Every plant-based food contains toxins at some level. Below the harmful threshold, these are just things to keep your dog’s liver busy. No effect, no harm. Our livers don’t get enough credit for the work they do.
They’ve got to know that when I eat an apple I share the joy. Of course, this means I have to then eat a second so it’s all fair and square.
Every time I bite into a crunchy apple, I hear the pitter-patter of eight tiny feet. That’s not some 8-legged apple monster, just my two hungry dogs.
Apple seeds contain hydrogen cyanide. Yes, cyanide is toxic. But it’s not as simple as that.
However, when I mention the health benefits of fruit to clients, they always say, “I heard apple cores are toxic”.
So here are the facts. The very bitter seeds of an apple do contain a compound called Amygdalin which when chewed or digested can convert into hydrogen cyanide. Cue hysteria. Yes, the very same cyanide seen in James Bond movies. But before we all bite down on our own cyanide capsules out of panic, the important thing to look at is the amount of cyanide in apple seeds. It’s incredibly small. In fact, even if dogs do swallow an apple core where the seeds reside AND they’ve chewed the seeds to release the problem chemical then it’s still not enough cyanide to cause a problem.
In fact, a 10 kg dog (Cavoodle size) would need to eat around 1000 seeds to be poisoned. And with a standard apple containing about 10 seeds, that’s around 100 apples. For a Labrador, that increases to around 300 apples in order to have problems. That’s a lot of fruit and obviously gut aches of extraordinary proportions would kick in before that time. So while apple seeds have the scientific potential to cause a toxicity, the reality is the risk is extraordinarily small. In case you’re wondering, the same goes for us. Yes, when it comes to this piece of fruit and Fido, she’ll be apples.
I get a lot of questions about this one. After all, apple seeds do contain potentially lethal cyanide. As a result, a quick internet search could leave you sleepless.
So here are the surprising facts on how toxic those apple cores (and seeds) really are…
Are Apples Bad for a Dog’s Teeth?
Some people might ask if the sugars found in apples rot their dogs teeth, but this is unlikely.
The water content in an apple will help wash away the sugar from inside the mouth, making apples relatively safe for teeth. The apple skins are a bonus, as they act like a toothbrush.
Can Dogs Eat Apples? Can Puppies Eat Apples? Are Apple Seeds Ok Too?
Can an apple a day keep the veterinarian away? Maybe not, but apples can be a nutritious snack for dogs and puppies.
Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Granny Smith—all varieties of apples that you’d commonly find at your neighborhood grocery store—are safe for dogs to eat.
However, there are a few things to watch out for when feeding apples to your dog. Here are the benefits and risks.
Yes, apples are good for dogs in moderation, but not as a full meal. You can feed your dog fresh apple slices, including the skin. Do not feed your dog apple cores, as they can become a choking hazard.
Apples provide an excellent source of vitamin C, which is necessary for proper immune function. They’re also loaded with carbohydrates, the ultimate energy source, and are high in fiber, which plays a role in digestion and blood sugar regulation.
It’s true that apple seeds contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs and people alike. However, your dog would have to eat an awful lot of apple seeds to cause cyanide poisoning.
A medium-sized dog would need to chew up and swallow about 85 grams of seeds, or the seeds from about 200 apples. For a small dog, it would take about 100 apples, and for a large dog, about 300.
For reference, cyanide is a chemical that can cause hypoxia, lack of oxygen delivery to the body. Some symptoms of cyanide poisoning include: