and worth checking the other ingredients before assuming the slice was harmless.
Rhubarb in the garden
A garden patch puts the leaves at nose height all season. Fence the bed or plant it out of patrol range, and treat leaf trimmings as the hazard: bagged and binned, not left in an open pile.
Signs to watch for
Drooling, vomiting, lethargy, tremors
Related items
Check the exact item or ingredient before assuming two similar exposures carry the same risk.
What to do next
Contact your vet if leaves were eaten in any quantity.
🚨Step-by-step: what to do in the first 10 minutes →Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
Leaves, stalks, pie, and garden exposure
Rhubarb risk changes with the plant part and with every other ingredient in a dessert.
1. Identify what your dog actually ate
The emergency guide separates the higher-risk leaves from the edible stalk and then checks pie ingredients and garden exposures that can change the response. Can dogs eat rhubarb? Read the leaves-versus-stalk guide →
2. Make the whole garden safer
Vegetable beds can combine rhubarb trimmings with fertilizer, compost, and other plants, so prevention works best as a complete yard system. Build a dog-safe garden →
FAQ
The stalk is far less of an issue than the leaves; large leaf amounts are the concern.
A nibble of stalk is usually minor; watch for drooling.
A lot of leaves, or drooling and vomiting.
The leaves are: their oxalates can irritate the mouth and, in quantity, affect the kidneys. The stalk is far less of an issue. DogSafe scores rhubarb leaves 4 out of 10, enough to keep the plant out of reach and to call your vet when leaves are eaten.
A stolen nibble of stalk is usually minor; watch for drooling. As a snack the answer is still no: there are better options with no oxalate question attached, like the produce on our safe fruits and vegetables list.
- ASPCA APCC
- Pet Poison Helpline: rhubarb
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: toxic and non-toxic plants
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: people foods to avoid feeding your pets
- Merck Veterinary Manual: food hazards