Can Dogs Eat Cherries, Peaches And Plums? The Pit Problem

Yes, dogs can eat a little cherry, peach or plum flesh, but never the pits. The pits, stems and leaves contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when chewed, and a whole peach or plum pit is big enough to get stuck in a dog’s intestine. Cherries are fine once pitted, but they are so small and fiddly that they are rarely worth the trouble.

If Your Dog Has Just Eaten A Peach, Plum Or Cherry Pit

Call your vet now, or one of the US animal poison lines (both charge a consultation fee):

• ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435
• Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661

Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to. A peach or plum pit has rough, pointed ends and can lodge in the esophagus on the way back up. Have ready the type of fruit, how many pits, whether they were whole or chewed, and your dog’s weight.

A single whole cherry pit swallowed by a large dog often passes without trouble, and the vet may just ask you to watch. Several pits, chewed pits, or any peach or plum pit in a small or medium dog is a more serious conversation. Watch over the next few days for:

• Repeated vomiting, or retching with nothing coming up
• Refusing food, belly pain or a hunched posture
• Straining with little or no stool
• Unusual tiredness
• Signs of cyanide poisoning, which come on fast: bright red gums, dilated pupils, panting or trouble breathing, weakness or collapse. Go to an emergency vet immediately.

Cherries, Peaches And Plums, Ranked

Why Are Cherry, Peach And Plum Pits Dangerous?

Cherries, peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines all belong to the Prunus genus. Their pits, stems and leaves contain amygdalin, a compound that breaks down into cyanide when the pit is crushed or chewed. Merck and the ASPCA list the cherry plant’s stems, leaves and seeds as toxic to dogs. Wilted leaves, such as those on a branch that came down in a storm, are considered especially risky.

A pit swallowed whole usually passes through without releasing much, so for most dogs the blockage is the bigger practical risk. Peach pits are hard, ridged and about the size of a walnut, and plum pits are a little smaller, both big enough to wedge in a small or medium dog’s intestine. It is the same problem as an avocado pit.

The flesh is not the problem. Claims that a single cherry will poison a dog are a myth. Apple seeds contain the same compound, but one tiny seed holds far less in total than a whole stone, which is why a stray apple seed is not a worry but a chewed peach pit is.

Can Dogs Eat Cherries?

Pitted, stemmed sweet or sour cherries are safe in small numbers. Each one is only about 5 calories. The catch is that every pit and stem has to come out first, and one missed pit defeats the purpose. Most owners find it easier to give peach or plum slices, or a fruit with no pit at all.

This time of year, cherries also show up in the Halloween candy bowl as chocolate covered cherries. Those are a chocolate problem first, so treat a stolen box as a chocolate exposure.

Can Dogs Eat Peaches And Plums?

Yes, the flesh is fine. Wash the fruit, cut it off the pit, and offer a few slices. A medium peach is about 60 calories and a medium plum about 30, mostly natural sugar plus some fiber. The skin is fine to leave on.

If you have fruit trees, check under them through late summer and fall. Windfall plums and peaches rot and ferment on the ground, and a dog grazing there gets the pits along with the mush. Too much ripe fruit can also cause loose stools. Our guide to easing an upset stomach covers the mild cases.

How Much Peach Or Plum

Treats, fruit included, should stay under 10% of your dog’s daily calories. A slice is one eighth of a medium peach, or a quarter of a plum, and is about 7 to 8 calories. These amounts fit well inside that limit:

For pitted cherries, think 2 or 3 for a small dog and up to 8 or 10 for a large one. Start smaller the first time.

Which Dogs Should Skip It Or Go Easy

• Small dogs and puppies should only ever get pitted flesh, since any pit is a bigger obstruction risk for them
• Dogs with diabetes, since most of the fruit’s calories come from sugar
• Dogs with sensitive stomachs, pancreatitis or a history of colitis
• Dogs on a prescription diet, unless your vet says otherwise
• Gulpers and scavengers, who will learn that fruit is food and go looking for it under trees and in the trash

Cherries, Peaches And Plums In Dog Food

These fruits do turn up in commercial food, processed without pits, so the pit risk does not apply. Of the 3,181 published US dog foods in our catalog, 32 list them, mostly from Health Extension (17), NutriSource (6), Nulo (4) and Northwest Naturals (3), plus one from Wysong. They usually sit low on the ingredient list, which suggests a small amount, likely added for flavor rather than nutrition. See our ingredient pages for cherries and plums for which foods use them.

For any other food you are unsure about, check the food checker before you share.