Sunday, December 11, 2011

Apple Seeds -- Reposting, sorry!

*** Sorry for this reposting.  I needed to fix a typo but didn't fix it the right way! 

Thank you to Taryn and Frankie who spoke up about apple seeds being toxic to dogs.

A few years ago I read a warning about apple seeds which contain very small amounts of a cyanide-like compound, being toxic but I didn't take the warning to heart because I had grown up with Gilligan the Cockerpoo who ate all my family's apple cores (along with table scraps every night!) and who didn't give up the ghost until the ripe old age of 17.  And, then there was the man I worked with for several years who ate an apple every day -- the WHOLE apple; EVERYTHING except the stem; EVERYTHING -- who is now retired, but still going strong at 66.   And, the two Golden Retrievers Glenn and I raised who ate our apple cores.  Anabelle lived 15 years until we put her down when she was too blind, deaf and crippled from hip displasia to go on.  Belle died of cancer at 8 years old.  (I have NO idea why we named one dog Belle, then the next one Anabelle.  At least we didn't name her Belle The Second.) 

ASPCA's website lists several foods that are toxic to dogs, but apple seeds aren't one of them.  The site also gives us this timely reassurance that poinsettias are not anywhere near as toxic as urban legends would have us believe.

Snopes website gives some insight (if it is to be believed) into why my apple-core-and-seed eating friend is still among the living and why our dogs have not been poisoned.  While apple seeds do, in fact, contain amygdalin, a sugar and cyanide compound that turns into hydrogen cyanide when metabolized, the amounts are very, very, small.  It appears that extremely large quantities would be needed to poison a person.  Of course, dogs are smaller and so could be poisoned by smaller amounts, but it still appears the amounts would have to be far, far more than what half an apple core a day would produce. 

Still, I very much appreciate Taryn and Frankie for speaking up!  We all love our dogs like family (and sometimes more than family!) and I'm thankful to anyone who gives me information to help me keep my two girls healthy.

Based on my research and experience, I'm not going to ask Glenn to stop sharing his apple cores, but just in case, I think I'll ask him to pick out the seeds first!   Maybe if we save enough of them we can feed them to the gophers!

7 comments:

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Our dogs have always eaten apple cores in the past....no problems.

XXXOOO Daisy, Kendra, Bella & Roxy

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

I know exactly what you mean about giving us stuffs... safely fur years. My mom had a dawg that ate a pack of M & M's EVERY WEEK.. and Ate RAISINS like No tomorrow.. and WHOLE APPLES.. Seeds and Stem and all...
and another dawg that LOVED GARLIC and ONIONS.. they all lived long lives.. and she USED to let all the dawgs have all their shots at ONCE..
BUTT... I think she is just a Worrier.. and all the info about all these thingys... has SCARED her into.. never allowing Ernie and I to have ANY of those thingys..
I am REALLY REALLY glad that you did NOT see my comment as a complaint or anythingy. THANK YOU!!
PeeS... She will not EVER let us have any Chicken or Turkey Bones.. RAW or Not.. I'm just sayin... hehehe... MOM's.. Can't live With.. Can't live without em. Right.. teeeee heeeeee

Taryn said...

Looks like you did some good research! I googled it as well, but not very deeply. I've just always been told to take out the seeds.

My horses used to eat hundreds of apples as there were several apple trees in their pasture. But then they weighed over 1000 lbs.!

....and I do let my dogs have little bits of chocolate ;-)

Boo21's Mom said...

There's nothin' like some good blog controversy, huh? Taryn, 1,000 lbs vs. 35 is a big difference, isn't it? (I'll bet you miss riding. Erika does.) Frankie, I certainly didn't see your comment as criticism. I appreciate it when people are willing to speak up when they think it's important, especially when they do it politely like you did. I have to admit I would still be nervous about giving raw chicken bones to my girls too, Frankie, although I've heard they are just fine. Daisy and Co., I'm glad to hear you all haven't had any problems with apple cores, either. And, aren't we all glad to find out that poinsettias aren't DEADLY!

Snake Oak Farm said...

Your silly daughter named the first dog Belle ... and then she named the second dog Annabelle in memory of Belle. Don't you remember ????? ;)

Boo21's Mom said...

Erika, I remember that you named Belle after the "Belle and Sebastian" TV show you watched with Grandma and Pa, but I didn't remember how Anabelle came by her name. And then there was Hobie--the sweet Shepherd/Rottie mix girl that everyone thought was a boy because you named her "Hobie"...

Scooter said...

All of this stuff can be confusing for sure. I had a retriever who was a cancer survivor from puppyhood and lived to be 14. He ate grapes with us every day for breakfast! He absolutely loved them and had no tummy troubles. Not just 1-2 grapes, but he got a whole handfull! But, I always heed the warnings once I hear them, so no chocolate, grapes, apple seeds, birdy bones etc. It's the same stuff with people, this is bad then it's okay, then something else is bad, then it's okay. Never boring! LOL
Sarge's Mom