Feeding nuts in general, almonds in particular

[Spyglass Sally]

Do you guys give your dogs almonds? I know macadamia nuts are supposed to be bad, but I'm not finding any clear info on if that's all nuts or, if not, which other ones are also toxic or overly difficult to digest.

[daisy'smom]

Well I have an almond tree and Georgie has been eating them for months. She learned how to shuck them and get the nut out! I can't keep her out of them. My patio is nothing but almond shells all over. I guess they must be OK. So far she has had no problem with them.

[Doreen]

I don't give any nuts, just to be safe!

[nikita&memo]

Originally Posted by daisy'smom

Well I have an almond tree and Georgie has been eating them for months. She learned how to shuck them and get the nut out! I can't keep her out of them. My patio is nothing but almond shells all over. I guess they must be OK. So far she has had no problem with them.

I would double check about the almonds, just to be sure Tanny. Almonds are usually listed along with macadamia as not safe....i believe they can cause bladder stones.

[KeeperBoy]

We've never given nuts, mostly because we just don't keep them in the house because DH doesn't like them. That being said, if we did have some I would give the pups one or two.

[Ruby Red]

Ummm, spent an interesting evening researching this. It’s possible that the confusion lies in the fact that there are 2 different types of almonds – bitter almonds which contain cyanide and sweet almonds which don’t –

http://www.aspca.org/online-communit...ranscript.html

In general, nuts are safe for dogs. They are high in fat, so in some dogs they can cause an inflammation of the pancreas, which can be serious. They are also high in calories, and can contribute to obesity. In general, avoid feeding a large amount of nuts. One type of nut to watch out for is the macadamia nut. For reasons we don't understand, dogs who eat these become weak, unsteady on their feet and may develop tremors. In addition, they may vomit. Usually, they recover on their own, but severe cases may need to go to the veterinarian. As few as four or five macadamia nuts can cause problems in a 10-pound dog.

A lot of people ask about almonds because some sources say they contain cyanide. Bitter almonds contain cyanide but these are not sold for food in this country. Sweet almonds, the kind we do eat, do not contain cyanide. —Dr. Eric Dunayer

Another site here suggests there is no current data to show that almonds are harmful.

http://hubpages.com/hub/10-Things-No...ood-Dog-Health

Nuts - All nuts contain fats, which can lead to gastrointestinal upset, such as vomiting and diarrhoea. Foods with high fat contents can also potentially produce an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In addition, many commercially sold nuts are salted-and if a pet consumed a large volume of salt from the nuts, this could potentially pose a risk for the development of a sodium ion toxicosis. Nuts known to be toxic are walnuts and macadamia nuts. Brazil nuts - The good news is that there is currently no data indicating that Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) or almonds (Prunus dulcis) are toxic to animals

The vegetarian society in it’s listings for dog diets only mentions that macadamia nuts should be avoided [http://www.vegsoc.org/info/dogfood2.html]

Some sites list almonds as being dangerous/poisonous but don’t give any explanation or reasoning why – it’s just listed along with other items.

My unqualified guess would be that a couple of nuts/almonds every now and then wouldn’t do them any harm, although mine don't get any!
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[Spyglass Sally]

Thanks Stephanie!!! That's some really good info!

[daisy'smom]

Thanks for the info Stephine! Georgie sure has enjoyed all the almonds in the back yard! Hopefully all my almonds will be gone soon till next year. They are still falling off the tree.