Can Dogs Eat Elderberries?

Elderberries are a somewhat mixed case: the fully ripe, cooked berries used in things like elderberry syrup or cordial are considered relatively low risk, but the raw or unripe berries, and especially the leaves, stems, and bark of the elder plant, contain cyanogenic compounds that can cause real toxicity if eaten in quantity. This mirrors a pattern seen in several other fruits on this list, where the ripe flesh is one thing and the rest of the plant is quite another, so it matters a lot exactly what part of the plant your dog got into. Elder trees and shrubs are common in hedgerows and gardens, making accidental exposure to the leaves or unripe berries a realistic possibility for dogs that forage during walks. If your dog has eaten a meaningful amount of raw or unripe elderberries, or chewed on the leaves, stems, or bark, it's worth contacting your vet rather than assuming it's the same as the cooked, ripe fruit.