Are macadamia nuts toxic to dogs?
Are macadamia nuts toxic to dogs? Are they poisonous to dogs? Well yes, it is well documented that this is the case. Macadamia nuts are becoming more popular these days, especially during the holiday season, so poisoning cases are on the rise. So be sure to keep them well away from your dogs.
What are the symptoms of macadamia nut poisoning in the dog?
What symptoms would you be likely to see? Well, clinical signs are usually seen within 12 hours of ingestion, often much sooner. Initially, they could include incoordination, lethargy, vomiting and muscle tremors. Followed by a raised body temperature, weakness, and an elevated heart rate amongst other symptoms.
Be aware that symptoms can be markedly worse if chocolate is ingested along with the nuts. This is seen in cases where the dogs ate chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Chocolate can also be a serious toxin for dogs.
How many macadamia nuts does it take to cause toxicity to dogs?
How many macadamia nuts would constitute a toxic dose when swallowed? Actually, this seems to be quite a variable and the toxic levels seem to vary between individual dogs. However, the reported toxic dose ranges from between 2.4 to 62.4 grams of nut per kilogram of the dog’s body weight. This is a very large range and can mean that some dogs will get ill with just a small amount of nuts ingested, while other dogs need to eat a lot of nuts to show signs of toxicity.
What is the treatment for macadamia nut poisoning in the dog?
If your dog has ingested macadamia nuts within the last hour you should make your dog vomit at once to recover them, if you can quickly do this then everything should be fine. Please follow this link for precise instructions on how to do this best: LINK
Once vomiting has been induced you could also give your dog activated charcoal. This acts to coat the lining of the digestive system so that absorption of the toxin from the digested nuts is reduced. The recommended dose of activated charcoal for dogs is between 1 to 3 gm per kilogram of the dog’s body weight. Repeated doses can be given every six hours at half the original dose.
Unfortunately, other than inducing vomiting or administering activated charcoal there is no specific antidote to macadamia nut poisoning in dogs. Basically the dogs that are affected are treated symptomatically and supported until the toxin drains its way out of the dog’s system. You may be able to handle a very mild case at home but beyond that, you should get your local vet involved.
Where more severe symptoms are seen measures such as intravenous fluids will be used. Where severe muscle tremors are present drugs can be given to control this. And elevated heart rates should also be controlled with drugs. Where the dog has an elevated body temperature this can be handled with cold towels. In very severe cases the dog’s blood clotting mechanisms can be affected. If this happens plasma transfusions and heparin therapy may be needed. This is rare though.
What is the outlook for Macadamia nut poisoning in the dog?
From the literature, I can report that thankfully deaths are rare. I have dealt with quite a few cases of Macadamia nut poisoning in the dog. My experience is that most dogs will make a recovery within 48 hours with just simple support and care. But do not take chances …
Further reading.
Please follow this link for an accurate in depth article which covers macadamia nut toxicity in the dog: LINK