As a good and responsible dog owner, it’s your responsibility to care about what’s your dog is eating. So, researching before you give your dog anything is necessary. Nuts do add nutritional value to both humans and dogs as they are rich in protein and fiber. But do you know that they are rich in fat, and not all the nuts are beneficial for the dogs? Let’s take hazelnuts as the point of discussion. Hazelnuts are not toxic to dogs, but as they are solid, one can face difficulty in chewing. Furthermore, they are raw, roasted, or covered in chocolate which makes them problem creating nuts. Finally, if they are consumed in large quantities and regularly, they can be dangerous for the dogs.
Why Are Hazelnuts Bad For Dogs?
Although two or three hazelnuts won’t create any problem if they are consumed in large quantities and that too regularly, they can create various health problems, including choking and blockages hazards. In such cases, you should immediately rush to the vet or nearby hospital. There is no need to panic as hazelnuts won’t lead to the sad demise of your dog, but there are many aspects that make hazelnuts unhealthy for the dogs.
Pancreatitis
Hazelnuts are rich in fat, and eating too many hazelnuts can cause inflammation of the pancreas as it is unable to break down the excessive fat or function properly. Pancreatitis also leads to damage to the surrounding organs and tissues. The signs that will let you know about this problem are diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, fever, and loss of appetite. Contact your vet if you find any of these symptoms, as they can be fatal if overlooked for long enough.
Obesity
As you know, hazelnuts are rich in fat, so they could also lead to weight gain or obesity. Extra pounds on your pet can affect their energy levels and can cause health issues such as heart disease, joint pain, lethargy, diabetes, kidney failure, etc. Obesity will make your dog a potato couch, and you will lose your healthy and active pet.
Intestinal Blockages
Another reason hazelnuts are probably a bad idea is their size and toughness. Hazelnuts, if not chewed properly, can lead to blockages in the intestine. It can cause choking hazards as well as damage the tissues of the esophagus. Depending on your dog’s size and the number of hazelnuts eaten, your dog may be unlikely to face complications in his stomach. If you have a puppy, you need to take special care of him as the puppies are the most mischievous. They are more prone to intestinal blockages due to their small size. There is good news for you that the signs of intestinal blockages are easy enough to detect. These include diarrhea, vomiting (most common), straining during bowel movements, pain in the abdomen, drooling and burping, constipation, and loss of appetite.
Immediately contact your vet if you find any of the symptoms mentioned above in your dog, as the symptoms of both pancreatitis and intestinal blockages are equally dangerous. They can pose a serious threat to your pet. Most significantly, if your dog eats hazelnuts with chocolate coating, then you need to be more careful and quicker in suspecting the symptoms of chocolate poisoning. The symptoms are the same as pancreatitis and intestinal blockages. Chocolate poisoning can be very dangerous if not treated on time. You can even lose your pet if delayed in the treatment or pumping out the hazelnuts from his body.
Conclusion
In short, it is recommended not to feed your dog with nuts. Some nuts are toxic to dogs, and others that are not toxic pose a threat of intestinal blockage. Other nuts that are toxic to dogs and should never be given are macadamia, walnuts, almonds, and black walnuts. You can sometimes give your dog cashews as they are rich in fiber and protein, but you should do that to a limit. As even cashews can cause choking hazards because of their size. Some dogs do not chew the food properly and directly gulp it. These nuts can be swallowed whole by dogs. Intestinal blockage is the major problem that nuts cause to dogs. It will help if they are not given hazelnuts to reduce the possibility of choking. If your dog has eaten some hazelnuts in your absence, then don’t panic. You just look for the symptoms of blockages such as diarrhea, vomiting, straining during bowel movements, pain in the abdomen, drooling and burping, constipation, and loss of appetite. Contact your vet if you find any of these symptoms.
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