Safe Fruit for Border Collies – Quick, Simple Guide

We love sharing our food with Border Collies, but always find ourselves asking questions like: can Border Collies eat apples? What about watermelon? For things we’re unfamiliar with, we always end up searching for the answers online. So, to help us remember, and to help fellow Border Collie owners, here’s a guide to the different fruits that Border Collies can and can’t eat. 

We’ve structured this as a FAQ guide – just scroll down to the fruit that you want to know whether you can feed your Border Collie. 

Please remember that the below is for infomation only and isn’t intended as advice. If ever you’re unsure about something, speak to a vet or other qualified professional who knows you, and your dog!

Also, please remember that fruit, in general is very high in sugar and fiber. As a result, when feeding fruit to your Border Collie make sure to introduce new tastes gradually and in small amounts.

Fruit that Border Collies can and can’t eat

Here is a list of fruit that Border Collies can, and can’t eat. If you’re looking at this list because you’re considering a raw dog food diet, please check out our article about the pros and cons of raw food:

Apples

Yes – Border Collies can eat apples! You may want to remove the core to aid digestion and get rid of any pips.

Apricots

Yes – Border Collies can eat apricots. Obviously you should make sure to remove the stone, and give the apricot to your dog in small pieces to mimimise any choking risk.

Avocados

No – Border Collies shouldn’t eat avocados. Basically, there’s a risk of choking from the stone, and avocados contain persin which is a toxin that is harmful small mammals. Read this study if you want to find out more about the effects of persin – it’s not pleasent.

Bananas

Yes – Border Collies can eat bananas. Bananas are high in sugar though, so this isn’t one that you should feed to your Collie in high amounts.

Blackberries

Yes – Blackberries are considered to be safe for dogs, which mean that this fruit is safe for Border Collies. They are considered to have lots of beneficial vitamins in them too!

Blackcurrents

Yes – Blackcurrents aren’t considered to be safe for Border Collies – these are the fruit used in the UK to make ribena. Be careful not to confuse this with Black Currants, which are dried grapes and no, they are not OK for any dog to eat as they are poisonous.

Blueberries

Yes – Border Collies can eat Blueberries. In fact they are jammed packed with lots of amazing benefits, so you should probably eat some too 🙂

Cherries

Yes – Border Collies can eat cherries, but be careful to only feed them the flesh of the cherry. The pit, stem and leaves of cherry plans contain small amounts of cyanide, which is obviously not a good thing for a dog to eat!

Clementine

Yes – Clementines are safe for Border Collies, however, like bananas, they contain a lot of sugar, so consider feeding this fruit in small amounts.

Cranberries

Yes – Border Collies can eat cranberries, but feed in small amounts to prevent problems associated with excess sugar consumption.

Elderberries

Sort of – if elderberries are ripe then they are safe for your Border Collie. However, if they are unripe they could be toxic. Unless you’re really passionate about feeding elderberries to your dog then these may be best avoided to reduce the risk of anything bad happening!

Figs

No – Border Collies can’t eat figs. While figs are safe for dogs to eat in small amounts, too much can cause a fibre overload which can lead to quite nasty diarrhea.

Gooseberries

No – Gooseberries are toxic for Border Collies and shouldn’t be fed to them!

Grapefruit

No – Grapefruit isn’t toxic to dogs, but it is highly acidic which can cause digestion issues for your Border Collie.

Grapes

No – Grapes can cause serious issues for Border Collies (and dogs in general) and even just one grape runs the risk of kidney failure.

Kiwi (or Kiwifruit)

No – generally, you should avoid giving your Border Collie kiwi. This is because, like figs, they are enormously high in fibre and can cause digestion issues if you let them have a high amount of this fruit.

Kumquat

No – Border Collies can’t eat kumquats, but largely this is because the effects are uncertain. The peel is definitely not good, and kumquats themselves are high in citric acid, which isn’t the best for a dog’s stomach.

Lemons

Yes – technically a Border Collie can eat lemons, but you’ve got a very unique dog if they actually want to eat lemons! They are obsiously highly acidic, so it’s probably not a good idea to actually feed your Border Collie lemons (obviously, they can’t eat the peel).

Limes

Yes – like lemons, a Border Collie can theoretically eat a small amount of lime without issue. However, they are high in citric acid, so it’s probably not a good idea to actually feed your Border Collie lime.

Lychee

Yes – Lychees are ok for Border Collies to eat in small amounts. Remember to remove the peel though and only feed them the flesh. Like a lot of fruit, lychees are very high in sugar content so it’s not a good thing to feed in anything other than small amounts.

Mango

Yes – Dogs can eat mango, so this is a safe fruit for your Border Colie to eat. They are high in lots of vitamins, so make an excellent summer treat if you freeze them in an ice cube tray (our Collies absolutely love mango!)

Nectarine

Yes – Border Collies can eat nectarines in small quantities, as they are high in sugar. Don’t feed them the stones of a nectarine though as these contain cyanide compounds and present a choking hazard.

Olives

Yes – Border Collies can eat olives, which are technically a fruit! Most olives that humans eat, however, are high in salt as they usually come in a brine. As a result, feeding these types of olives should be done in moderation. Fresh olives are fine for Border Collies to eat.

Oranges

Yes – Border Collies can eat oranges provided that the peel is removed. Feed these in moderation though because they are high in sugar and could cause stomach upsets if too much is eaten in one go!

Peaches

Yes – Peachers are safe for Border Collies to eat and they are high in vitamins C and A. They are also high in fiber and sugar, though, so it’s best to feed in moderation.

Pears

Yes – just like apples, Border Collies can eat pears and they are safe to eat. Make sure to remove the seeds though as they contain small amounts of cyanide.

Pineapple

Yes – technically Border Collies can eat pineapple, but please remember that pinapple is extremly high in sugar so stick to small amounts.

Pomegranate

No – technically, pomegranate seeds are not harmful to Border Collies in small amounts; however, large amounts of pomegranate can cause stomach problems. It’s generally best to feed your Border Collie pomegranate by buying natural treats that contain this fruit as an ingredient. This is because they will have been carefully made to ensure that there isn’t a risk of overfeeding.

Prunes

No – Border Collies shouldn’t eat prunes. Like figs, prunes are high in sugar and contain serious amounts of fiber which can cause your Border Collie to have diarrhea.

Rasberries

Yes – Border Collies can eat Rasberries and they are a great source of vitamins for all dogs. Like blackberries, they can make a tasty summer treat. A top tip is to blend them up and freeze the mixture in icecube trays – a great way to keep your Collie entertained and cool during the summer months.

Rhubarb

No – Border Collies shouldn’t eat rhubarb. The plant leaves themselves contain oxalic acide, which can cause kidney failure. The stalks can cause stomach upsets.

Strawberries

Yes – Border Collies can eat strawberries in small quantities. In our experience, Collies absolutely love these tasty fruits, so they make great training aids if ever you’re short on your usual dog treats.

Watermelon

Yes – watermelon is safe for Border Collies to eat. That said, the seeds can cause digestion issues, so they should be removed before feeding this fruit to your Collie.

Infographic: Fruits that are safe for Border Collies to Eat

Summary

Hopefully this article about what fruits Border Collie can and can’t eat has provided you with a useful guide! If ever you’re wondering whether a Border Collie can and can’t eat something, make sure to look it up! If every you’re uncertain, please do speak to a professional. Likewise, if you’re reading this article because your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t then speak to a vet!