Can Dogs Eat Plums?

Yes and no to this question. The answer is yes since the fruit outside can be eaten but its inside has a toxic pit that makes the answer a no.

The plum flesh will be juicy and full of natural sugars. Your dog could become sick from this amount of sugar.

Additionally it contains a lot of Vitamin C which is a great mineral for your dog. The bulk of plums is water as well. You can give your dog this treat on a hot summer day.

You should watch out for the sharp toxic pits since they can be very dangerous to your dog.

The pit would begin to release cyanide if your dog crushed it with its teeth. This chemical is extremely toxic to dogs and it may even cause death.

As your dog consumes the pit again he may consume a toxic substance as well as a sharp object which can damage his intestines or esophagus as it goes down.

As long as you remove the pit from the fruit before you give it to your dog you can give him a slice or two. The amount of sugar in it however can make your dog sick so you should not feed him too much.

What to Do If Your Dog Ate a Plum

To begin observe how much of the plum has been eaten. If the plum isnot cracked and no part of the pit has been eaten then your dog may be fine. It is still recommended that you contact your veterinarian just to be on the safe side.

When you see part of the pit has been eaten or the pit has been destroyed you know you have a real emergency.

Get in touch with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Hopefully the vet will tell you what to do. There are some symptoms of toxicity in the pit that you should watch out for.

Symptoms of Toxicity to Look For

The pit of the plum stops the flow of oxygen to the cells when your dog ingests it. It causes your dogs cells to have oxygen inside them but they do not know how to release it resulting in respiratory collapse which could lead to death if your dog is not treated.

There are some other symptoms that are more common in the first signs of plum toxicity such as:

Breathing Difficulty
Tremors
Seizures
The Pupils are Dilated
Foaming of the Mouth
Confusion or Dizziness
Collapse
In the Worse Cases Death

What Does a Vet do to Treat Plum Poisoning?

Our world is blessed with veterinarians who can help us when we do not know what to do with our dogs.

We will give our dog something to make it sick first if you have gone to the vet or have been told to come in about this issue. This could cause your dog to throw up if the plum seed is swallowed and not chewed.

Another thing that a veterinarian might do is give an IV that contains sodium nitrate. In combination with the cyanide from the pit it will counteract the damage before the kidneys are damaged.

For closer observation your dog may even need to stay overnight at the vets office. Although this is usually a last resort its better to be safe rather than sorry.

Can Plums Kill Dogs?

There is only one thing worse than death and that is death itself. In the event that your dog consumes cyanide or cracks open the pit it can result in cyanide poisoning which can be fatal.

You can take your dog to the veterinarian safely if you notice that your dog is eating a plum or if you notice any of the above symptoms in your dog. The veterinarian should be able to help your dog.

A blockage of the intestinal tract could cause serious complications for your dog even if the pit was not cracked open.

How Many Plums Can Dogs Eat?

You can still feed your dog the flesh of the plum even though its pit is toxic. A plums fleshy part contains a lot of natural sugar so eating too much can be harmful.

One or two slices of plum should be given to your dog. It will be more than enough since your dog will get sugar from other sources without plums.

Donot forget that moderation is the key and too much of anything is harmful even to dogs.

Conclusion

As long as you properly prepare the plum you can give your dog the fleshy part of the plum. You should only give your dog a small portion because it contains a lot of sugar. Dogs should never eat the pit because it contains harmful toxins.

Now that you know the answer to can dogs eat plums you can understand how dangerous the pit inside can be. Keeping your dog safe is your responsibility so make sure you are doing everything you can. Does your dog like plums? If so let us know in the comments section.

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.