Can I give my dog macadamia nuts?

Macadamia nuts are luckily a snack that most owners don’t think to feed to their dogs. They’re expensive but, more importantly, they aren’t an appropriate treat for Fido. Make no mistake, this type of nut is poisonous for canines.

You may already know that many nuts can be dangerous to pets. Most dogs will experience varying levels of symptoms specific to macadamia consumption. Knowing the facts in advance may prepare you for an unfortunate situation.

Exactly why macadamia nuts can be toxic for dogs is not known. The harmful effects, however, are well-documented and there’s no antidote for such poisoning. Thankfully, most pets can recover if they get treatment soon after becoming ill.

Can I Give My Dog Macadamia Nuts? Answer: No

They are definitely off limits because this nut can have poisonous effects.

A very small amount of macadamia nuts likely won’t harm your dog, but it isn’t worth risking it. This particular nut is associated with a number of health benefits, but just the high levels of fat alone makes macadamias a bad food for dogs. It’s a good example of a people food that makes no sense to feed. Just don’t do it, seriously!

There’s an excellent peanut-flavored dog treat if you want your pooch to experience the taste of nuts. As you may know, peanuts aren’t harmful for dogs.

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The Macadamia Threshold

If your dog somehow got into your nut supply, there may be cause for concern. Amounts over 1 gram per pound of dog could be worrisome. There’s a large range of sensitivity which means your dog may or may not be affected by a small amount of macadamia nuts.

It’s difficult to gauge so a vet visit may be prudent regardless of how much was consumed. Be on the safe side because macadamia poisoning for dogs can be quite serious if left untreated.

Symptoms to Watch For

There are many health effects that dogs can experience after eating some macadamias. Toxicosis symptoms usually occur up to 12 hours after ingestion. The effects are much like an allergic reaction whereby the body is affected in a variety of ways, sometimes seriously.

You may witness your dog acting weak and their mood could become depressed. They could very well be vomiting with stomach pains and have a fever as well. Macadamia consumption can also bring muscle weakness, joint pain, ataxia (loss of coordination) or tremors.

Macadamia Poisoning Help

Treating a dog for macadamia nut poisoning also varies greatly depending on the severity of symptoms. Help can involve simply putting your dog under close observation at home. An emergency visit to a veterinarian may be required for serious cases.

Activated charcoal can reduce absorption of harmful elements via the bloodstream. The toxic aspect of macadamia is passed by either vomiting or, over time, through the normal digestive tract functions. A dog can be back to normal in a relatively short period of time, assuming the problem is adequately addressed in time.

The Harmful Kinds of Nuts!

We’ve covered the topic of nuts in general but since there are so many varieties it’s difficult to address all the dangers. Here is a rough list of nuts that are potentially dangerous for dogs:

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Kola, Pistacia, Pine Nuts, Pecans, Almonds, Walnuts, Earth Nuts, Heart, Queensland, Brazil Nut, Paradise, Mongongo, Juniper Berries, Colocynth, Pili, Mamoncillo, Chestnuts, Indian, Water Caltrops, Chufa, Gevuina Avellana, Butternut, Tiger Nuts, Hazelnut, Filberts, Para, Jesuit, Cucurbita Ficifolia, Beech, Pinyon, Oak Acorns, Kluwak, Cream Nuts, Chinkapins, Pistachios, Cashews, Indian Beech, Maya, Gingko Nuts, Cobnuts, Sapucia Nuts, Ogbono and Sapucaya.

Conclusion on Macadamias

There’s no debate that macadamia nuts are toxic and harmful for dogs although nobody knows why. The only good news is that poisoning doesn’t have to be fatal. Once you are aware of a problem, you can act to save your pet dog by going to a veterinary professional.

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