Last Updated on March 6, 2023 by Woody Pet

Can Dogs Eat Avocado?

With the Avocado Craze going on and about in today’s society, millennials have developed a liking to this fruit and have found many creative recipes, formulas and all sorts of applications to incorporate the fruit into their everyday diets and meals. 

This is because avocado has its many perks and benefits. They are high in terms of nutritional value, they increase fat burning especially when mixed with sour cream, salsa and hot peppers, and they reduce the feeling and urge of hunger.

Now, this begs the question in this topic at hand: “If I can eat avocados, can dogs eat avocados, too?”

The straightforward answer is actually no. 

To delve more into this rather controversial topic, we must discuss the chemical compositions of avocado, why veterinarians very much on the same page as to why avocados are bad for your pet dog.

Is Avocado Bad for Dogs? What Are Its Side Effects?

As trendy as avocados may be in the everyday diet of modern days, the same cannot be said for our four-legged friends. 

Avocados contain a fungicidal toxin which is called persin, which is known to cause serious health problems – even death – in many types and kinds of animals.

You might be wondering as to what part/s of the avocado is persin present, it is actually found in the avocado fruit itself, as well as the leaves, pits and the actual plant, therefore making all of the parts of the avocado plant being potentially dangerous and poisonous for your pet dog.

Most of the persin is concentrated on the leaves, skin, and pit of the avocado plant, and is also present in the skin of the fruit albeit in small concentrations.

The exact amount of persin that poses lethality is not known, although, in large amounts, it is known to cause vomiting, diarrhea, and myocardial damage. 

The flesh of the avocado contains large amounts of fat, and can, therefore, cause gastrointestinal upset and pancreatitis in dogs if it eats too much, and because of it being dense in terms of the number of calories per serving, it can also lead to weight gain.

Another worry in regards to the avocado fruit is the stone which is at the center of the fruit, which is a cause for concern because of it being a choking hazard. 

Veterinarians claim that dogs have higher tolerances to persin and are therefore more resistant to its effects, but this does not entirely guarantee that avocados are one hundred percent safe for your dog.

Oh No, My Dog Ate Avocado! What Should I Do!?

If you find yourself in a potentially hazardous such as your dog having consumed an avocado without your supervision, the best course of action in response to this is to observe your dog in the next few hours.

Try to make critical assessments as you go through. Identify how much avocado your dog has eaten, what parts of it have been eaten such as the skin, seed, or flesh, and keep a note of the vital information you have managed to gather.

Try to make it drink lots of fluids to dilute the persin that may have possibly made its way into your dog’s digestive system and call a veterinarian and let him or her know that your dog has eaten avocado.

The highest probability to anticipate an even that might occur in this scenario is that your dog might vomit due to poisoning or have diarrhea, in which case it is essentially more vital that you should hydrate your dog as often as possible to replenish the loss of fluids. During the next few hours or so, watch your dog closely for any more symptoms.

Your veterinarian may ask you to do a few things, as stated above. He or she may ask you to observe your dog’s behaviour in the next few hours or if it is a more serious case, may ask you to bring your dog to the veterinary clinic for a more thorough process of diagnosis, monitoring, and observance. 

Dogs and Avocados: How to take it away from your pet’s reach – You Might Want To Take Notes!

Having been introduced to all the dangers and risks that avocados pose towards your pet dog; it should be second nature to keep these fruits away from your pets as much as possible.

Dogs are not particularly sensitive to the persin that is present in avocado and only sees it as something that’s squishy to the bite and a bit sweet in the taste. 

Therefore, the responsibility of being proactive in terms of protecting your pet from this fruit rests upon you, the dog owner. 

Always put avocados in far to reach places, even for your kids. You must instruct your kids and whoever else might be present within the immediate vicinity of your dog to never feed it avocados, bearing in mind the toxic properties that avocados have for your pet. 

To finalize everything that has been discussed in the following subtopics above, it is worth repeating the question that has instigated this inquiry in the first place, which is “Can dogs eat avocado?” To which the answer is a clear and definite no.

Avocados contain a toxic fungicide called persin, a chemical that is quite safe for humans, but cannot be said the same for dogs or any domesticated animal or livestock for this matter.

The toxic chemical persin in question is found all throughout the avocado plant, from its pit, flesh, skin, and leaves, where it is mostly concentrated. It needs no further clarification that no part of an avocado should be at paw’s reach for your pet.

Avocados must be stored in hard to reach places. Children and other accompanying adults in the household must be informed never to feed avocados to your dog.

If your dog has eaten avocados, observe it closely for any negative symptoms, hydrate it by giving it lots of fluids to sip on and if symptoms persist, contact your dog’s veterinarian.