My Dog Ate Apple Cores & Seeds What Should I Do?

Don’t you just love crisp, tart apples as a snack? Apples are a wonderful fruit that’s filled with all types of nutrients!

When you’re finished with the apple, what do you do with the core? Do you through into the trash? No problems, that’s where they should go! However, throwing them in the trash means your dog can access it pretty easily.

Some dogs love to dig in the trash for a wide variety of snacks. This can include apple cores. But are apple cores toxic for dogs? Will apple cores make your dog sick?

What’s in an Apple Core?

The answer to that question is pretty straightforward. The core and the seeds what’s in the core! That’s true; however, the seeds themselves contain certain chemicals. One of those is cyanide.

Cyanide is a very deadly poison, which can kill within minutes. It’s one of the strongest poisons around. It’s been used for mass suicide, chemical warfare, and more. Cyanide is not just one chemical, but a compound of substances.

Some fruits contain cyanide such as pits, apples, pears, and more.

Apple Core, Seeds & Dogs

That last part was a little bit scary we understand. But please read on!

While cyanide is toxic, the seeds and the apple cores are quite safe for your dog. The amount of cyanide in apple seeds is really quite low. If your dog has eaten 10 apple cores, he’ll be OK. Though he may have some vomiting and diarrhea from eating too many apple cores at one time.

How many apple seeds could be toxic to your dog? Consider this, a medium-sized dog would have to eat 85 grams of apple seeds. Then he would need to completely chew them, and only then would he have a toxic dose. The apple seeds in one apple will come to about 0.4 grams. Your dog would have to eat up to 200 or more apple cores & seeds to be poisoned!

Can cyanide Accumulate in Your Dog’s System?

The answer is no. This is because cyanide is quickly absorbed into the system and it has a half-life of about 10-30 minutes. So, even if your dog has eaten many apple cores & seeds (under 200!), then his liver will take care of removing the tiny amount of cyanide from his system.

So, if your dog has raided the wastebasket for those cores you threw away, don’t worry. As long as there aren’t 200 cores, your fur baby will be OK!