Why is avocado bad for dogs

Can Dogs Eat Avocado?

NOTE: Always check with your veterinarian first before giving your dog any new foods, especially people foods. What might be okay for one dog might not be good for your dog, depending on multiple factors, such as their age, health history, health conditions, and diet. Dogs on prescription diets should not be fed any food or treats outside the diet.

You were slicing an avocado for your Cobb salad, and your black Labrador Retriever scarfed up a slice that slid off the cutting board.You panic.

Are avocados poisonous to dogs? Should you take your dog to the emergency clinic? Or are avocados actually good for dogs?

Relax and take a deep breath. It is likely that your pup will be just fine. Heres everything you need to know about dogs and avocados.

Can Dogs Have Avocados?

Heres a breakdown of each part of an avocado and whether dogs can eat it.

Avocado Flesh/Pulp

Avocado pulp is not toxic to dogs, and there are some health benefits to eating the flesh of an avocadoincluding vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants. However, avocados are also high in fat, which can cause pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the digestive organ called the pancreas. In some cases, this condition can even be fatal. Some dogs can develop pancreatitis even if they only eat a small amount of avocado pulp.

You can give your dog the same benefits that they would get from avocados by feeding them other foods that are lower in fat and do not come with the risk of pancreatitis.

Avocado Pit

The pit of an avocado doesnt digest particularly well in a dogs intestinal tract and might cause a gastric or an intestinal blockage.

Once a dog eats an avocadoif their system is not able to process the pitit will become stuck partway through the intestinal tract. If this happens, the only treatment is to surgically remove itjust as if it was a rock, rubber ball, or any other indigestible object.

Avocado Leaves, Bark, and Skin

The one known poison in avocados is persin. Dogs and cats do not appear to be sensitive to this poison, although other animals certainly are.

Persin is a natural antifungal compound that can be produced within the avocado plant. The levels of persin vary between different types of avocados and other external factors. It is present in theleaves, skin, seeds, and fruit of the avocado.

Ingestion of large amounts of persin might bother a dogs stomach, but your dog would have to eat a lot of leaves, bark, or avocado peels. Although dogs might eat the pits, not many dogs will sit down to graze on a meal of avocado leaves.

Can Dogs Eat Guacamole?

No, dogs should not be given guacamole. One of the things that makes it so tasty to humans is all the additional ingredients that are added to it, like onion, garlic, and salt. Garlic and onion are dangerous for dogs, and salt is not healthy for them. It might be okay to share a small amount of avocado with your dog, but guacamole should stay off limits.

Can Dogs Have Avocado Oil?

Avocado oil isnt toxic to dogs because it does not contain persin, and its high in the anti-inflammatory compounds of vitamin E and omega fatty acids. However, its still not considered safe for dogs. This is because its very high in fat, which can trigger pancreatitis in susceptible dogs. It is safest to avoid it altogether.

Can Dogs Be Allergic to Avocado?

Allergies develop with repeated exposures over time. If you are frequently sharing avocado with your dog, it is certainly possible for them to develop a food allergy, but this would be considered rare.

What To Do if Your Dog Eats Avocado

If your dog or puppy eats the pulp of an avocado, watch them for 24-48 hours and report any vomiting, diarrhea, or signs of abdominal discomfort to your veterinarian.

Dogs that develop pancreatitis often start with mild signs of vomiting, which can progress to become life-threatening with time. If your dog has eaten the pit or appears to be choking on part of the avocado, this is an emergency, and you should go to an emergency facility as quickly as possible.

How Vets Treat Dogs That Ate Too Much Avocado

Most dogs that have eaten too much avocado and are showing signs of gastrointestinal distress are treated with fluids and medications to try and relieve their discomfort.

If your dog seems to be having more severe symptoms, your veterinarian will likely recommend a blood panel as well as x-rays. If pancreatitis has developed, your dog will probably need to stay in the hospital for treatment with IV fluids and injectable medications to relieve the inflammation in their pancreas.

Fortunately, eating too much avocado is uncommon in dogs. However, if your pet did eat a lot and starts showing signs of an upset tummy, it is likely time to visit the veterinarian to determine the proper treatment.

Featured Image: iStock/SolStock

Can Dogs Eat Avocado Safely?

If youre the kind of person who puts guac on everything, youre probably wondering if you can share some with your pup. So, can dogs eat avocado?

Its kind of complicated. All parts of the avocado the stem, the peel, the pit and even the flesh contain a fungicidal toxin called persin. The flesh of the avocado (aka the edible part) contains less persin than the other parts of the fruit, so you shouldnt panic if your pup has a small slice or two.

While tiny amounts of avocado flesh are technically OK, youd still have to be really careful about it.

We spoke with Dr. Linda Simon, a veterinary surgeon and a consultant for FiveBarks, and Dr. Michelle Burch, a veterinarian from Safe Hounds Pet Insurance, to find out about the benefits and risks of avocado for dogs.

Avocado benefits for dogs

According to Dr. Burch, there are some health benefits of avocados for dogs, since the fruit is a source of nutrients like:

• Potassium: good for muscle function, nerve function and fluid balance
• Vitamin B6: maintains and supports a healthy immune system
• Vitamin C: reduces inflammation
• Vitamin E: supports immune health, skin health and vision

While there are some health benefits of avocados for dogs, there are other sources of these nutrients that are safer alternatives, since they dont contain any persin at all.

For example, spinach is packed with vitamin E and potassium. Wheat germ and sunflower seeds are good sources of vitamin B6. Vitamin C is something your dog can actually produce himself, so he typically wont need anything supplemental in his diet for that.

Can dogs eat avocado in certain quantities? How much is too much?

Its hard to say exactly how much avocado is too much, since we dont exactly know how much persin is toxic to dogs. The exact amount of persin that causes dogs' adverse effects is currently unknown but appears to affect dogs less commonly than birds and ruminants [aka animals like goats and sheep], Dr. Burch told The Dodo.

If you really want to give your dog some avocado every now and then, keep that amount super small. A small amount of this fruit is not toxic to your pet, and there is no concern if they eat a few slices, Dr. Simon told The Dodo.

Signs of persin toxicity in dogs

While persin is found in all parts of the avocado, the highest concentrations are found in the leaves, skin and pit, according to Dr. Burch. (But your dog could still develop persin toxicity if he eats too much of the flesh, too.)

If your dog does ingest a poisonous amount of persin, signs of toxicity include:

• Gastrointestinal irritation
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Respiratory issues
• Heart damage (this is super rare)

Even though persin toxicity is rarer in dogs than it is in animals like birds, goats and horses, you should still give your vet a call if your pup gets into your guacamole.

Dangers of avocado for dogs

In addition to the presence of persin, there are a few other reasons why avocados bad for dogs.

The pit is a major hazard

The avocado pit does have higher amounts of persin than the fruits flesh, but the most dangerous thing about avocado pits is that they can cause a serious blockage if your dog swallows one.

Avocado pits are so smooth that they might be easier to swallow by accident than youd think.

The size and shape make it the perfect candidate for causing an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Simon said.

Signs of a gastrointestinal obstruction include:

• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Bloating
• Reduced appetite
• Fever

If you notice your dog swallow an avocado pit, bring him to the vet ASAP because that could be a surgical emergency.

Its linked to pancreatitis

If your dog has a history of pancreatitis, the high amount of fat in avocados can actually cause flare-ups.

This is more of a problem in those prone to pancreatitis, who have experienced it before, Dr. Simon said. Ideally, these dogs need to be kept on a low-fat diet.

Can dogs have avocado oil?

While avocado flesh can be OK in small quantities, you should avoid letting your dog have avocado oil.

It also contains persin, but the main concern is actually that avocado oil is high in fat.

This can lead to stomach upset; vomiting, diarrhea and potentially dehydration, Dr. Simon said. In susceptible dogs, there is also a risk of pancreatitis when we feed high-fat oils.

If youre looking for a healthy oil to give your dog, Dr. Burch recommends fish oil instead like salmon oil.

Avocado oil is also lower in the essential fatty acid omega-3 than fish oil, Dr. Burch said. Dogs do not metabolize and benefit from vegetarian sources of fatty acids compared to fish oil.

Can dogs eat guacamole?

When it comes to guacamole, thats one dip you definitely shouldnt let your dog eat. Not even because of the persin content or high levels of fat in the avocado the seasonings and veggies that go into guacamole are often toxic to dogs.

A lot of guacamole recipes will call for diced onions or garlic powder, and both of those ingredients are poisonous for your pup.

These ingredients are toxic to dogs, especially onions and garlic, causing damage to red blood cells, Dr. Burch said.

So while an occasional slice of avocado shouldnt be harmful for your dog, youre definitely going to want to store them somewhere your pup can get into. That way, you wont have to worry about him accidentally swallowing the pit when you arent looking, or eating so much of the fruit (and skin) that he develops persin toxicity.

Recently, using avocado as a healthy fat in diets has become a popular trend. Different variations of avocado toast are sweeping the nation as a healthy meal choice, but there is not much awareness about the potential threat to pets. Although avocado is frequently found on lists of toxic foods for animals, its sometimes unclear how dangerous an avocado ingestion may be, what signs of toxicity to look out for, and what species are sensitive to avocado poisoning. TheASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC)wants to make sure you know the dangers of avocados inside and out.

The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, and more serious signs in other animals due to a wide range in sensitivity across species. Birds, horses and rodents are especially sensitive to avocado toxicity. Sheep and goats can also develop serious clinical signs, so its important to keep avocados away from them as well.

Avocado toxicity can cause serious signs in birds such as: weakness, depression, feather pulling and agitation. With larger exposures we can even see more severe symptoms such as respiratory distress and edema. But the biggest concern for birds is cardiovascular damage, and some ingestions may even be fatal.

Horses, donkeys and ruminants like sheep and goats frequently get swollen, edematous heads and necks.

When using avocado in your diet, be sure to be mindful of its potential danger to your pets or animals on your farm. If an animal ingests avocado, prompt decontamination is essential to prevent serious symptoms. If you suspect your pet has eaten any part of an avocado, please note the amount ingested and contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 as soon as possible.