Is avocado bad for dogs?

You may wonder – avocado is healthy, why can’t we give it to our dogs? Avocado is considered a healthy food for humans but it does not mean the same goes for your pets. Persin is a toxin that is present in avocados and can be potentially dangerous when ingested by dogs.

Avocado is deemed as a healthy food for humans, but is it safe for dogs to eat? Although small amounts of avocado can be OK for your canine best friend, pet owners should consider the risks involved as avocado is not totally safe for dogs. In fact, all parts of the avocado such as the leaves, fruit (or avocado meal which is the green part between the pit and skin of the avocado), and bark of the avocado tree can be lethal to your dogs due to persin. Moreover, the seed of the avocado poses a potential choking hazard and this can cause gastrointestinal blockage to your dogs. That is why it is best to avoid feeding avocado to your dog.

close up of a yorkshire terrier in a clinic — Dogs can get extremely sick just by eating avocados

What happens if a dog accidentally ate a toxic part of an avocado?

Avocado can be a staple food in some households while other pet owners have an avocado tree in their backyard. This can cause a serious problem as dogs can be quite curious and may inadvertently get hold of the avocado without the knowledge of their pet owners. As a result, dogs that have eaten any part of the avocado may show some signs of illness such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, vomiting, or even can result to death in dogs. What pet owners can do is immediately report to a veterinarian especially if a dog eats the leaves, bark, or pit of the avocado which are highly toxic to dogs.

If you are looking for healthy and safe human food for your pooches, then consider giving them peanut butter instead. Not only do they love it, but it also provides healthy fats, Vitamin B, and protein. Other healthier and safer options are green beans, peas, and carrots.

Avocado is healthy for humans but it is not 100% safe for dogs to eat. The toxin in avocado can be fatal to your dogs so it is much better to avoid feeding avocado to your dogs. There are other human foods such as carrots and peanut butter that dogs can safely consume. Add to that, your canine friend simply loves them. That is indeed a bonus!

How about corn or chocolate? Always do your research and check with a veterinarian before giving any type of food to your pets.