Will It Hurt a Dog if It Breaks & Eats a Peach Pit?

While it’s fine to offer your pooch small, juicy nibbles of peach occasionally, the pit is a no-no. If he breaks and eats it, he could be in major trouble. Watch him closely for signs of distress. Peach pits can cause choking, gastrointestinal obstruction or cyanide poisoning in dogs. All three conditions are canine medical emergencies that require immediate veterinarian intervention.

If your otherwise healthy dog suddenly paws at his mouth, coughs forcefully and experiences difficulty breathing, the peach pit is probably caught in his larynx. Contact your veterinarian right away.

A peach pit that passes beyond the throat enters another danger zone. The pit can lodge in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a blockage. Common symptoms include intense vomiting, which can cause dehydration and possible aspiration of the material into the dog’s lungs. Less common are lethargy, weight loss, severe diarrhea and shock. Your dog’s life may be at stake -- contact your veterinarian immediately. The prognosis is good if he’s treated quickly.

The peach pit kernel contains cyanide, deadly to man and beast. Cyanide poisoning symptoms develop anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours following ingestion. Initial symptoms include excitement and increased respiration, followed by gasping and increased heart rate. Excessive salivation, tearing eyes, vomiting, involuntary voiding of feces and urine, spasms, staggering and collapse into coma occur quickly, shortly before death. The syndrome takes only 30 to 45 minutes to develop.