Nuts That Are Toxic to Dogs

In this guide

Nuts are a common snack in Indian households, whether roasted, salted, or folded into sweets and gifts during the festive season. Most nuts are not acutely poisonous to dogs, but a few carry real risks, and even the safer ones come with caveats worth knowing.

Nuts to avoid

• Macadamia nuts: cause weakness, tremors, vomiting and an elevated temperature in dogs, though the exact toxic mechanism is still not fully understood; while less commonly found in Indian kitchens than in Western ones, they do appear in imported chocolates, cookies and gift hampers
• Mouldy or old walnuts: walnuts that have gone mouldy, whether black walnuts or ordinary ones stored too long, can contain toxins called tremorgenic mycotoxins that cause tremors and seizures; this is more about storage than the walnut itself
• Pistachios and almonds in large amounts: not acutely toxic in the way macadamias are, but their high fat content can trigger pancreatitis, and shells pose a choking and intestinal blockage risk

Nuts that are generally safer in small amounts

• Roasted, unsalted peanuts, plain and in small quantities
• Cashews, plain and unsalted, in small amounts

Even these safer nuts should be given sparingly. Salted, spiced or masala-coated nuts common in Indian snacking, such as chilli-coated or heavily salted peanuts, can cause stomach upset and contribute to excess sodium intake, and any nut in large quantity risks pancreatitis due to fat content.

Symptoms of nut-related poisoning

• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Weakness, especially in the hind legs, particularly with macadamia exposure
• Tremors
• Elevated body temperature
• Abdominal pain, which can point to pancreatitis rather than direct toxicity

What to do

If your dog eats macadamia nuts or nuts that show visible mould, contact your vet, describing the type and approximate amount eaten. Most macadamia toxicity resolves with supportive care such as fluids and monitoring within a day or two, though it should still be treated seriously rather than assumed to pass on its own. If your dog develops abdominal pain, repeated vomiting or lethargy after eating any large quantity of nuts, have them checked for pancreatitis, which can be a more serious and longer-lasting problem than the nuts themselves.

Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.