Can Dogs Eat Apricots?

Yes, dogs can eat apricots! Apricots are safe for dogs, and they’re a healthy fruit that’s easy on the stomach and full of vitamins. They also taste super sweet, so dogs really love them! The most important thing to remember with apricots is to remove the pit, as dogs can choke on it and hurt their teeth.

Along with apricots, dogs can also eat peaches and nectarines! These fruits are juicy, sweet, and a great choice for your dog’s fruit bowl. But just like apricots, they have a hard pit that you need to remove. And never, ever give your dog a whole apricot to munch on or play with. You need to remove the pit and even cut the apricot into smaller pieces, especially if you have a small dog.

Are apricots safe for dogs?

Apricots are very safe for dogs to eat, but like with every fruit, you need to limit the amount.

Apricots are rich in fiber, and fiber is important for digestion, but too much can really upset your dog’s stomach.

The best rule to follow is the 90-10 rule, where extra snacks, including fruit, shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your dog’s diet. The rest should be their dog food, where they’ll get all the nutrients they need to thrive.

Apricots are healthy, but they are mostly fiber and sugar, which makes them a poor choice when you look at your dog’s nutritional requirements (dogs need protein, fat, and carbs).

So, apricots and other dog-friendly fruits should be a tasty bonus, not the main part of their diet!

The most dangerous part of an apricot is the pit

Apricot pits can be very dangerous for dogs, but contrary to popular belief, it’s not because of cyanide poisoning!

I wrote about how rare and uncommon cyanide poisoning from fruit pits is, as this used to worry me quite a lot.

You can read all about this in my article “Can Dogs Eat Cherries?” since cherry pits are the ones dogs swallow the most (and people do, too). The truth is that some fruit pits, like apricots, have a natural toxin called amygdalin.

When dogs eat an apricot kernel, that toxin reacts with enzymes in the stomach and releases a toxic substance—cyanide.

But here’s the thing: not all amygdalin gets turned into cyanide. And the amount of apricot kernels your dog would have to eat is quite high! For them to actually ingest enough cyanide, they’d have to chew and crush multiple pits—dozens, really—to reach a harmful level. They would also have to crush the pit (which is super hard) and swallow the kernel. It’s highly unlikely that your dog will ever do this, but it’s good to know these things!

Another problem with apricot pits is that they can break your dog’s teeth or injure their gums. If they somehow swallow a whole pit, it can cause an intestinal blockage and other serious issues. 

Plus, if your dog manages to pass it, the pit can make pooping painful and difficult.

Can dogs eat dried apricots?

Dried apricots are not toxic to dogs like raisins are, but they’re not a particularly healthy treat. If your dog eats some dried apricots by accident, don’t worry, nothing bad will happen.

If they eat a lot of dried apricots, they may experience temporary diarrhea, but things will get back to normal, and there’s no reason to panic.

Dried apricots are sweeter and more concentrated than fresh ones. Fresh apricots contain a lot of water and fiber, which help slow down the absorption of sugar. With dried fruit, that’s not the case, so it’s best to skip these and choose other dog treats instead.

Love, life, and fur forever!

FAQs

Can dogs eat canned apricots?

Technically, dogs can eat canned apricots, but the problem is that most canned fruit comes with added sugar. Some apricots are even canned in sugar syrup, which makes them really bad for dogs. If you’re using canned apricots that are preserved in water or their own juice, they are fine for dogs. However, I wouldn’t consider them a dog-friendly fruit, as fresh is always the best option.