What is Avocado Poisoning?
There are certain types of avocado that are known to be poisonous due to the amount of persin in the avocado leaves, seeds, bark, and fruit. Studies have been conducted that show that avocado is not highly toxic to dogs; however, if a dog were to ingest the seed of an avocado, it could cause illness. Avocado pits can cause blockages within the gastrointestinal tract and different varieties of avocado have varying amounts of persin. Avocado is highly toxic to horses, goats, birds, and cattle, and with dogs, depending on the amount they consume, can end up with an upset stomach. The most toxic portion of an avocado is the leaf.
Avocado poisoning in dogs occurs when dogs ingest the pit of an avocado. The avocado pit contains a poisonous substance called persin, and, when ingested, can cause dogs to become ill. The avocado is highly toxic, with the leaf being of most danger.
Symptoms of Avocado Poisoning in Dogs
Avocado is not highly toxic to dogs; however, after consuming parts of an avocado your dog may develop specific symptoms. Symptoms can include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Difficulty with producing stools
Types
Illness from eating an avocado may be confused with other conditions, especially if there is no evidence of avocado consumption. Differential diagnoses are:
- Vitamin E deficiency
- Selenium deficiency
- Cardiomyopathy
- Infectious myocarditis
- Infections causing mastitis
Causes of Avocado Poisoning in Dogs
The cause of illness from ingesting avocado comes from the dog consuming the fruit, pit, stem or the leaves. Canines are thought to be relatively resistant to the poisonous effects of avocado, though there have been a few cases of toxicity documented. The consumption of large amounts will cause gastrointestinal irritation, and the pit of the avocado presents a danger due to the size, which can lead to an obstruction if swallowed. Many other mammals will suffer myocardial necrosis and lactation issues as a result of ingesting an avocado.
Diagnosis of Avocado Poisoning in Dogs
If you know that your dog has consumed avocado, call your veterinarian. Once you get to the veterinarian, he will check your dog for any clinical signs of distress and do a physical examination. The veterinarian may choose to do a urinalysis, blood work, and biochemistry profile, simply to check your dog’s system to make sure of the amount, if any, of abnormalities.
A definitive diagnosis of avocado poisoning is made by the veterinarian by looking at your dog’s symptoms and having knowledge of exposure and consumption of avocado. If your dog is a female and is lactating, mastitis may occur within one full day of the ingestion of the avocado and milk production may significantly decrease. The mammary glands become very swollen and hard and may produce abnormal-looking milk.
Treatment of Avocado Poisoning in Dogs
Since the degree of toxicity of avocados to dogs is quite debatable, the veterinarian will be the one to make the expert decisions concerning treatment. If the dog has ingested the avocado pit and it is lodged in his GI tract, the veterinarian will need to use an endoscope to locate the pit and remove it. As for side effects from the persin, treatment methods may include:
Analgesics
If your dog is a lactating female and is showing signs of mastitis, the veterinarian will prescribe pain medication and analgesics to help with the pain and swelling.
Drugs
If by chance your dog ingested enough avocado to affect the heart, the veterinarian may prescribe diuretics or antiarrhythmic drugs.
Recovery of Avocado Poisoning in Dogs
Prognosis is considered good in many cases of avocado consumption. Once your dog is treated, he will more than likely recover just fine. In terms of a blockage in the gastrointestinal tract from the pit, this depends on the severity of blockage in the recovery from surgery to remove the pit. It is important to follow your veterinarian’s instructions for at-home recovery. The veterinarian will explain to you how to administer any analgesics or other medications, and will let you know of any side effects from these drugs. If any new symptoms occur or if you have any questions, it is important to contact the physician.
Avocado Poisoning Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Has Symptoms
My dog ate an avocado pit about six months ago and has not experienced any symptoms. However, today my mom said he did poo and found a little blood in there. I am not sure if it was because of this incident or what else could have caused this.
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my 4 month old puppy chewed and ingested avocado leaves. then i observed that he eats less than the usual. his poop is loose and has traces of avocado leaves and sometimes has blood in it. though he plays sometimes but he is not his usual self. what home remedy can i give him? thanks. Net from Philippines
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My dog ate part of an avocado yesterday. Has has diarrhea and 11 hours thrown up twice will not eat or drink. Just wants to sleep? Cant afford to go to the vet unless I give her up. Please help.
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Avocados, thankfully, are not very poisonous to dogs (or cats, but more serious in other species) but may cause some gastrointestinal upset (diarrhoea and vomiting). Generally, the most serious complication of avocado ingestion in dogs is whether or not the pit was ingested as this may cause a gastrointestinal obstruction. I would recommend encouraging Sarah to drink and possibly mixing some wet food with some water and syringe into her mouth; if you see no improvement after a day or so, a visit to your Veterinarian may be required regardless of cost. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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I was eating an avocado and gave the rest to my dog over his dry food. no pit or outside of the avocado was ingested but my dog is acting unusual. Very sleepy, kinda just moping around not being his playful puppy self. He is huge, maybe the size of a baby bull.
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My 140 lb male golden ate an avocado seed a week ago and I have not found it yet in his poop
My dog ripped open the garbage and ate a portion of the avocado pit. It doesn’t seem large enough to block his intestines, but I am more nervous about the toxins. Should he be ok?
my 5 yr. old female doberman has been eating avocado pits from very ripe once laying on the ground. (we have a grove) and they come out from her rear , totally intact. however, her stool is very dry and she spits up some grass every now and than. I guess I have to have her on a leash now, so she does not get in to any real trouble. thanks for all the info. on this site.
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My dog has been vomiting for 1-2 times for 2 days now after having gotten into the garbage. There were avocado skins and pits in the garbage and I read that they may be poisonous to dogs. He was quite lethargic after the initial garbage incident but had seemed better and back to his normal self the next day until he vomited again. Is there anything that I can do to help him? How dangerous is the situation?
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There is little evidence to support avocados being poisonous to dogs, however the ingestion of pits/stones/seeds (or however you call them) may cause a gastrointestinal obstruction. There really isn’t a treatment apart from surgery to remove any obstruction that may be caused or mineral oil to help it along; if the vomiting persists, it would be best to visit your Veterinarian for a checkup to check for any obstructions. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/avocado/
www.msdvetmanual.com/toxicology/food-hazards/avocado
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I took my 9 year old hound for her annual exam. The vet notice arrhythmia that seemed severe and referred is to a cardiologist. We had an echo cardiogram done which found ventricular irregular heart beats and 2/3 of the way through she had an episode of supraventricular tachycardia 200 bpm which dropped off shortly back to normal. The vet was puzzled as to why two abnormalities from two different parts of heart. Heart size and valves normal. So we opted for a holter monitor. Last night I saw an article about toxic people Foods and remembered that about s wedk to ten days ago she took a bag of avocados off counter and ate them. Not sure but I think there were three. She ate skins and most of the pits. All the literature I e read says dogs don't get cardiac toxicity from avocados. My question is whether this is a viable theory to follow up on and what the treatment would be? Is it irreversible damage or is there hope?
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I am wondering if undeveloped, new avocados, (they look about an inch long and kind of like a sweet pickle) are toxic to dogs? The skin on these baby avocados is very thin, smooth, light green, and there isn't a seed inside, or it's so tiny it doesn't look like a seed yet. My dog loves them. We take them away from her whenever we see her with one, but we are wondering if there are any longterm effects, or cumulative effects we need to worry about, or if we can just let her have her treasure when she finds one. Thank you.
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