Can dog's eat... Avocado?

The answer to this question is no, dogs cannot eat avocados. While it might be tempting to let your dog share a slice of avocado as you enjoy your breakfast, it is not recommended, as avocado is bad for dogs.

This is due to the fact that parts of the avocado contain Persin, a fungicidal toxin which can cause health complications for dogs, and in rare or extreme cases may be fatal (they would have to eat a lot of avocado to reach a toxic dose thankfully).

The amount of persin present depends on the part of the plant or fruit it's in. Highest concentrations are found in the leaves and bark of the avocado plant.  The concentration is also fairly high in the pits and skins of the fruit, and then lowers as we move to the flesh of the fruit. Unripened avocados contain more persin per fruit than ripened ones, so keep these out of reach of your dog.

Reading this you might panic and worry if your dog eats a bit of avocado, but It's important to remember that persin toxicity is rare in dogs and consuming a single avocado is very unlikely to cause death.

That said, there are other issues that could arise from feeding small amounts of avocado such as  gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, and if eaten whole or in large portions would be a choking hazard. For this reason, we suggest you avoid feeding your dog avocados entirely. Consider offering your dog safer fruits that don’t come with potential health risks, we have lots of helpful articles to help your dog’s digestion.

#What is persin and why is it bad for my dog?

Persin is a  fungicidal toxin present in the flesh, bark and leaves of the avocado plant. Persin is an oil-soluble compound structurally similar to a fatty acid, and it leaches into the body of the avocado fruit from the seed. The relatively low concentration of persin in the ripe pulp of avocados is considered harmless to us humans, but is toxic to our canine friends. This is especially true when dogs accidentally eat the leaves or bark from an avocado tree, or the skins and seed of an avocado fruit.

Generally speaking if your dog consumes large amounts of any part of the avocado plant it can lead to complications such as: 

• Gastrointestinal disturbance, ingestion of avocado will likely lead to symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, as avocados are high in fats which can upset the delicate bacterial flora of the digestive system.
• Choking, the seeds in avocados are large and may present a potential choking hazard for your dog as well potential for internal obstruction if ingested. Learn how to help a choking dog.
• Pancreatitis, or an inflammatory reaction of the pancreas in response to the high fat content of avocados. Some dogs, such as schnauzers are particularly sensitive to pancreatitis, and even a small amount of fat can be enough to trigger the pancreas into an inflammatory state. For most dogs, continued consumption of large amounts of avocado (or high fat food)  would be needed to result in pancreatitis. Symptoms of pancreatitis can be quite severe and may need hospitalisation or vet care to treat. Look out for symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and lethargy.

As you can see, avocado is not a good choice of fruit for your dog. If you have avocado trees in your backyard make sure they are out of paws reach by fencing them off, and pick up fallen leaves or branches to ensure no fruit or tree material can be consumed by your dog.

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##Can my dog eat products with avocado oil in it?

While avocado oil is free from the toxin persin. It is not recommended to feed your dog products with avocado oil in it. This is because of the high fat content in avocado oil and the risks associated with pancreatitis or gastroenteritis for your dog. 

If you want to use oils in your dogs diet, try to stick to healthier oils which will benefit your dogs health such as small amounts of salmon or flax seed oil which are safer for your dog while still giving them that omega 3 boost.

#What happens if my dog eats an avocado?

Small amounts of ripe avocado flesh are unlikely to cause issues for your dog. The flesh is the part which contains the lowest levels of persin. However, eating larger amounts of avocado or if your dog eats the stone, bark or leaves of the plant this may cause issues for your dog. If you find your dog has eaten any of the above, you should monitor your dog for symptoms such as:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Lethargy
• Adopting a ‘praying’ stance with legs stretched forwards
• Coughing or wretching immediately after consuming the harder material such as the stone or pit

If any of these symptoms are present contact your veterinarian immediately. Try to provide details on how much, and what material was eaten, so that your veterinarian can make an informed decision on how to proceed with treatment.

#Summary

Now we know why dogs can’t eat avocados. Whilst the health benefits for humans are plentiful, for dogs, the risks of gastrointestinal upset and toxic components make avocado a bad choice for dogs.