Can dogs eat black pudding?
Updated 5 August 2026
A small piece of cooked black pudding will not hurt most healthy dogs, but treat it as a rare scrap rather than a regular share. It is high in fat and salt, usually fried, and some recipes include onion. Dogs prone to pancreatitis should have none at all.
The detail
Black pudding is pork blood, pork fat and oatmeal or barley, seasoned and cased. Nothing in the standard recipe is toxic to a dog, which is why this page is amber rather than red, and why dried black pudding has a long history as a gundog training treat.
The catch is what it is made of. A fried slice runs around 20g of fat per 100g with about 1.5g of salt, and the PDSA lists recently eaten high-fat foods among the things that put dogs at higher risk of pancreatitis.
Check the label before sharing any, because some recipes include onion in the seasoning. Onion is toxic to dogs in any form, and it moves that particular pudding from amber to a genuine no.
What is in a fried slice of black pudding
| Fat | Around 20g per 100gThe reason portions stay tiny |
| Salt | Around 1.5g per 100g |
| Iron | High, from the bloodAlready covered by any complete dog food |
| Anything toxic to dogs | Nothing in most recipesSome include onion. Check the label before sharing |
How much is sensible
| Dog size | Sensible amount |
|---|---|
| Small (under 10kg)Chihuahua, Jack Russell | A cooked piece the size of your thumbnail, once in a while |
| Medium (10 to 25kg)Cocker spaniel, border collie | A corner of a cooked slice, occasionally |
| Large (over 25kg)Labrador, German shepherd | A couple of small cooked pieces, as a rare treat |
| Overweight dogs or any dog with a pancreatitis history | None. The fat is the exact thing their diet restricts |
What is actually in black pudding?
Pork blood, pork fat and a cereal, usually oatmeal or barley, with salt and spices. A typical slice is around 20g of fat per 100g once fried, with roughly 1.5g of salt.
The iron in the blood is real, but a complete dog food already covers iron in full. For a dog, black pudding is a fatty treat, not a supplement.
Can dogs eat raw black pudding?
No. Raw black pudding is a perishable blood product that spoils quickly, and the uncooked case and dense fat sit harder in a dog's stomach than a cooked slice.
Most UK black pudding is sold pre-cooked, but treat anything labelled raw, and anything past its date, as bin material rather than dog food.
Black pudding from the fry-up
The breakfast version is the worst version. A slice fried in oil next to bacon and sausages picks up extra fat from the pan, stacking a fatty food on top of a fatty cooking method.
If you share at all, share a small piece that was grilled or dry-fried, and keep the bacon to yourself. The full fry-up plate is a pancreatitis case study, not a dog's breakfast.
Black pudding as a training treat
Gundog trainers have used dried black pudding for generations, which is where much of this question comes from. Several UK pet companies now sell baked or air-dried black pudding treats made for dogs, with less salt than the breakfast slice.
If you want black pudding in the treat pouch, buy the dog version. It keeps the smell dogs love and drops most of the fat and salt problem.
Which dogs should skip it entirely?
Any dog that has had pancreatitis, because one fatty meal can trigger a repeat episode. The PDSA notes some dogs suffer pancreatitis several times, and diet is the lever an owner controls.
Overweight dogs, dogs on a low-fat prescription diet and dogs with sensitive stomachs belong on the skip list too. For everyone else, rare and small is the rule.
Signs to watch for
- Vomiting or diarrhoea after a fatty share
- A painful tummy, shown by a hunched or prayer posture
- Lethargy and refusing food in the day or two after
If your dog overdoes it
A small cooked piece needs no action. If your dog has eaten a lot, or has a pancreatitis history, ring your vet with the amount and your dog's weight. Repeated vomiting with a hunched posture is a same-day vet visit. If the label lists onion, call your vet, or the Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 out of hours.
Common questions
Is black pudding good for dogs because of the iron?
Not really. The iron is genuine, but a complete dog food already provides all a dog needs, so the fat and salt come with no real upside. Treat it as a treat.
My dog ate a whole slice of black pudding. Should I worry?
For a healthy medium or large dog, expect nothing worse than a possible loose stool. Watch for repeated vomiting or a hunched, painful tummy, and ring your vet if either shows up or if your dog has had pancreatitis before.
Can dogs eat white pudding?
Same answer as black pudding without the blood. White pudding is fat and oatmeal, so it is just as fatty and gets the same rare, small, cooked rule.
Can puppies have black pudding?
Best not. Fatty food upsets young stomachs easily, and a puppy diet is already balanced. Wait for adulthood, then keep it rare.
Are black pudding dog treats safe?
Yes, the dried versions made for dogs are the sensible way to use the flavour. They carry less salt and fat than the breakfast slice and portion easily for training.
My dog stole black pudding from a fried breakfast. What now?
The pan fat is the main worry, so watch for vomiting, a painful tummy or refusing food over the next two days. A one-off theft by a healthy dog usually passes without trouble; a dog with a pancreatitis history needs a vet call now.