What Can Dogs Eat: The Ultimate List
Can dogs eat cherries, plums, or peaches?
The flesh is fine in small amounts, but the PIT is not: it contains cyanogenic glycosides and can cause choking or intestinal blockage. Apple seeds behave similarly.
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Can dogs eat cherries, plums, or peaches?
The flesh of the fruit is generally fine in small amounts, but the pit is not. This article is important because the problem lies not with the fruit, but with the pit, and most pet owners give both together.
Why is the pit dangerous?
🚨 The pits of stone fruits (cherries, sour cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, and apple seeds) contain cyanogenic glycosides (amygdalin). If the pit is cracked or chewed, it breaks down into cyanide compounds, which block the cells' oxygen utilization.
⚠️ Important context: a single swallowed, whole, intact pit rarely causes cyanide poisoning because the intact pit shell prevents the active substance from being released. The real, common danger is mechanical: the pit can cause choking, and in small dogs, intestinal blockage. Cyanide poisoning becomes a real risk if the dog chews multiple pits (e.g., if it finds a basket of plums or fallen fruit in the yard).
Symptoms of cyanide poisoning (rare, but urgent)
- Difficulty breathing, gasping
- Bright red gums, followed by paleness
- Dilated pupils
- Shock, collapse, seizures
Symptoms of choking/blockage (more common)
- Gagging, futile attempts to vomit
- Loss of appetite, repeated vomiting
- Painful abdomen, failure to defecate
If your dog ate a pit
For a single pit, call the veterinarian and monitor your dog. For multiple chewed pits or any respiratory symptoms, see a veterinarian immediately. Tell them what fruit, how many pits, and whether they were whole or chewed.
How to safely feed?
| Fruit | Rule |
|---|---|
| Cherries, sour cherries | Pitted, a few pieces, rarely |
| Plums | Pitted, a little (high sugar, can cause diarrhea) |
| Peaches, apricots | Pitted, without skin, in small cubes |
| Apples | Pitted, this is the safest of those listed |
Always pit. And in the garden, fallen fruit poses a double danger: pit + fermentation (alcohol).
This is informational content and does not replace veterinary advice. If in doubt, call your veterinarian immediately.
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References
- 1.ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List. ASPCA, 2024. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants (accessed: 2026-09-10)
- 2.American Veterinary Medical Association — Household hazards: foods and substances that are toxic to pets. AVMA, 2024. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/household-hazards (accessed: 2026-09-10)
This is general information and does not replace a veterinary diagnosis.
This guide was compiled based on the expert input of Reka Fazekas-Birizdo canine nutritionist.
Certified Canine Nutritionist