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Macadamia nuts are a standard ingredient in nut mixes and desserts. They’re a tasty, creamy nut that may be a supply of a number of nutritional vitamins and minerals, in addition to fiber and antioxidants. So, you could be tempted to share your macadamia nut snack along with your pup, however you need to know that macadamia nuts are thought-about poisonous to canines.
Can Dogs Eat Macadamia Nuts?
Consumption of macadamia nuts can result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, melancholy and lethargy, weak spot within the again legs, fever, muscle tremors, and lack of coordination.
For some canines, consuming macadamia nuts might solely result in delicate indicators for a day or two that resolve on their very own. However, some canines might require intensive hospitalization and veterinary care when affected by macadamia toxicity.
What to Do if Your Dog Eats Macadamia Nuts
Since there’s no approach so that you can know the way your canine will reply to consuming macadamia nuts, it’s suggested to contact your vet or a pet poison helpline instantly in the event that they devour any quantity of macadamia nuts. It could be exhausting to inform how your canine particularly will react, so fast intervention is the most effective plan of action. You will probably be advised to deliver your pet to an emergency clinic so remedy could be began.
Macadamia Nut Poisoning and How It’s Treated
The first indicators of macadamia nut poisoning are often type of nondescript points equivalent to lethargy and vomiting. Dogs can also have a fever. The subsequent stuff you’ll usually see are weak spot within the hind legs, incoordination, and doubtlessly muscle tremors. More severe circumstances might contain excessive fever, shaking, or an incapacity to stroll.
As already mentioned, the very first thing you could do in case your canine eats even a single macadamia nut is to name a pet poison helpline and your vet. If it’s caught early sufficient, your vet could possibly induce vomiting. Depending on what number of nuts have been consumed, your vet might doubtlessly advise you to look at them at dwelling for any destructive indicators, however extra severe care might be wanted, during which case supportive therapies are used. These embody intravenous fluids, muscle relaxants, ache relievers, and anti-nausea medicines.
Keep in thoughts that it’s potential that some canines might be stored in a single day for shut monitoring of the canine’s important indicators, gastrointestinal motility, and ache ranges.
Safe Nut Alternatives for Dogs
If your canine has a hankering for nuts, there are much better alternate options. Some secure nut choices (all of which ought to be plain, unsalted, and shelled) that may be supplied carefully embody:
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Macadamia Nuts Can Dogs Eat Before It Becomes Dangerous?
Technically, canines ought to by no means eat any macadamia nuts. However, accidents occur. A tough estimate of the toxicity degree is 2 grams (0.10 ounce), or about one entire macadamia nut, per 2 kilos physique weight. This means a 10-pound canine would probably must eat 5 nuts to expertise points. Keep in thoughts that decrease doses can nonetheless trigger a few of the toxicity indicators listed above, however they will not be as extreme.
Since the severity of toxicity can differ relying in your canine’s measurement and the variety of nuts consumed, you need to by no means give them to your canine, even when it’s only a small chew. If your canine consumes macadamia nuts, you need to contact a pet poison helpline or your vet, no matter how few they consumed. Some canines might develop severe issues from a really small quantity of macadamia nuts, whereas others might solely have delicate indicators for a day or two.
What Other Nuts Are Unsafe for Dogs?
Besides macadamia nuts, there are others that you could keep away from feeding your canine as effectively. Steer away from black walnuts, outdated or moldy walnuts, uncooked cashews, hickory nuts, and Brazil nuts. You additionally have to keep away from any salted or flavored nuts, because the coatings are doubtlessly harmful.
Why Are Nuts Unsafe for Dogs?
The largest concern with providing nuts to canines is their excessive fats content material. Eating too many can result in pancreatitis points and weight problems. They can be choking hazards, and providing seasoned nuts could be outright poisonous to pets.
In Conclusion
Macadamia nuts are considered toxic to dogs. It appears that totally different canines react otherwise to various quantities of macadamia nuts, so there’s no option to know the way your canine’s physique will reply except they eat some. Due to the dangers related to this, it’s finest to imagine that any quantity of macadamia nuts could cause toxicity indicators in your canine and ought to be averted in any respect prices.
Anytime your canine consumes any macadamia nuts, contact a pet poison helpline or veterinarian to get additional steerage. Some canines might solely expertise delicate issues, however as a result of threat of great issues and even loss of life, macadamia nut consumption ought to be taken very significantly, even when your canine solely eats one or two nuts.
Featured Image Credit: Tony Wu, Shutterstock
