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Avocados can be as a nutritious and delicious snack for humans, but can dogs eat avocado? The answer is yes and no. Avocados contain persin, a fungicidal toxin that can cause serious health problems 鈥� even death 鈥� in many animals. Dogs may be more than other animals, but that doesn鈥檛 mean you should feed them to your dog or that avocados are safe for them to consume.
Can Dogs Have Avocado?
Persin is present in avocado fruit, pits, leaves, and the actual plant. All of these parts are potentially poisonous to your dog.聽Exactly what amount of persin is lethal isn鈥檛 known. In large amounts, it can cause vomiting in dogs, doggy diarrhea, and (in humans, this is another name for a heart attack).
Avocado flesh鈥檚 high fat content can lead to gastrointestinal upset and pancreatitis in dogs if they eat too much. Because the avocado is calorie-dense, consuming one can also lead to weight gain. Another concern is the stone at the center of the fruit, which may cause a dog to choke.
Keeping Avocado Away From Dogs
If you frequently bring avocados into your home, make sure to educate the other members of your household about the dangers of feeding these and other human foods to pets. You may even want to print out a list of fruits and vegetables dogs can and can鈥檛 have to keep on your fridge. If your dog tends to get into the trash, invest in a , so that your dog can鈥檛 rummage around when you aren鈥檛 looking.
It鈥檚 also worth finding some that your pet might enjoy instead of avocado. You can also bring avocado into your home by choosing a . Take advantage of avocado oil鈥檚 moisturizing properties by trying or a .