Food
Can dogs eat plums? Pits, prunes and fallen fruit
Igor, founder of ZoozyJars and maltipoo owner · Updated October 14, 2026 · 3 min read
Can dogs eat plums? Better not. A little flesh does no harm, but the pit can block a small dog's intestines, and when crushed it releases cyanogenic compounds. Dogs don't usually eat a plum "without the pit"; they swallow it whole.
- Answer: better not to give them.
- Dangerous: the pit, leaves, fallen and fermenting plums.
- Better not: prunes, plum jam, plum cake.
- If you must: a piece of flesh without the pit, half a small plum for a 3–5 kg dog.
Has your dog swallowed a pit or eaten several plums with pits? Call your vet. Urgent signs: vomiting, no poop, painful belly, lethargy, and after fermenting fruit, wobbly walking and drowsiness.
The plum pit
A plum pit is hard and oval with sharp edges. In a dog weighing 3–5 kg it can get stuck in the intestines and need surgery. Signs of a blockage sometimes appear only after 1–2 days.
The pit also contains amygdalin, which releases cyanide. Poisoning requires the pit to be crushed, so in a dog that swallowed it whole, a blockage is a bigger problem than cyanide.
Garden plums in autumn
In September and October fallen plums lie under the tree. They ferment, so they can contain alcohol. Dogs eat them by the handful, pits and all. For a small dog that's a double risk: alcohol and blockage.
If you have a plum tree, pick up fallen fruit daily or let your dog out only under supervision. My maltipoo weighs about 4 kg. We don't give her plums.
Flesh only: how much plum for a dog
If your dog really wants some, give a piece of flesh without the pit or skin. Plums have about 46 kcal per 100 g, and the flesh of one small plum weighs about 25 g.
| Dog's weight | Maximum, no pit |
|---|---|
| 3 kg | half a small plum |
| 5 kg | 1 small plum |
| 8 kg | 1–1.5 small plums |
Too much plum ends in diarrhoea for any dog.
Prunes and plum products
- Prunes: lots of sugar, laxative effect.
- Plum jam: sugar, and sometimes xylitol in sugar-free versions.
- Plum cake: butter, sugar, crumble.
- Plum brandy and liqueur: alcohol, dangerous in any amount.
Fruit instead of plums
No pits and simpler: strawberries, blueberries, a piece of apple without the core. The full fruit chart is in what dogs can't eat. Cherries and peaches carry a similar pit risk.
Frequently asked questions
In a small dog, a plum pit can get stuck in the intestines. Call your vet and watch your dog for 2–3 days. Vomiting, no poop, lethargy or a painful belly mean an urgent visit.
AKC — Fruits and vegetables dogs can and can't eat; ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Plum; Merck Veterinary Manual — Gastrointestinal obstruction in small animals; NRC 2006 (RER). This article is for education only and does not replace advice from a veterinarian.
About the author
Igor, founder of ZoozyJars and maltipoo owner
I run ZoozyJars and live with a maltipoo myself. I write from my own experience and lean on the sources listed under each article.
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