Has your puppy eaten some avocado? Are you worried the avocado will make him sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. We know it’s scary when a puppy eats something they shouldn’t!
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To help you and your puppy, we’ve put together some information about avocados and whether or not they can make a puppy sick. Let’s get started!
What is an Avocado?
Avocados are a fruit that comes from the Persea americana, which is a tree that originated in Mexico. The avocado we eat is actually a large berry produced by the tree! Who knew?
Each avocado has an outer skin, with fruit on the inside and a pit in the middle. The pit is the seed of the avocado tree.
While avocados are healthy for pet parents, what about puppies? Can puppies eat avocado?
Avocados & Puppies
Avocado is not recommended for puppies or dogs for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the pit in the middle of the fruit can cause an intestinal blockage if eaten. For another, the skin and even the fruit of the avocado contain a poison called persin.
Persin is not highly toxic to dogs; however, the level of toxicity is determined by how much of the fruit was eaten, as well as the dog’s size. With puppies, they are very small, so it doesn’t take as much of the poison to make them sick. And if a puppy managed to eat the pit, this the part of the fruit that contains the most poison.
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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Avocado Poisoning in Puppies
You may notice these symptoms if your puppy has eaten some avocado:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
If your puppy has eaten some avocado and/or eaten the pit, then call the vet immediately.
Treatment of Avocado Poisoning in Puppies
At the vet’s, they will perform a complete physical examination of your dog. This may include blood work and images, such as x-rays. The vet will want to determine if the dog has been poisoned and/or has an intestinal blockage.
Treatment of avocado poisoning will depend on how much of the fruit the puppy has eaten. The vet may prescribe pain medication, as well as other medicines to relieve the puppy’s symptoms.
If your puppy has an intestinal blockage, he may need to have emergency surgery to remove the avocado pit.
The good news is that in most cases, your puppy should make a full recovery if he’s received prompt medical treatment for avocado poisoning or an intestinal blockage. Your puppy will be back to his playful self again in no time!
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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