Apple pie might be delicious, but is it bad for dogs? The answer to this question depends on the kind of apple pie your dog gets a hold of. According to PetMD, unbaked apples contain a compound called amygdalin that our four-legged friends can’t metabolize. This chemical turns into cyanide – a fast-acting poison – when consumed by dogs. Of course, the amount contained in an apple is enough to make a small dog quite sick and could even prove fatal if only a few pieces are eaten.
However, larger breeds could suffer from symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea instead after eating something like apple pie or other fruit desserts made with apples before getting their fill of the unfortunate fruit’s potentially harmful chemical contents.
The FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) reports that no specific studies have been conducted on whether or not apple pies are toxic to dogs, but it’s probably better not to take any chances. According to the FDA, “it is prudent to assume that apples are unsafe for your pets.” If you want to share a piece of apple pie with Fido, just make sure it hasn’t got any raw dough inside before letting him chow down.
The FDA also suggests that you should avoid giving your furry friends any other food while sharing a treat with them, such as cheese slices (and especially chocolate) due to the possibility of your dog having an adverse reaction.
A fellow writer at Science-Based Medicine warns that ” If [a dog] sees another animal eating [apple pie], it’s going to want some itself and could easily snatch a piece up if no one is looking,” and recommends keeping all desserts and sweets away from pets. Of course, we can’t always be there for Fido when he’s out chewing on a bone or catching some Zzzzs in his favorite spot on the sofa.
However, just like people get sick from foods that might not agree with them, the same goes for man’s best friend. And if you happen to have any leftover apple pie in your fridge, it’s probably better to whip up some peanut butter banana ice cream instead.
So what about other kinds of apple pies or desserts? According to an article on The American Veterinary Medical Association website, there is no specific study that suggests that unbaked apples of any kind are dangerous to dogs – just that they contain amygdalin and cyanide.
This means that as long as you avoid giving Fido a piece of raw dough made with apple juice or leftovers containing large chunks of uncooked fruit, he should be fine chowing down on something like the ever-so-popular version of this dish: Apple Pie a la Mode.
If you want to be extra careful, it might not hurt to give your furry friend a small bite of something else while he’s noshing on his usual doggy dessert (just make sure it has nothing in common with the apple fruit).
First, don’t worry: your dog is going to be fine if she eats the pie crust and the sauce, but not any pieces of apples! Second, no study shows that raw apples or raw apple juice, or other raw fruit (apples aren’t the only fruit that contains this cyanide compound) are poisonous to dogs. There might be studies out there showing such claims, but I could not find them.