Rosemary

Is rosemary safe for dogs and cats? Yes. The ASPCA lists rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. A few leaves nibbled off the garden plant, a pinch of dried herb on dinner, or the rosemary extract printed on a pet food label are not poisonings. The form to respect is rosemary essential oil, which is concentrated and contains camphor.

That split — plant and extract fine, oil a different animal — answers most of what owners search for. Below: why rosemary extract is in so many pet foods, what the evidence actually says about rosemary and seizures, how much is sensible, and how dogs, cats and horses differ.

Why Rosemary Is Considered Safe

Rosemary is a woody herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae), the same family as basil. The ASPCA plant listing for rosemary marks it non-toxic to dogs, non-toxic to cats and non-toxic to horses, and names no toxic principle or clinical signs.

Non-toxic does not mean you can feed unlimited amounts. Any fibrous, aromatic plant eaten in quantity can cause vomiting, soft stool or gas, simply because it is not food the gut expects. That is a stomach upset, not a toxic reaction.

Plant, Dried Herb, Extract and Oil: Four Different Things

The word “rosemary” covers products with very different strengths. Most confusion online comes from treating them as the same.

• The fresh plant. Non-toxic per the ASPCA. A pet brushing past it or chewing a leaf is fine.

• Dried or fresh culinary rosemary. Same herb, same answer. A small pinch on food is fine for most dogs. Watch what it is cooked into — roasts and potatoes often come with garlic, onion, salt and fat, which are the real problems on that plate. (For another kitchen herb with a stricter answer, see parsley.)

• Rosemary extract. The ingredient on pet food labels. It is used as an antioxidant to keep fats from going rancid, and it is a different product from the oil (more below).

• Rosemary essential oil. Steam-distilled and highly concentrated. This is where caution belongs, especially for cats.

Rosemary Extract in Pet Food: Why It Is on the Label

Flip over a bag of kibble or treats and you will often find “rosemary extract” near the end of the ingredient list. It is there as a natural preservative. Fats and oils in pet food oxidise over time, which makes food rancid and destroys fat-soluble nutrients. Ingredient supplier Kemin describes carnosic acid as the main antioxidant molecule in rosemary extract, with carnosol and related compounds contributing, and says the job of the extract is to prevent oxidation of fats and oils in the food.

That is the same job vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) does, and the two are often used together as an alternative to synthetic preservatives. It is also why the amount in food is small: it is a preservative dose, not a herbal serving.

Does Rosemary Have Health Benefits for Pets?

Most “benefits of rosemary” lists for pets borrow from human and lab research. Rosemary does contain antioxidant compounds, chiefly carnosic acid and carnosol, and that antioxidant action is exactly why it protects the fats in pet food. Beyond that, the evidence thins out quickly.

Veterinarian-written guidance on Dogster notes that the antioxidant findings for rosemary extract come from rodent studies and that no efficacy or safety studies have been done in dogs. The FDA lists rosemary among the spices and natural seasonings generally recognized as safe for their intended use in human food. That is reassuring about the herb as a seasoning, but it says nothing about rosemary improving a pet’s health.

• A pinch of rosemary is a flavour, not a supplement. Share it because your dog likes it, not for a health result.

• Rosemary extract in food is doing a preservation job, and fresher fats are its real benefit to your pet.

• If you are after a specific wellness goal, ask your vet about ingredients with pet-specific evidence behind them.

Does Rosemary Cause Seizures? What the Evidence Actually Shows

This is the worry that sends owners of epileptic dogs to the search bar, so here is what we could verify and what we could not.

The concern comes from the essential oil, and specifically camphor. Camphor is a known neurological toxin in pets. Pet Poison Helpline’s camphor page lists skin irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea, depression and, in large amounts, seizures. Rosemary essential oil contains a meaningful amount of it: a 2025 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessment of rosemary oil as a feed additive gives a specification of 5 to 24 percent camphor and 14 to 62 percent 1,8-cineole, with batch averages of about 15 and 34 percent.

Rosemary is not on Merck’s short list. The Merck Veterinary Manual’s chapter on essential oil toxicoses names the oils that can cause seizures as birch, cedar, eucalyptus, hyssop, pennyroyal, sage, wintergreen and wormwood. Rosemary oil is not on it. That is not proof of safety for a seizure-prone animal, but it matters for perspective.

We found no published veterinary report linking rosemary extract at pet-food levels to seizures. The seizure claim about extract circulates widely online, but it is an extrapolation from the oil. Extract used as a preservative is used for its antioxidant compounds at small inclusion rates, not as a dose of camphor.

Our honest position: for a healthy dog or cat, rosemary extract in food is not something to worry about. For a dog with seizures whose epilepsy is hard to control, some veterinarians prefer to remove every possible variable, and choosing a rosemary-free food while you work on control is a reasonable, low-cost step to discuss with your vet. What we would avoid entirely for that dog is rosemary essential oil — diffused, in shampoos or applied to skin.

How Much Rosemary Is OK?

We could not find a veterinary dose chart for culinary rosemary, so we are not going to invent one. The sensible range is “garnish, not meal”:

• Small dogs and cats — a pinch of dried or a few chopped fresh leaves, occasionally.

• Medium and large dogs — up to a small sprinkle of dried rosemary or a few chopped leaves on food.

• Horses — no need to feed it; nibbling a garden plant is not a concern.

Chop fresh leaves finely rather than offering whole sprigs. Stop if you see soft stool or vomiting. There is no reason to push the amount.

Other Kitchen Herbs: Check Each One

If rosemary is fine, it is natural to wonder about the rest of the spice rack. Herbs do not share one answer, even within the same plant family, so check each before you share it:

• Herbs with their own entries: basil, parsley, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, lavender, chamomile and nutmeg. Mint is covered in our peppermint oil entry.

• Keep off the plate: garlic, onions and chives. The ASPCA says these Allium vegetables can cause stomach irritation and red blood cell damage that leads to anemia, and that cats are more susceptible than dogs.

The practical rule is the same as for rosemary: plain herb, small amount, never the essential oil.

Rosemary Essential Oil: Where Caution Belongs

An essential oil packs the aromatic compounds of a large amount of plant into a few drops. Merck notes the most common signs after ingestion or skin exposure are vomiting, lethargy, drooling, wobbliness and loss of appetite, and that cats are especially sensitive because they are deficient in the liver enzyme glucuronyl transferase, which leaves them poor at clearing phenolic compounds. The EFSA assessment also classifies rosemary oil as an irritant to skin and eyes and a skin and respiratory sensitiser.

• Never give rosemary oil by mouth.

• Do not apply undiluted oil to skin or coat, and be wary of homemade flea sprays built on it.

• If you diffuse it, do so briefly, in a room the pet can leave, and not at all around cats or animals with breathing problems.

Rosemary for Fleas: Herb Rinse vs Oil Spray

Rosemary comes up often as a “natural flea repellent,” either as a homemade rinse of fresh rosemary steeped in hot water or as a spray built on rosemary oil. Two things to know. Rosemary oil is on the EPA’s list of active ingredients allowed in minimum-risk pesticides, and the EPA does not review those products for safety or efficacy before they are sold. And the pet sites recommending rosemary for fleas cite no veterinary trial showing it works on dogs or cats.

• A cooled rinse of plain steeped rosemary is low risk for a dog, since the herb is non-toxic. Treat it as a grooming rinse, not flea control.

• Do not make sprays from rosemary essential oil, and never use them on cats.

• For real flea and tick control, use a preventative your vet recommends that is labelled for your pet’s species and weight.

Dogs, Cats and Horses

Dogs are the main audience for rosemary questions and the answer is simple: the herb and the extract are fine, the oil is not a food.

Cats can eat a leaf of raw rosemary without harm — it is non-toxic to them per the ASPCA — though most will not bother. Rosemary extract in cat food is the same preservative story as in dog food. The oil is the real concern because of how cats process aromatic compounds; our cat safety entry covers that feline blind spot in more depth.

Horses are also listed as non-toxic, and a horse grazing a rosemary hedge is not an emergency. Rosemary oil does appear in the feed-additive world as a flavouring: EFSA set the maximum safe level for rosemary oil at 20.8 mg per kg of complete feed for dogs, cats and horses alike, a figure that shows how small “safe” inclusion of the oil is compared with a splash from a bottle.

Is Rosemary a Good Cat Deterrent?

Plenty of gardeners plant rosemary or scatter the clippings to keep cats out of beds, and many cats do seem to dislike strong herbal scents. We could not find any study measuring it, so treat it as a harmless thing to try rather than a proven repellent. The plant itself is safe if a cat investigates. What we would not do is spray rosemary essential oil around the garden or furniture as a deterrent, for the reasons above.

Signs to Watch For

After eating a lot of the plant: vomiting, drooling, soft stool or reduced appetite, usually short-lived. After exposure to the essential oil: drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, lethargy, pawing at the mouth, red or irritated skin, or coughing and fast breathing if it was inhaled. Tremors or a seizure after oil exposure is an emergency.

What To Do If Your Pet Got Into Rosemary Oil

• Move the pet to fresh air and away from the source.

• If oil is on the skin or coat, wash it off with a mild dish soap and lukewarm water.

• Do not make your pet vomit — Merck warns against inducing vomiting with essential oils because of aspiration risk.

• Keep the bottle so you can read the label.

• Call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply) or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 ($89 per incident).

A few leaves of the plant do not need a call unless your pet keeps vomiting.

When to Call Your Veterinarian

Call if vomiting or diarrhoea lasts more than a day, after any exposure of a cat to essential oil, if your pet is wobbly, weak or trembling, or before adding any herb regularly to the diet of a dog with epilepsy, a pregnant animal, or an animal on daily medication.

How It Fits With Hemp

Rosemary and hemp share a vocabulary: both carry aromatic terpenes, and both show up as “natural” ingredients on pet labels. Neither replaces veterinary care. If you are building a calm, simple daily routine, a small serving of hemp seed oil with a meal and a consistent walk schedule do more than any herb garnish — our how-to-use guide has serving amounts by weight, and our hemp dog treats are an easy option if you want a treat you know the contents of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rosemary pet friendly?

Yes. The ASPCA lists rosemary as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. It is a safe choice for a garden that pets share. Keep rosemary essential oil out of reach.

Is rosemary safe for dogs to eat?

In small amounts, yes. A pinch of dried or a few chopped fresh leaves is fine. Too much can upset the stomach, and rosemary-seasoned leftovers often carry garlic, onion and salt.

Can cats eat raw rosemary?

A leaf or two will not hurt a cat, since the plant is non-toxic to cats. Most cats show little interest. Larger amounts may cause mild stomach upset.

Is rosemary a good cat deterrent?

Many gardeners find cats avoid it, but we found no study proving it works. Planting it is harmless. Spraying rosemary essential oil around the house is not a good idea for cats.

Is rosemary extract in dog food safe?

For healthy dogs, yes. It is a preservative that stops fats from going rancid, used at small inclusion levels. We found no published veterinary report linking it to seizures at food levels.

Should dogs with epilepsy avoid rosemary?

Avoid rosemary essential oil. For extract in food, the evidence of harm is missing, but some vets suggest a rosemary-free diet while seizures are being brought under control. Ask your vet before changing foods.

Is rosemary oil safe for dogs and cats?

Not by mouth and not undiluted on the skin. It contains camphor and is a skin and eye irritant. Cats are the most sensitive.

Can horses eat rosemary?

Yes, the ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to horses. There is no need to feed it on purpose.

How much rosemary can I give my dog a day?

There is no veterinary dose chart. A vet-written guide on Dogster suggests no more than a teaspoon a day, a few times a week. Treat that as a ceiling for a large dog, and give small dogs and cats far less.

Does rosemary repel fleas?

It is not a proven flea control. A plain herb rinse is harmless for most dogs, but rosemary-oil sprays are a skin and grooming exposure, especially for cats. Use a vet-recommended preventative.

Is rosemary good for a dog’s itchy skin?

There is no good evidence that it helps, and rosemary oil can irritate skin. Itching has many causes, so find the cause with your vet; our article on allergies in dogs is a starting point.

Can pregnant dogs have rosemary?

The plant is non-toxic, but some guides advise skipping it during pregnancy and we found no veterinary data either way. Avoid the essential oil, and ask your vet before adding the herb regularly.

Is it safe to diffuse rosemary oil around cats?

We would not. A whiff from a closed bottle is not a poisoning, but active diffusers leave oil droplets on fur that cats then groom off, and cats clear these compounds poorly.