My Dog Ate a Plum: What I Learned the Hard Way

So I'm sitting in my backyard, enjoying some fresh plums from my tree, and my dog Charlie comes over looking all cute and curious. I thought, "Oh, it's just fruit, how bad can it be?" So I gave him a small piece of the flesh. Big mistake. Well, actually, the flesh part was okay, but I had no idea about the rest of the plum.

After I gave him that piece, I got worried and started googling. Turns out, while the ripe flesh of a plum isn't toxic to dogs, pretty much everything else about the plum plant is dangerous. The pit, the stem, the leaves, the flowers - all of it contains cyanide. Like, actual cyanide. I had no idea!

I felt so stupid. I mean, I should have known better, right? But honestly, I just thought fruit was fruit. How was I supposed to know that something as innocent-looking as a plum could be so dangerous?

Luckily, Charlie only got a tiny piece of the flesh, and I made sure he didn't get anywhere near the pit. But the whole experience made me realize how little I actually know about what's safe for dogs to eat. I thought I was being careful, but clearly not careful enough.

If your dog does manage to eat a plum (especially the pit or other parts), you need to watch them closely. The symptoms can include shaking, vomiting, trouble breathing, and stomach problems. In really bad cases, it can even cause kidney failure. That's serious stuff.

The vet told me that if a dog eats the pit or other toxic parts, the cyanide can get into their bloodstream, and that's when things get really dangerous. The thought of that happening to Charlie makes me feel sick.

Now I'm super careful about any fruit I give him. I always check first, and if I'm not 100% sure, I just don't give it to him. It's not worth the risk. There are plenty of dog-safe treats out there, so there's no reason to take chances with human food.

If your dog does eat a plum (especially the pit), don't wait around to see if they'll be okay. Call your vet right away. Even if it turns out to be nothing, it's better to be safe than sorry. The vet can tell you what to watch for and whether you need to bring them in.

I'm just grateful that Charlie is okay and that I learned this lesson without anything serious happening. But I'll definitely be more careful from now on. Our dogs trust us to keep them safe, and that means being informed about what's actually safe for them to eat.