Want to Share a Peach With Your Dog? Read This First!

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Peaches are popular and it’s likely your dog has salivated over this delicious fruit at one time or another.

You’ll be happy to hear that canines can be included! With a bit of knowledge, sharing a peach is perfectly fine.

Only feed your dog the juicy flesh part.

Can I Give My Dog Peaches?It’s the pit that is, no pun intended, this fruit’s big pitfall when it comes to your pet pooch.

Your Dog Can Eat Peachs (no pits)

The main concern is the seed inside.

And, of course, peaches should only be fed in moderation.

Mild diarrhea, or looser stools, can be expected if your dog eats too many. The same applies to nectarines.

Now on to the pertinent subject of peach pits…

The Truth About Cyanide

Cyanide quite literally has a killer reputation and rightfully so.

But thankfully we’re talking about pits that contain low levels. It’s similar to how bananas have trace amounts of radiation.

Amygdalin, the dangerous chemical compound in peaches, is concerning only if several are consumed in a short period of time.

Cyanide is not a factor assuming this fruit is limited to small amounts and fed relatively infrequency.

In any case, play it safe by going easy and always removing peach pits!

Just Don’t Get Carried Away

While a single pit is unlikely to harm your dog, cumulative adverse effects from cyanide aren’t impossible.

Remember, animal organs are smaller than those of a typical person.

If you do feed an occasional peach, it should be seedless — this goes for most other fruits with pits such as pears, plums and apricots.

But the fact is the pit of a peach, AKA the stone, presents a choking hazard more than anything.

Watch For Telltale Symptoms

Early signs of trouble include dilated pupils, excessive salivation and dizziness.

These symptoms point to cyanide poisoning.

Immediately go to your vet, upon observing any of these signs, especially if you know that your dog ate numerous peach pits. Such a situation could lead to seizures, shock and even a coma.

Again, while it is unlikely, peach poisoning is possible.

Peaches Do Have Their Benefits

Here’s the good news:

Peaches and nectarines are super nutritious. The fiber and vitamin A are great for dogs too.

This fruit may even help with bowel movements and, in theory, assist with fighting infections or even cancer.

Nevertheless, moderation!

Furry Friends And Fruit Supervision

As we’ve already touched on, many fruits contain pits or seeds that can be hazardous. In particular, they can cause a digestive tract obstruction.

It’s not uncommon for peaches, or nectarines, to be sitting out on the kitchen counter-top.

Prevent unnecessary food poisoning, or choking, by simply keeping your fruit supply out of your dog’s reach.

Peach Products With Preservatives

Pitless canned peaches are not recommended.

Canned fruit usually contains a heavy syrup with too much sugar and other preservatives.

Feeding such products can be harmful to your dog over the long term.

The Bottom Line

Prepared peaches, as well as nectarines, are a suitable treat for dogs.

Just remember to remove the pit and ration your pet’s portions. Cyanide is a very remote concern; a choking scenario is actually our top worry.

Your dog can partake in peaches if you just take straightforward precautions.

What Do You Think? Have Your Say Below…

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14 thoughts on “Want to Share a Peach With Your Dog? Read This First!”

  1. Will a peach stone pass through or remain in my dog’s stomach? Should I stop all food until it appears?

    1. I would look into having it removed by a professional as soon as possible.

  2. Giving my dog a peach gave me a total panic attack so I looked on this website. It gave me all the information I needed. This website is amazing!

  3. I just wanted to know if the peach was okay, not the pit. This article talked more about peach pit hazards than about the actual flesh of the peach.

  4. Katherine says:

    My husband and I process fresh fruit and just make a sugar and water base syrup, and of course, with no pits. Are these peaches permissible to give our canine friend?

    1. Fresh peaches offer many nutritional benefits for dogs but any sugary syrup does not. Too much sugar can lead to obesity, dental issues and diabetes in dogs. This is especially true considering most pet parents don’t brush their dogs’ teeth, ever. Syrup is just a bad idea.

  5. I think that if I give my Pit bull 5 to 7 slices of canned peaches once a year it will not kill her. I have been berated by my rescue leader for giving my dogs grapes but I have never had a negative reaction. We have just been lucky I guess. But, I have also never seen a bad reaction to using garlic as treatment for worms either.

    1. As a vet I have seen anemia from garlic, renal failure from grapes and raisins. Also, as of tonight, I’ve seen cyanide toxicity from cherries. If you know they are toxic to animals, why would you risk finding out the hard way? Most intoxications are accidental or the result of ignorance. To know grapes and garlic are harmful but feed them anyway is asking for trouble!

    2. Grapes and garlic are notorious for causing harm to dogs. Just because a pet parent has never personally seen a bad reaction doesn’t mean the foods aren’t harmful. My dog once ate a bar of baking chocolate with no ill effects, but that doesn’t mean I continued to give her chocolate.

      When dealing with pets’ health, it’s always better to err on the side of caution rather than face the potentially life-threatening side effects.

    3. Like others have said, if something like grapes and garlic are known to be poisonous, why would you give them to an animal? I don’t recall at the moment how these things harm dogs. But I do know that with people some organ damage is not visible till there’s no treatment possible.

  6. What about canned peaches in 100% juice? Listed on the packaging are peaches, peach juice, pear juice, natural flavors and Ascorbic acid. While dogs can make some Vitamin C on their own, research that I’ve done doesn’t appear to indicate that Ascorbic acid would be harmful.

    Obviously moderation is key, you wouldn’t want to feed a whole can to them. But since it’s just peaches packed in nothing but 100% fruit juice and Vitamin C, I don’t think a little bit would be any worse that fresh peaches. Especially when compared to fruit canned in heavy syrup.

    1. The peach and pair “juice” are the issues with canned peaches. Even though it may be 100% fruit juice, the sugar content is still higher than in fresh peaches.

      A single serving of the Delmonte peaches contains 21g (14g if drained) of sugar, yet only 1g of fiber due to removal of the nutritious skin. Although the canned and fresh peaches may seem nutritionally similar, non-preserved foods are always healthier.

      1. I agree, but again, moderation is key. If I am eating some peaches and give my 40 pound dog a little slice of my peaches, it’s not the end of the world. But if I had a little 5 pound dog, I wouldn’t give them a whole can.

        I’m sure there’s far more sugar in kinds packed in syrup, even the drained ones, than in regular juice. Regardless, anything in significant quantity can be harmful in one way or another. Moderation cannot be stressed enough.

  7. Commercially produced dog treats are fortified with synthetic vitamins which are not as effective as natural vitamins. Some are filled with unhealthy ingredients.

    Treats from China have been known to cause harm to dogs. It’s safer to give dogs treats from veggies like sliced carrots or baby carrots or fruits such as bananas, papayas, etc.

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