Can Dogs Eat Cranberries? Yes and No

Most people associate cranberries with Thanksgiving, and there's a reason for that. Cranberries are harvested from mid-September through early November, so they reach their peak as Turkey Day approaches. And while they have many health benefits for humans, you might wonder if those same benefits translate to dogs. Actually yes, but with caveats.

Cranberries are high in fiber and antioxidants that help prevent disease and boost the immune system. However, there's a difference between raw cranberries or dried cranberries and your average cranberry sauce recipe, let alone commercial cranberry juice.

Suffice to say, if you're going to feed cranberries to your dog with any regularity, let your vet know because they may have legitimate concerns. However, we can answer some basic questions about dogs and cranberries.

Are Cranberries Safe for Dogs?

Whether fresh or dried, cranberries are generally safe for dogs to eat. They're certainly not toxic or poisonous to dogs. In fact, as PetMD notes, cranberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamins—C, E, K, B1, B2, manganese, and copper—and can boost the immune system. It is also suggested that cranberries help prevent dogs from getting urinary tract infections—again, like humans—but research isn't definitive.

Can Dogs Eat Cranberry Sauce?

Cranberry sauce is generally not recommended for dogs, though small amounts may be okay. The problem isn't so much the cranberries, it's that almost every cranberry sauce recipe includes massive amounts of sugar because cranberries are so naturally tart. And suffice to say, too much sugar is bad for dogs, unless you're a huge fan of diarrhea and vomiting.

Furthermore, some cranberry sauce recipes include ingredients toxic to dogs, such as grapes, raisins, currants, or brandy. According to WebMD , grape toxicity is linked with kidney damage in dogs. Eating the fruit can result in sudden kidney failure and even death. Therefore, plain, unsweetened cranberry sauce in very small quantities is probably safe. But if you're going to do that, it's probably best to just give your dog plain cranberries.

Can Dogs Eat Dried Cranberries?

Dried cranberries are fine for dogs for all the same reasons as plain cranberries. Where you have to be vigilant is in reading the list of ingredients. As noted above, sometimes dried cranberries get mixed with raisins or currants, which are highly toxic to dogs.

Other times, a package of dried cranberries has a bunch of added sugar and/or preservatives, including xylitol, a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a sugar substitute. As VCA Animal Hospitals reports in " Xylitol Poisoning in Dogs ,"

When dogs eat xylitol, the xylitol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas. This rapid release of insulin causes a profound drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur as quickly as 10-60 minutes after ingestion. If untreated, hypoglycemia can be life-threatening. The process by which xylitol can cause liver failure in dogs is poorly understood.

Can Dogs Have Cranberry Juice?

Cranberry juice isn't inherently bad for dogs, but like sauce recipes, the vast majority of commercial cranberry juice contains sugar to combat the tartness. Even products labeled "100% juice" may contain added sugar in the form of other fruit juice concentrates like grape, apple, or pear juice. And as noted previously, grape juice is highly toxic to dogs.

Can Dogs Eat Raw Cranberries?

Dogs can eat raw cranberries, though be mindful of overfeeding. In general, though, it's best to introduce cranberries slowly and in small amounts to ensure your dog tolerates them. You may actually want to halve or even quarter the berries when you start out, especially for small dogs. As with babies, plain cranberries are the perfect size to be a choking hazard, so be mindful.

Can Dogs Eat Cranberries for UTI?

At this point, most of the evidence is anecdotal. A 2015 study on dogs found that oral administration of cranberry extract prevented the development of UTIs, but almost all studies discuss human subjects. That said, cranberries have antibacterial properties that can help prevent E. coli bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract walls and contain D-mannose, which can work as an antibiotic in UTI prevention .

How Many Cranberries Can Dogs Eat?

If your dog develops a taste for cranberries, here are our suggested serving sizes based on weight:

• Extra-small dogs (2–20 lbs): 1-2 cranberries
• Small dogs (21–30 lbs): 2-3 cranberries
• Medium dogs (31–50 lbs): 5-6 cranberries
• Large dogs (51–90 lbs): 8-10 cranberries
• Extra-large dogs (91+ lbs): 10-15 cranberries

Health Benefits of Cranberries

Cranberries are exceptionally high in antioxidants, which helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of various diseases. For example, quercetin is an antioxidant found in cranberries that helps manage inflammation and according to Dogs Naturally , even helps control allergies . In fact, it’s known as "Nature’s Benadryl" for that reason.

As noted above, cranberries aiding in UTI prevention is anecdotal, but persuasive. They contain compounds that prevent E. coli bacteria from adhering to urinary tract walls. And some scientific research suggests cranberries may help slow and prevent tumor growth in various types of cancers.

So, while you don't want to overfeed your dog cranberries, it's a fruit with many health benefits and in moderation can be an excellent supplement to a healthy diet. Just be mindful of sugar and preservatives, especially xylitol. But if you stick to halved and quartered raw berries, your dog should be one happy pup.

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