It’s a fact that until a few years ago, avocados weren’t as popular as they are today. Thus, we may consider it to be a relatively “new” taste for the majority of the people. This leads us into thinking “can puppies eat avocado?”. If you have also been wondering about this, you’ve come to the right post. We have researched all the information for your need and put it into these 4 most frequently asked questions:
Yes, but not really…
The truth is that due to their composition, avocadoes can be toxic for dogs and they can give them some serious health issues. We’re talking about the presence of persin, which is a toxic element for your dog. We’ll get into more detail about this further in the post.
Even though dogs are somehow resistant to persin, you should still be careful. Small amounts won’t affect your dog, but we advise you to avoid it.
Keep reading to know more.
This toxin, persin, is considered to be less toxic to dogs than to the majority of other animals. Nonetheless, it can cause harm depending on the quantity your dog has ingested.
If you find out that your dog ate avocado and you are not sure about the quantity, we highly advise you to take a trip to the vet, especially if your dog is showing symptoms of discomfort.
On the other hand, if you know that your dog didn’t eat a lot at once and didn’t consume the pit, it’s almost certain that nothing bad will happen to him. In case you have doubts, contact the vet.
Persin is more concentrated in the pit and the skin of the avocado. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s not present in the flesh as well. In short, if your dog has only eaten the flesh and in a small quantity, he is probably fine.
Note that you must watch out for any symptoms your dog might reveal for the next 24 to 48 hours. In case you see symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, apparent discomfort and diminished appetite, you must contact your pet’s vet.
On the other side, if your dog has ingested the avocado’s pit, they might reveal signs of stomach irritation and intestinal tract since it may become a blockage in their intestines and it’s not possible to know if it has been passed out or not. In this case, we strongly advise you to take a trip to the vet, especially if your dog is showing signs of being in pain.
The skin of the avocado is what contains the highest amount of persin, but he should be fine if the quantity he ate was small. As we’ve mentioned earlier, persin is not as toxic for dogs as for many other animals. Just make sure you keep an eye on the side effects, such as intestinal discomfort, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you notice any of these signs, do not hesitate on going to a vet.
It’s possible that you’re now scared to give any variation of avocado to your dog due to its harmful composition. Nonetheless, avocado oil doesn’t contain persin. This essentially means that you can indeed cook your dog’s food in avocado oil occasionally.
The maximum quantity you can give your dog is only one tablespoon of avocado oil once a week – not daily.
However, it’s best to avoid cooking his food in oil, not only avocado oil but any type. The reason behind this has to do with its immense fat level, which is unhealthy for the dogs.
There are mainly three types of risks involved in feeding avocado to puppies. We have approached each one of them, in order to give you a more detailed insight.
As we’ve stated more than once in this post persin is a toxic element for animals and is incorporated in the avocado’s composition. Contrary to what most people may think, persin isn’t only present in the flesh of avocadoes. In fact, it can be found on the plant itself, the pit, the skin, and the flesh. The flesh of an avocado is the part where persin is less concentrated.
Fortunately, dogs are more resistant to persin in comparison with other animals, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be cautious.
For instance, if you have this fruit growing on your yard, try keeping your dog as far away from the plant as possible. Do not forget to warn the other house members to do so as well.
The truth is that the pit is the most dangerous part of the avocado for your dog due to the choking hazard.
Dogs are highly susceptible to swallowing it by accident while playing with it or thinking it is edible as well. If this happens, besides of choking, the chances of the pit becoming a blockage in their intestines are high and there’s no way to find out if it has been passed or not. Hence the reason to be aware of your dog trying to steal it as this might happen without noticing. Just make sure that you hide it well when discarding it.
Note that you must contact your vet if this happens.
It has probably come to your knowledge that avocado contains unsaturated fats, which are good for health and one of the reasons why it is becoming a popular fruit. However, dogs don’t need this fat - too much of it can cause them harm.
In fact, it can be life-threatening to them as fat causes pancreatitis in dogs, which is an inflammation of the pancreas. If you notice signs of fever, decreased appetite or diarrhea, contact your pet’s vet right away since these are the main symptoms of that disease.
Overall, we advise you not to feed avocadoes to your dog at all as there are more risks than benefits.
Your puppy will highly appreciate that you’re keeping yourself informed about potential risks that might come with feeding them food that causes certain aliments. This is why we’ve carefully researched what foods your dog can and cannot eat.
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