Not recommended — dogs and feta
Not recommended. Feta is a brined cheese — sodium content ranges from 900mg to 1,400mg per 100g depending on the variety and how long it's been stored in brine. That's four to seven times the daily sodium limit for a medium dog. A small crumble on the kitchen floor isn't an emergency, but feta is not sharing cheese. The marinated feta in olive oil and garlic sold at Australian supermarket deli counters adds an additional garlic concern.
🏆 Pet Care Community Safety Score™ — Feta for Dogs
"Feta comes up in the summer salad season — someone's making a Greek salad, a crumble goes on the floor, and the dog has it before you can react. One crumble of plain feta off the kitchen floor is not what I'm worried about. The concern is the serving bowl of marinated feta that was left out at a gathering and the dog ate half of it while the party was in the backyard. That's a 100–150g of feta with the garlic from the marinade — that's a sodium AND an Allium exposure that warrants a vet call. I've also seen owners deliberately offer feta as a cheese treat because it's 'what we have' — treating it the same as a small piece of cheddar. They're not the same thing at all. Cheddar has around 600mg sodium per 100g. Feta has up to 1,400mg."
Feta is not "just cheese"
When people think about cheese as a dog treat, they're usually thinking about a small piece of cheddar used as a training reward, or a bit of mozzarella that fell off the pizza. Those are moderate-sodium dairy products. Feta is something else.
Feta is a brined cheese — the cheese is submerged in a salt brine as part of both the production and preservation process. This drives the sodium content to levels that compare to cured meats rather than regular cheese. Cheddar sits at around 600mg sodium per 100g. Feta sits at 900–1,400mg per 100g, with traditional Greek PDO feta at the higher end of that range.
The difference matters because cheese portions for dogs are already small. A "small piece of feta" is still delivering a concentrated sodium hit.
The brine storage effect
Australian supermarkets sell feta in a few forms: pre-packaged blocks in brine (Dodoni, Lemnos, Western Star Greek Style), deli-counter feta in water or oil, and marinated feta in oil with herbs. The sodium content varies between these formats, and it also changes with time.
Feta stored in brine continues to absorb salt during storage. A block of feta that's been sitting in its brine in the fridge for two weeks is saltier than when it was first opened. If your feta is at the end of a block rather than freshly opened, the sodium concentration is higher.
The marinated garlic feta problem
The marinated feta sold at Australian deli counters and in the refrigerated section of Coles and Woolworths — feta cubes in olive oil with garlic, herbs, and lemon — introduces a second concern. Garlic is an Allium plant. The N-propyl disulfide in garlic causes oxidative haemolysis in dogs — destroying red blood cells and causing haemolytic anaemia.
The garlic in feta marinades is typically whole garlic cloves plus garlic-infused oil. The garlic oil doesn't lose its organosulfur compounds just from being mixed with olive oil and feta — if anything, the oil extracts and concentrates the compounds from the garlic cloves.
A dog that ate a bowl of garlic-marinated feta has a sodium exposure AND an Allium exposure. The anaemia won't be obvious immediately. It takes 3–5 days for Heinz body formation and haemolysis to become clinically apparent — pale gums, rapid breathing, weakness, and extreme lethargy.
Feta versus other cheeses for dogs
| Cheese | Sodium per 100g | Fat per 100g | Dog-appropriate? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage cheese | ~300mg | ~4g | Yes — best dairy option |
| Mozzarella (fresh) | ~375mg | ~17g | Small amounts, yes |
| Cheddar | ~600mg | ~33g | Small amounts occasionally |
| Parmesan | ~1,600mg | ~29g | No — very high sodium |
| Feta | ~900–1,400mg | ~21g | No |
| Brie | ~600mg | ~28g | Small amounts, caution (high fat) |
The lowest sodium cheese options — cottage cheese, ricotta, fresh mozzarella — are the ones appropriate for dogs as occasional treats or medication vehicles. Feta and parmesan sit at the opposite end and aren't appropriate.
What about lactose?
Feta has a moderate lactose content compared to harder aged cheeses. Hard aged cheeses (parmesan, aged cheddar) have very low lactose because the fermentation process breaks most of it down. Feta is younger and softer — it retains more lactose, roughly 1–2g per 100g.
For most dogs, this lactose level causes mild GI upset (loose stools, possibly gas) rather than dramatic illness. The sodium issue is far more significant than the lactose issue for feta specifically.
🚨 My Dog Ate Feta — What Now?
If your dog ate a large amount of feta — particularly garlic-marinated feta — call the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738. Provide fresh water. For small dogs eating more than 30–50g of feta, seek vet assessment.
Signs that warrant a vet call:
- Excessive thirst within 2–4 hours — the first sign of sodium overload. Vomiting. With garlic-marinated feta: watch for signs of Allium toxicity 3–5 days later — pale gums
- lethargy
- rapid breathing. Loose stools from the lactose content (feta has more lactose than hard aged cheeses)
If your dog ate a large amount or is showing the signs above: Don't wait — call immediately.
📞 Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738Available 24/7 across Australia. Have your dog's weight, breed and approximate quantity consumed ready when you call.
Frequently Asked Questions
One small piece from the floor: monitor for excessive thirst and call your vet if symptoms develop. A significant amount (they found the feta platter and worked through it): call the Animal Poisons Helpline. If there was marinated garlic feta involved: call regardless of the amount, because the Allium exposure timeline means symptoms won't show up immediately.
For more on dairy products and dogs, see our dog food safety hub and our guides on can dogs eat cheese and can dogs eat yoghurt.
📚 Sources & Further Reading
- Osweiler GD. Salt (Sodium Chloride) Toxicosis. Veterinary Toxicology. Iowa State University Press, 1996.
- Cope RB. Allium species poisoning in dogs and cats. Veterinary Medicine 2005.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand — Sodium in Dairy Products. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au
- Australian Veterinary Association — Dietary Hazards for Companion Animals. https://www.ava.com.au
