Are Macadamia Nuts Safe for Dogs

Posted by The Popular News Today on Friday, July 13, 2012

By Jerry Welsh


Responsible dog owners that want the best for the pet would read pet food labels to make sure that the dog is receiving nutrient-rich food. The health of the pet as well as the beautiful appearance of the coat would depend on its diet thus owners make sure that premium quality food is provided for the pet. To ensure the health of the pet, dog owners would still give vitamins and supplements to the pet. People have this notion that what is good for them would be good for the pet too. Thus the doggie bowl of the pet will be filled with table scraps. Dogs will also get a share of the foods eaten by the family.

Dog owners have to be aware that some people foods have dangerous effects on the dog. Dogs have different metabolism and some human foods cannot be tolerated by the dog's systems. Nuts are one of the human foods unsafe for dogs. Almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachio, macadamia and any other kind of nuts must not be given to the dog. Of all the types of nuts, macadamia is the most dangerous to dogs.

Macadamia nuts and other kinds of nuts would be very hard for the dog to digest. Dogs that ingest nuts commonly suffer from stomach upset. Digestion would be made easier if the nuts are chewed but because dog gulp down the food, ingestion of nuts would result to stomach upset. Macadamia, like other kinds of nuts are high in fat and phosphorous. Too much phosphorous in the diet can result to the development of bladder stones. Dog cannot tolerate fats very well. Regular ingestion of fatty foods would result to obesity but apart from this concern, fats in the diet would cause the pancreas to swell so that the digestive enzymes would seep from the pancreas and affect the other organs.

A dog that eats moldy macadamia nuts would seize and develop neurologic health disorders. The substance produced by fungi found in moldy nuts known as tremorgenic mycotoxin is what causes the seizures and the neurologic disorders in dogs. Temporary paralysis is another unwanted effects of macadamia nuts in dogs. Macadamia nuts contain an unknown toxic substance that affects the dog's skeletal muscles. The effects of this toxic substance is usually manifested on the hindquarters of the dog. Movement would be very difficult because of the pain caused by the swollen limbs. Manipulation of the affected limbs would make the pet pant and yelp in pain.

The dog would not suffer from this disability or long as the paralysis is not permanent. The toxic effect of macadamia nuts would be gone after a while. However, for the safety of the pet, it would be a good idea to keep nuts away from the dog's reach.




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