Can dogs eat cranberries?

Fresh cranberries are firm, sour and low in calories, about 46 per 100 g. Two to five berries suit a small or medium dog. Frozen berries work the same way and are often easier to find outside the autumn season.

Most dried cranberries in supermarkets are infused with sugar syrup to make them palatable. A 30 g (1 oz) handful can contain more than 20 g of sugar, so check for an unsweetened label and limit it to a few pieces.

Christmas and Thanksgiving tables are where dogs meet cranberries most often. Cranberry sauce is typically half sugar, and some recipes add orange zest, port or spices. Stuffing mixes with cranberries may also include onion. A spoonful licked from a plate is unlikely to cause harm, but a bowlful can bring on vomiting or diarrhea.

Cranberry is often promoted for bladder health in people, and some dog supplements include it. Research in dogs is limited and mixed. Fresh berries at home are not a treatment for anything. If your dog is straining to urinate, peeing small amounts often, or has blood in its urine, that is a job for your vet rather than the fruit bowl.

Dried cranberries are a common ingredient in trail mix, cereal bars and granola, often alongside raisins, chocolate and macadamia nuts. If your dog has eaten a mixed snack, look at the label for those ingredients before assuming it was only cranberries.