Content
- Are nuts good for dogs?
- Can walnuts be toxic to dogs?
- What happens if a dog eats nuts?
- Are dogs allergic to nuts?
- Can a dog eat macadamia nuts?
- My dog ate macadamia nut, what to do?
Sometimes dogs may try to get your attention to gain a piece of your food, but giving in isn't always a good idea. Although they are anatomically very similar to us, they have a different digestive system than ours. Dogs can't always digest the food we enjoy, and it's important to remember that they are carnivorous animals, even if we've gotten them used to a diet with more vegetables.
Focusing on the topic that interests us here, there are different types of nuts and not all of them are equally good for dogs. Then, can dog eat nuts? In this PeritoAnimal article, we'll talk about it and explain which nuts are toxic to dogs.
Are nuts good for dogs?
In general, dried fruit is not the best food for dogs. They have a high phosphorus content and usually also contain high levels of fat. If you feed your dog a good kibble, he already gets enough phosphorus and other nutrients and vitamins, and too much phosphorus can cause bladder stones. If you feed your dog a homemade diet, you can regulate the amount of phosphorus yourself.
Anyway, regardless of the type of food that the animal follows, some nuts are toxic to dogs, and this is the case of the macadamia nut, which we will discuss in detail later. And the rest of the nuts, are they good for the dogs? If offered very occasionally and in very small amounts, they are not necessarily harmful. In fact, as Gemma Konwles, a canine nutritionist, points out in her book Healthy cooking for your dog, they provide fiber, minerals and vitamins. The problem is in excess, because it can be a difficult food to digest, which can lead to digestive problems.
So, can a dog eat nuts? Shelled, in very small amounts and occasionally, yes, as long as there is no allergy, of course. Ingestion of the nut without shelling can cause an intestinal obstruction in the animal, which may even require surgical intervention in the most severe cases.
Can walnuts be toxic to dogs?
It was observed that the common walnut may contain juglone, a toxic substance that can be harmful and is found exclusively in the leaves and stems of the plant or in the nut shell, not inside the fruit. That's why, in addition to preventing a possible clogging, it's so important to completely peel the nuts before offering them to your dog.
In addition to the above, we remind you that the macadamia nut is toxic.
What happens if a dog eats nuts?
Again, if a dog eats nuts in small amounts and without the shell, nothing will necessarily happen. However, if he has an allergy, then he will develop a reaction. We will explain to you below.
Are dogs allergic to nuts?
In general, giving a dog a nut does not usually cause an allergic reaction. However, as we mentioned, you should be especially careful with macadamia nuts as they are very toxic to them and can cause neurological problems.
If the dog has allergies to these dried fruits, he will likely have a series of symptoms common to all food allergies, such as:
- redness and itching
- suffocation feeling
- Inflammation of the mouth and eyelids
It is very important to review the ingredients of the human snacks you intend to give your pet, as they may contain macadamia nuts, which are toxic to them, or sugar, which is not recommended in their diet. You should also be careful when walking on the street or walking your dog, because if your dog eats a nut that has fallen to the ground, it can be moldy and also toxic to the animal.
Can a dog eat macadamia nuts?
Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs, although it is not yet known exactly which compounds make them toxic to them. If your dog has eaten a macadamia nut or two, he may have mild to severe hind leg weakness, with the most severe poisoning being when more than 7 macadamia nuts are ingested. The symptoms of macadamia poisoning in dogs are as follows, from the most to the least common:
- Weakness
- Depression
- vomiting
- ataxia (difficulty of muscle control)
- tremors
- hyperthermia
Symptoms usually appear 12 hours after ingestion, and although they can scare you a lot, they usually disappear between 24 and 48 hours after ingestion. However, it is always advisable consult the veterinarian.
My dog ate macadamia nut, what to do?
First, you don't need to despair, among all the poisonings a dog can have, eating a macadamia nut is not the most dangerous and usually doesn't require treatment. If he has eaten a very small amount, it will suffice that you keep an eye on him for the next few hours, as he will certainly start to show some of the symptoms already mentioned. You should be alarmed if symptoms are very severe or persist after 48 hours. If the dog has eaten a lot of nuts, you can try to induce vomiting. There are several ways to do this, such as using salt.
Another way to treat poisoning is to apply an enema to reduce the absorption of toxic substances as much as possible. All this with the advice of your veterinarian, because some of these substances can be dangerous if applied in excess. However, if your puppy does not improve after several hours or you think he is in serious danger, it is essential that you contact your veterinarian as soon as possible so that he can assess the case and decide if the ingested amount is dangerous or not.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can a dog eat nuts?, we recommend that you enter our Home Diets section.