Nut Toxicity In Dogs
Dogs are certainly not picky eaters. Seldom would you see a dog refuse any kind of food. It would seem as if these animals don’t even bother to taste their food. Dogs have the habit of finishing off the contents of the doggie bowl instantly. Eating fast is an innate behavior of dogs but this habit often puts the life of the dog at risk. Poisoning is one of the most common causes of dog deaths. Dogs are poisoned by toxic chemicals. Some common people foods can cause poisoning in dogs. Dogs and humans have many genetic similarities but they differ in metabolism thus some foods that are eaten by humans cannot be tolerated by the dog’s systems.
Dog owners must make sure that the pets are steered away from nuts as this people food have harmful effects to dogs. A dog owner should never make the mistake of training the pet to catch food with its mouth by using any kind of nuts. Nuts are generally not tolerated by dogs though the harmful effects vary. Effects of nut ingestion in dogs would range from simple stomach upset to serious conditions that would need professional medical attention.
Roasted, barbecued or sugared – nuts are favorite snacks. People that watch TV would usually snack on a bowl of nuts. Dogs are food motivated and the smell of the food being eaten by the master would be very interesting thus nuts must not be left lying around. Due to the high fat and phosphorous content, nuts are generally considered harmful to dogs. Dogs don’t usually chew the food thus nuts can create an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract. Dog owners must steer the pet away from almonds, walnuts, pistachio pecans and macadamia.
Pecans and almonds don’t really have toxic content but ingestion of these nuts would still cause the dog stomach upset. However, moldy walnuts and pecans contain tremorgenic mycotoxins. Almonds and pecans become toxic to dogs because of this chemical that is produced by molds. Seizures and other neurologic symptoms result when dogs consume moldy almonds and pecans. Only humans can safely eat pistachio nuts because the aflatoxin it contains cannot be tolerated by animals. In dogs and in other animals, this toxin causes cancer and liver disease
Macadamia nuts causes temporary paralysis in dogs. By eating as few as six macadamia nuts, the dog would develop tremors and swelling of limbs. The pain associated with the swelling of the limbs would make it hard for the dog to move. Dogs are known to yelp in pain when the hindquarters are manipulated. Dogs that have ingested macadamia nuts can develop bladder stones because of the nut’s high phosphorous content.
Dogs are nuts, but can dogs eat nuts and what kind. Find out at Sarah’s Dogs where you can learn about this as well as dog first aid.
