Can Dogs Eat Blueberries? Yes — Here's How Many Is Safe

Why blueberries are a safe fruit for dogs

Blueberries contain nothing known to be toxic to dogs. The AKC describes them as low in calories and a source of fiber, vitamin C and antioxidant plant compounds, and the ASPCA lists blueberries among the fruits that are fine to share with a pet. Unlike cherries or peaches, there is no pit to worry about and no skin to peel.

That does not make them a medicine or a substitute for a complete dog food. They are a snack, and like any snack they add sugar and calories to the day. The reason to offer them is simply that most dogs enjoy a cold, juicy treat that is lighter than most packaged chews.

How to prepare and serve blueberries

Rinse the berries under cold water and pick out any that are soft, wrinkled or showing fuzzy spoilage. Fresh and frozen both work. Frozen berries take longer to eat, which makes them a good choice on a hot afternoon, and many dogs like the crunch.

For a dog under 20 lb, cut each berry in half, because a whole frozen blueberry is close to the width of a small dog's windpipe. Larger dogs can usually have them whole. Scatter a few in a snuffle mat or hand them out one at a time as training rewards rather than pouring a pile into the bowl.

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.

How many blueberries by dog weight

Treats of any kind should stay around 10 percent of your dog's daily calories, which is the rule of thumb the AKC uses. In practice, a dog under 20 lb is well served by two or three berries, a dog of 20 to 50 lb by about eight to ten, and a dog over 50 lb by a small handful of around fifteen.

Treat those as daily ceilings, not targets, and you do not need to give them every day. Offer fewer the first time and check your dog's stool the next morning. If your dog has already had other treats that day, trim the blueberries so the total stays modest.

Can puppies eat blueberries?

Puppies can have blueberries once they are eating solid food, introduced slowly. A young stomach reacts to new foods more readily than an adult's, so begin with one or two halved berries and wait a day before offering more. Cut them small, because puppies tend to gulp rather than chew.

Keep the amount modest while your puppy is growing quickly. Most of a puppy's calories need to come from a complete food formulated for growth, and fruit should never crowd that out. If your puppy is on a sensitive-stomach diet from your vet, ask before adding anything new to it.

Blueberry foods that are not safe

The fruit is fine; much of what it comes in is not. Muffins, pancakes and pie bring butter, sugar and refined flour, and some sugar-free baked goods and light yogurts are sweetened with xylitol, which can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar in dogs. Dried blueberries are concentrated sugar, and berry trail mixes often hide raisins, which are toxic to dogs.

If your dog eats something made with xylitol or raisins, call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 right away; a consultation fee may apply. Plain blueberries, fresh or frozen, are the only version worth sharing.

Signs blueberries disagreed with your dog

Too many blueberries usually show up as loose stool, extra gas or a single bout of vomiting within a few hours. A blue or purple tint to the stool the next day is the berries themselves and is not a worry on its own. Most mild upsets settle within 24 hours once the berries stop.

Call your vet the same day if vomiting repeats, you see blood in the stool or your dog refuses food. A small dog that coughs, gags or paws at its mouth after eating whole berries may have one stuck, and labored breathing or choking needs an emergency clinic straight away.

Other fruits to offer instead

If your dog loves blueberries, the ASPCA also lists strawberries, banana, apple with the core and seeds removed, cantaloupe and cucumber as safe to share in bite-size pieces. Rotating through a few keeps treat time interesting without leaning on any one source of sugar.

Never swap in grapes or raisins, which can cause kidney failure, or cherries with their pits. For an even lighter reward, plain green beans or carrot sticks work well.

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