Blackberry

Blackberries are a yes. The American Kennel Club describes them as a sweet, juicy berry that can be as much of a treat for your dog as it is for you, and addresses the xylitol question directly: blackberries contain xylitol in trace amounts, which AKC considers safe given the minute quantity in the small serving a dog eats. Size sets the portion. AKC suggests a toy breed should have only a few berries while a giant breed will do fine with a handful. Serve them whole, diced, mashed, or pureed depending on your dog's preference and size, and halve them for a small dog or a dog that swallows treats without chewing. Keep all treats inside 10% of daily calories. Blackberries carry a lot of fiber, so the realistic consequence of a big bowl is loose stool the next morning. Wild blackberries count too, with one condition AKC is explicit about: only if you are sure they are blackberries. Bramble patches along trails and roadsides are a different question from the clamshell in your fridge. Roadside brambles may have been sprayed with herbicide, unfamiliar berries are a real poisoning risk, and thorny canes scratch muzzles and paws. Do not let a dog forage on its own. The processed forms are where blackberries go wrong. Blackberry jam, syrup, pie filling, and berry-flavored yogurt are mostly sugar, and anything labeled sugar-free may contain added xylitol. Blackberry wine and cordials are alcohol, which causes hypoglycemia, hypothermia, and respiratory depression in dogs even in small amounts. If your dog gets into alcohol or a sugar-free product, or becomes wobbly, weak, or persistently vomits after eating berries, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away. Do not induce vomiting at home.