Avocado is a very tasty fruit typical of tropical and subtropical regions and highly appreciated all over the world. It has many beneficial properties for humans, but does the same thing happen to dogs?
Reviews differ and, while some argue that avocado is safe, others include it on the list of fruits that dogs cannot eat. Don’t miss this Animal Expert item where we’ll clarify whether a dog can eat avocado or not.
- Avocado (American persea) is a pyriform fruit whose colors can vary from green to brownish red.
- Characteristic of tropical and subtropical regions and found in great abundance in Brazil.
Consumed in a balanced diet, it has many benefits and applications of nutrition, cosmetics and even human medicine:
Avocado is very popular as fruit, it is prepared in salad, transformed into guacamole or dessert. However, despite its benefits to humans, can dogs eat avocados? Read on to find out.
The practice of feeding dogs on a diet richer in fruits and vegetables, without chemicals such as dyes or preservatives, is increasingly common and practiced. After all, this diet can be beneficial to the animal if the caregiver is well informed and provides a balanced diet to the animal.
Dogs are omnivorous animals, i.e. they can feed on plant and animal sources. It’s pretty normal for your pet to ask you what you eat. But look, because it likes smell and taste, it can not reach to offer it because it cannot distinguish whether it is a toxic food for dogs.
Although avocado appears to be a harmless and beneficial fruit for humans, it contains a fungicide toxin, persine, which is toxic to dogs, cats, horses and birds. Of course, some authors and guardians say they can give avocados to dogs because their own animals have ingested avocados, loved them and repeated them. However, the truth is that not all animals have the same type of metabolism and what in some has side effects, in others do not. However, most of the time, avocado is potentially toxic to dogs and cats, and in birds and horses, it is even more serious and presents a risk of death.
It is not clear what is the minimum cause of poisoning, but the toxin is known to be more concentrated in shells, leaves and seeds, and the pulp has less concentration. Then why take the risk? Avoid offering human food to your dog, especially if it is seasoned and has bones. Therefore, to answer your initial question, a dog should not eat avocado or its derivatives. If your dog has already eaten avocado and hasn’t reacted badly, pay attention to the skin, leaves and heart.
Clinical signs resulting from an avocado-intoxicated dog are not specific, i.e. an animal poisoned by another food, product or disease, may also have these symptoms. However, if you notice any changes with respect to the ones we will indicate below, you should consult your veterinarian immediately.
Symptoms of an intoxicated dog include
If you want to know which foods are prohibited for dogs or which fruits are recommended for dogs, check out these Animal Expert items.
Can a dog eat a banana? If you’ve ever wondered, watch our YouTube video with a full explanation too:
If you want to read articles similar to Can you eat avocado ?, we recommend that you visit our Balanced Diets section.