Can dogs eat blackberries?

With around 43 calories per 100 g, blackberries are a light snack. The fiber that makes them good for people also means large amounts can loosen a dog's stools. Five or six berries for a medium dog of about 15 kg (33 lb) is a sensible serving.

Like raspberries, they carry a very small natural amount of xylitol, another reason to keep portions modest.

From August to October, brambles line paths across the UK, Ireland and much of Europe, and some dogs learn to strip them. Thorns can catch eyes, ears and the inside of lips. Bushes beside roads or farmland may have been sprayed, and berries low to the ground can be soiled by other animals.

If your dog forages enthusiastically, choose routes with fewer brambles in late summer or keep them on a lead past the thickest patches.

Not every dark berry is a blackberry. Yew, deadly nightshade, ivy and holly berries all grow near paths and are harmful. If you are not certain what your dog ate, treat it as unknown and ask for advice.

At home, wash blackberries and offer them whole to medium and large dogs, or halved for toy breeds. Frozen blackberries hold together well and last longer in the mouth. Mashed onto a lick mat with a spoonful of plain water and frozen, they make a slow, cooling enrichment treat for a hot afternoon.