Is star fruit toxic to dogs?

Most fruits that cause trouble for dogs do so through stones, sugar or fiber. Star fruit is different: the oxalates it contains bind calcium in the body, and the resulting crystals can harm the kidneys. Sour varieties are thought to contain more oxalate than sweet ones, but there is no version that is considered safe.

Even in people with kidney disease, star fruit is known to be dangerous, which gives a sense of how potent it can be.

Reported signs include drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, trembling and weakness, and later changes in thirst or urination linked to kidney injury. Some effects can take a day or more to appear, so a dog that looks fine an hour later still needs advice.

Star fruit is popular as a decorative garnish on fruit platters, cocktails and desserts because of its shape. Slices dropped at parties or left on a buffet at nose height are the usual route. In warm climates, trees in gardens drop ripe fruit that dogs may eat.

Star fruit also turns up in juice blends, tropical fruit salads and some Asian desserts. If your dog helped itself to a mixed fruit salad, check whether star fruit was part of it before deciding whether to call.

For something to share from a tropical fruit platter, stoneless, seedless pieces of papaya, pineapple or dragon fruit are all fine in small amounts. Keep star fruit slices to your own plate.