Can dogs eat Dates?
In small amounts, with care
In moderation - dates are not toxic to dogs like raisins are, but they are one of the sugariest foods you can hand over, and the stone is a choking and blockage risk.
What happens
This is a useful distinction to be clear about: dates are not grapes. Raisins and sultanas are genuinely toxic and can cause kidney failure, whereas dates are simply very high in sugar. A dog that steals one is not in danger, which is worth knowing if you have found a chewed date and are panicking. What dates are, though, is dense sugar - a single medjool date carries a remarkable amount of it, plus a lot of fibre, so even one or two will loosen a dog's stools and they are a poor idea for any dog that is overweight or diabetic. The stone is the other issue: hard, oblong and exactly the sort of object that lodges in a small dog's gut or cracks a tooth.
How much is safe?
Half a pitted date for a small dog and one for a large one, very occasionally. There is no nutritional reason to feed them, so treat this as damage limitation rather than a recommendation.
How to prepare it
Pitted dates only, chopped small, and rarely. Check the packet - date products are often stuffed, coated in chocolate or sold alongside raisins in mixed dried fruit, which is a different and more serious problem.
Symptoms to watch for
Loose stools or diarrhoea from the sugar and fibre, sometimes with wind. A swallowed stone shows as gagging, repeated vomiting, straining or a tender belly.
When to call the vet
If your dog has swallowed a date stone and is gagging, retching or straining. Also ring if the dates came from a bag of mixed dried fruit that may have contained raisins or sultanas.
Can dogs eat these?
Common questions
Are dates toxic to dogs like raisins?
No, and this is worth knowing. Raisins and sultanas can cause kidney failure in dogs; dates are simply very high in sugar. A stolen date is not an emergency, though the stone is a blockage risk worth watching for.
How many dates can a dog eat?
Half a pitted date for a small dog, one for a large one, and rarely. They are extremely sugary and high in fibre, so more than that means loose stools and a lot of empty calories.
What if my dog ate a date stone?
Watch for gagging, repeated vomiting, straining or a painful belly, and ring your vet if any appear. Small dogs are most at risk of an obstruction, and the stone is hard enough to damage a tooth.
Looking for a food to feed instead? browse the directory or read the guides.
This is label analysis, not veterinary advice - if your dog has a health condition, talk to your vet before switching foods.