Acorns and Dogs

[JLC]

Are acorns toxic in any way to dogs?

This morning, Mira comes charging in from outside and drops something on the floor that she's obviously VERY pleased with. From a distance, I thought she'd brought a small mouse or a big bug into the house. Turned out to be a moderately sized acorn. She was as excited about it as she would be over a new toy or live mouse. (No, I don't give her live mice, but she's found them on her own in the past.) I have no idea why an acorn, of all things, evoked such a reaction. Maybe it was soaked in squirrel urine? LOL I took it from her and gave her a suitable treat in exchange.

Now I'm concerned. If she plays with acorns, she'll eventually try to eat one. And if she likes it, she'll eat more. We have over 30 oak trees in the backyard, plus countless more hanging over from adjacent properties. No way to keep them "picked up" or anything.

[The Serpent Merchant]

My husky likes to chew on them. So far he hasn't had any negative effects from doing so. I'll ask my sister who is a vet if they can be dangerous.

[Sita]

We had someone call in to our clinic just this week with the same question, but we had to look it up. They can be toxic if the raw meat is ingested, but it's more of a GI upset thing (vomiting, diarrhea) than affecting organs. They generally taste very bitter, so a dog is unlikely to actually eat it. The other thing to worry about is if they're eaten whole is causing a blockage. You'll see vomiting and some diarrhea with that one, but they act very sick and painful in the abdomen, and will need emergency surgery.

So it would be a good idea to try to keep her from eating them, but if she's a larger dog and happens to swallow one, no need to freak out.

[JLC]

Thanks, guys! She's a dobie, so large enough not to get blocked up if she happens to swallow one whole. But I'll definitely be keeping an eye on her and watch for any weirdness. Hopefully this particular one was just a fluke that happened to be covered in squirrel scent or something.

[The Serpent Merchant]

My sister said that in small quantities they aren't any problem (except the possibility of blockage) but in large quantities they can cause problems.