I had the good fortune recently to be gifted with 60-80 # of small plums. They weren’t all ripe, so I was able to process then in several “batches” as they ripened. First I made plum wine (8 gallons), and then I made plum jelly (31 jars). Later I made Chinese Plum sauce, and lastly I made some plum jam with extra flavorings like cinnamon & orange zest. I went “plum crazy” and got “plum tired”. At one point I had a gallon pail of discarded plum pits and skins that I was planning to throw out, but still kept adding to it. I wondered what would happen if my Sheltie decided to eat the plum parts. After a little extra reading, I was glad he didn’t and I threw them away immediately.
I figure there are some common fruits that our pets might encounter: apples, bananas, strawberries, peaches, plums, cherries, nectarines, grapes (raisins), watermelon (melons), and avocados. Most are very healthy for humans and dogs. I didn’t mention cats because they seldom choose to eat fruit, but if they did the same comments apply.
Health benefits: tasty, sweet treats with high fiber
Health hazards: pits, intestinal obstruction, GI upsets, extra calories. Stone fruits like peach & plum have cyanide in the pits. Raisins, grapes and currants can to be toxic, causing kidney failure. Avocados contain persin, which isn’t toxic for dogs and cats, but can be for birds. Those big avocado pits could be a problem with obstruction even for big dogs.
Fortunately, I seldom see any of these. I have seen puppies get a good belly ache from eating rotting peaches and crab apples that fell from trees.
So enjoy your fruit, share it in moderation with your pets, but be careful with those pits. Go “plum wild!”
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/5-fruits-and-veggies-that-are-toxic-to-your-dog/
http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/raisins/
