Can Dogs Eat Apricots? The Flesh, Yes — Never the Pit

Why the flesh is fine but the pit is not

Apricots belong to the Prunus family, with peaches, plums and cherries. The ASPCA's plant entry lists apricot as toxic to dogs and explains that the stems, leaves and seeds contain cyanide-producing compounds. The soft, ripe flesh is not named as the problem.

The AKC treats the related peach the same way: fine fresh or frozen, flesh only, because the pit contains cyanide. Apricot flesh offers fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C, and its natural sugar means it is a treat rather than a regular food.

The pit: cyanide and blockage

An apricot pit is a hard stone about an inch long, the right size to lodge in a dog's throat or intestines. Swallowed whole, it is first a choking and obstruction risk. Chewed or cracked, it can release the cyanide compounds in the kernel.

The ASPCA lists brick-red gums, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting and shock among signs of cyanide poisoning from these plants. Wilting leaves are particularly toxic, so fallen leaves and pits under a backyard apricot tree are a real hazard.

My dog ate an apricot pit: what to do

Check that your dog is breathing normally and is not choking. Then call your vet or a poison line, even if your dog seems fine, and say whether the pit was swallowed whole or chewed, and roughly how big your dog is.

Do not try to make your dog vomit at home, since a hard pit can get stuck on the way back up. Your vet may recommend an X-ray, monitoring for signs of blockage, or treatment depending on what was eaten.

How to serve apricots, and how much

Wash a ripe apricot, cut it in half and remove the pit and stem. Slice the flesh into small pieces sized for your dog: a blueberry-sized dice for a 10 lb dog, bite-sized pieces for larger dogs. Throw the pit straight into a lidded trash can.

Keep portions small: under 20 lb, one or two small slices; 20 to 50 lb, about half an apricot; over 50 lb, up to one apricot, a couple of times a week. Avoid dried apricots, which are much higher in sugar, and canned apricots in syrup.

Spreading a few safe pieces across a snuffle mat or packing them into a puzzle toy turns a small treat into a few minutes of sniffing work.

Puppies and apricots

Puppies can try a small piece of pitted, ripe apricot once they are on solid food, but cut it smaller than for an adult and start with a single piece. New fruit is a common cause of loose stools in young dogs.

Puppies are the most likely to find and swallow fallen pits, and their size makes blockage and poisoning more serious. Keep a puppy away from fruit trees in season and pick up fallen fruit and pits daily.

Signs to watch for and when to call a vet

Too much apricot flesh may cause loose stools, gas or vomiting within a few hours, which usually settles within a day. Signs of a blockage, which can take a day or two to appear, include vomiting, retching, a painful belly, straining and refusing food.

Go to a vet straight away for difficulty breathing, panting, bright red gums, dilated pupils, weakness or collapse after eating pits, leaves or stems. Get your dog seen the same day for any signs of blockage.

Safer fruit treats

The AKC lists apples without seeds or core, blueberries, bananas, watermelon without rind and seeds, and pears without pits or seeds among safe fruits. All are easy to prepare without leaving a hard stone behind.

If you grow stone fruit at home, fence off the area under the tree or supervise your dog in the yard during the season. A frozen blueberry or banana slice makes a good substitute treat.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.