Dogs and Saskatoon Berries

[Iron Glove]

One of our dogs has shown a real taste for Saskatoon berries and with the abundance of them here at the cabin, he's been wolfing them down right off the bushes.
Did a little research and there are ( of course ) a number of opinions although most indicate it's OK and possibly beneficial.
Interestingly a number of high quality pet foods such as Orijen list them as ingredients.
At this point I guess moderation is the key and having his crap look like bear scat might be the main downside
Any comments, experiences to share ??

[Clint_S]

My dog also has a taste for saskatoons, cherries, huckleberries and any other fruit she can reach.
Kinda cute watching her stand on her hind legs to reach the higher fruit.

[ACE]

Have a Mini Schnauzer ...... she picks her own berries, and will drink my coffee if she gets the chance.

[Big Lew]

Check on the cherries...apparently the pits, leaves, and stems can do them harm.
A few pitted cherries won't harm them, but cherries contain low levels of cyanide and
can harm a dog in large quantities.
As for the saskatoons, the only concern would be the often abundance of
worms or grubs in them. Doesn't seem to harm us though, lol!

[Farmer]

This year our Springer ate all of the gooseberries of the two bushes we have. I can't say it had any effect on her.

[boxhitch]

two bushes ? If she didn't honk after those they must be okay

[J_T]

Our dogs like the berries too and spending a lot of time in the bush they consume a lot. The only risk to them, if we are picking and the dog selects a more productive bush that we do, they hold their ground to keep the bush to themselves when we try to move in....

[Big Lew]

My lab loves to pick and eat raspberries and blueberries, and as "J_T" says,
he won't let anyone crowd in and take his spot.

[Stresd]

Couple of years ago I was picking and eating the Black berries across from my shop and giving my Dog the occasional one. Guess she got tired of waiting for me to give her a share so she started picking her own blackberries right off the vine . Some how avoiding the thorns in the process and she continues picking to this day. Lousy crop this year. lack of water Lots but they are small and not real juicy.

[goatdancer]

My dog eats fruit and veggies whenever he has a chance. Last week he snagged a piece of watermelon rind that fell on the floor and snarked it down.

[Iron Glove]

OK, so far sounds like no bad experiences.
Both our dogs love berries, the same guy who picks the Saskatoons will pick blackberries off the bushes too.
He also eats any turds, from any animal he can find - no snuggles and kisses from him. :mrgreen:
Our older female will sneak into the garden, in spite of it having a latched gate, and get at the peas. She will pick a pod off the plant, crack it open and just eat the peas. Mr. Saskatoon and Turds however eats pod, peas and everything.

[Foxton Gundogs]

My Gramps' old Chessy loved raspberries and blackberries, couldn't give him a strawberry though, to go figure. My first Spaniels sire, Blaze, loved huckleberries apparently. Mike Cramond touches on it in his book Killer Bears.

[Iron Glove]

Just looked at a bag of Vitality Treats we have - "Bison and Saskatoon" so I guess it's OK.

[Paulyman]

Sounds like you have a real character on your hands :-)

[ACE]

Just looked at a bag of Vitality Treats we have - "Bison and Saskatoon" so I guess it's OK.

Trail mix ? :confused:

[LYKTOHUNT]

My old lab and me could lay a serious chow down on huckleberrys

[kinderdoggin]

Saskatoon berries are fine. The coyotes around here must been eating nothing but lately, by the look of their poop (my dogs are trying their best to keep up!)

[Salty]

Dogs aren't just carnivores they like a little grass and berries now and then. No ill effects of any non poisonous plant matter that I know of. All 3 of ours like cashews too they bug the piss out of me when I'm chowing on them and I'm soft, so... Had a lab cross years ago that would eat huckleberries like a bear she just loved them. Only one of the three muts we have now will eat berries and only now and then, he likes salmonberry thimbleberry and huckleberry

[BgBlkDg]

The finest dog I have ever even seen, Axel the Assassin, one of my pb Rottweilers who was my wifes baby loved many fruits and would dance for bananas. My current pair, Can. Champ Lily and mighty Cisco, like them too, but, LOVE watermelon......

I have always given some minced, fresh greens to my dogs in winter and they eat grass in summer, supposedly, this assists in bile production.

[Iron Glove]

Yup, our mutts are both on "RAW" so they get a lot of fruits and veggies but I was concerned @ the Saskatoons as there was a study I read where Mule Deer who ate a lot of them died within 24 hours.
Yesterday we took a cooling dip in the Coquihalla and the young one retrieved what I thought was a tennis ball floating down the river. It was an apple which he proceeded to eat. Go figure, he got booted outta retriever school but can pick out an apple in the river. :mrgreen: