Cherry season has just kicked off, and soon the delicious fruit will be popping up on tables as summer and festive entertaining gets underway.
Of course that means you’ll probably be wondering whether your dog, who’s likely hanging around the dining table can have some.
Well, it’s a case of kinda, sort of and also not really.
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There is only one part of a fresh, unprocessed cherry that is safe for a dog to eat and that’s the flesh.
The rest of the cherry – the pit, stem and leaves – are toxic to dogs as they contain cyanide.
“Though cherries contain cyanide, the quantity is very small and should not be problematic if a pet eats a few. The majority of the toxin resides in the pit, leaves and stems,” vet Dr. Bernadine Cruz told The Dodo.
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“When a leaf is chewed upon by the dog, cyanogenic glycoside immediately combines with an enzyme to activate it, causing the poisonous agent to form.
“Once ingested, cells are not able to use oxygen to convert food to energy, thus causing a form of asphyxiation.”
Cherry pits can also crack a tooth or get stuck in a dog’s throat or intestine.
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So if you still really want to feed your dog cherries, you’d need to cut small pieces of the flesh for them.
But even then, you should only feed them a small amount because too much fruit can upset the digestive system of dogs and lead to symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.
Maraschino cherries also aren’t recommended for dogs because of the high sugar content.
Always speak to your vet first if you have any questions regarding foods dogs can and can’t eat.
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