Is Thyme Toxic to Dogs and Cats? (2026)

No treatment is needed for fresh or dried thyme in ordinary amounts. Keep pets away from concentrated thyme essential oil products, which carry their own separate risk.

Thyme is not known to contain toxic compounds harmful to dogs, cats, or horses.

Thyme is confirmed non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA, and is safe in the ordinary culinary amounts typically found in a kitchen garden. It's a low, woody-stemmed herb that's often planted as a groundcover between garden stones, so outdoor pets may walk through and brush against it regularly without issue. As with other culinary herbs, concentrated thyme essential oil is a separate, more potent product than the fresh plant.

Scientific name

Thymus vulgaris

Family

Lamiaceae

Also known as

Thyme

Typically found

both