Cinnamon and dogs: with caution
Caution
Caution: cinnamon is not toxic to dogs, and ASPCA lists it non-toxic, but more than roughly a teaspoon of powder irritates the mouth, throat and stomach, and inhaled powder causes coughing or choking. Cinnamon essential
Depends on the form, the amount or the dog.
Caution: cinnamon is not toxic to dogs, and ASPCA lists it non-toxic, but more than roughly a teaspoon of powder irritates the mouth, throat and stomach, and inhaled powder causes coughing or choking. Cinnamon essential oil, sticks, and sugary cinnamon baked goods are the real hazards. Call your vet after large ingestions.
- Safe form
- A pinch of plain ground cinnamon baked into a dog-appropriate treat, or commercial dog treats that already list cinnamon as an ingredient. Small amounts only, well under one teaspoon, and only occasionally.
- Unsafe form or part
- Cinnamon essential oil (the highest-risk form, dangerous in a small drop and also by skin contact or diffusing); whole cinnamon sticks a dog can chew; loose powder that can be inhaled; and human cinnamon foods such as cinnamon rolls, cinnamon bread, raw dough, cinnamon cereal, cinnamon sugar, and cinnamon applesauce, which carry added sugar, fat, and sometimes nutmeg, raisins, or xylitol.
- Preparation
- Plain, unsweetened ground cinnamon only, mixed into or baked into food so it cannot be inhaled as loose powder. Keep the total well under one teaspoon, and lower for small breeds, which are more sensitive. No essential oil, no sticks to chew, no sweetened human baked goods. Keep all treats to roughly 10 percent of daily calories, and ask your vet before using cinnamon as a supplement, since there is no established dose for dogs.
- Do not offer
- Cinnamon essential oil (the highest-risk form, dangerous in a small drop and also by skin contact or diffusing); whole cinnamon sticks a dog can chew; loose powder that can be inhaled; and human cinnamon foods such as cinnamon rolls, cinnamon bread, raw dough, cinnamon cereal, cinnamon sugar, and cinnamon applesauce, which carry added sugar, fat, and sometimes nutmeg, raisins, or xylitol.
- Deliberate feeding
- Only once the form and amount are clear
- Hazard level
- 2 of 4
If your dog has already eaten cinnamon
A lick of ground cinnamon or a bite of a cinnamon cookie is usually fine: offer water and watch for drooling, mouth pawing, vomiting or diarrhea over the next day. Call your veterinarian, or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435, if your dog ate more than about a teaspoon of powder, chewed a cinnamon stick, inhaled powder and is coughing or struggling to breathe, or was exposed to any cinnamon essential oil, which warrants immediate care. Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian tells you to. If the cinnamon came in a baked good, check the label for xylitol, raisins or nutmeg and report those.
Sources: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, ASPCA, American Kennel Club, PetMD. Evidence grade B. Last verified 2026-09-07. Dataset 2026.09.
Which form of cinnamon the sources actually cleared
A pinch of plain ground cinnamon baked into a dog-appropriate treat, or commercial dog treats that already list cinnamon as an ingredient. Small amounts only, well under one teaspoon, and only occasionally.
Preparing cinnamon for a dog
Plain, unsweetened ground cinnamon only, mixed into or baked into food so it cannot be inhaled as loose powder. Keep the total well under one teaspoon, and lower for small breeds, which are more sensitive. No essential oil, no sticks to chew, no sweetened human baked goods. Keep all treats to roughly 10 percent of daily calories, and ask your vet before using cinnamon as a supplement, since there is no established dose for dogs.
What actually goes wrong
- Mouth and skin irritation, throat and stomach irritation, vomiting and diarrhea; coughing, choking and breathing trouble if powder is inhaled. Large overdoses are linked to changes in heart rate, hyperactivity, low blood sugar and liver disease. Cinnamon essential oil is the severe case and is treated as a toxic exposure. Sources broadly agree cinnamon itself is non-toxic, but AKC and PetMD are stricter than the ASPCA plant listing, calling it not a recommended regular treat and advising against human cinnamon foods, so the more cautious CAUTION verdict is used rather than SAFE_MODERATION.
Mouth and skin irritation, throat and stomach irritation, vomiting and diarrhea; coughing, choking and breathing trouble if powder is inhaled. Large overdoses are linked to changes in heart rate, hyperactivity, low blood sugar and liver disease. Cinnamon essential oil is the severe case and is treated as a toxic exposure. Sources broadly agree cinnamon itself is non-toxic, but AKC and PetMD are stricter than the ASPCA plant listing, calling it not a recommended regular treat and advising against human cinnamon foods, so the more cautious CAUTION verdict is used rather than SAFE_MODERATION.
How much counts as too much
All treats combined should generally stay within 10% of daily calories for a healthy adult dog in ideal body condition; individual needs vary.
The table below is the WSAVA reference allowance, printed as published. It is not a portion of cinnamon: it is the total treat-calorie ceiling that everything given outside meals has to fit inside. Average healthy adult dog in ideal body condition. A veterinary team should set the individual dog's daily energy requirement.
| Body weight (kg) | Body weight (lb) | Max treat kcal/day |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4.4 | 14 |
| 4 | 8.8 | 24 |
| 6 | 13.2 | 32 |
| 8 | 17.6 | 40 |
| 10 | 22 | 47 |
| 15 | 33.1 | 64 |
| 20 | 44.1 | 79 |
| 25 | 55.1 | 94 |
| 30 | 66.1 | 108 |
| 35 | 77.2 | 121 |
| 40 | 88.2 | 134 |
| 45 | 99.2 | 146 |
Source: WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, Feeding Treats to Your Dog. Retrieved 2026-09-07. Working out how many calories your dog needs in total is a separate question — the dog food calculator handles that side.
What these sources do not settle
All 4 URLs load, are the pages they claim to be, and all 4 quotes appear verbatim. Attempted refutation failed. PER-SOURCE VERIFICATION: 1. ASPCA plant page (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) — LOADS. Page reads "Non-Toxicity: Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses". Claimed quote is an exact substring (only the "Non-Toxicity:" label is dropped). Dog-specific. CONFIRMED. 2. ASPCA "When Pumpkin Spice is Not So Nice" — LOADS. Quote appears verbatim, word for word. Caveat: it says "pets",
Sources and review
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) (grade B, retrieved 2026-09-07)
- ASPCA — ASPCA — When Pumpkin Spice is Not So Nice (grade B, retrieved 2026-09-07)
- American Kennel Club — American Kennel Club — Can Dogs Eat Cinnamon? (grade B, retrieved 2026-09-07)
- PetMD — PetMD — Can Dogs Have Cinnamon? (grade B, retrieved 2026-09-07)
Verdict last verified 2026-09-07. How this site handles sourcing and corrections is set out in the editorial policy, and every reference the site relies on is listed on the sources page.
This page is reference material, not veterinary advice. A dog with a medical condition, a prescription diet or a suspected ingestion needs a veterinarian or a poison control centre, not a web page.
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