Can Dogs Eat Guacamole? Can Dogs Even Eat Avocado?

It is no doubt that avocado contains many nutrients like Vitamins B6, K, E, and C, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and folate that are very beneficial to a human’s health. Considering these health benefits to humans, dog owners might be tempted to give their dogs some avocado. But can dogs actually eat guacamole or avocado? Let us look into it.

There is no straightforward answer to the question; can dogs eat guacamole or avocado. The answer is yes and no, dogs can eat them, but not in large quantities. Dogs should eat guacamole in small quantities without garlic or onion. Avocados should be fed to dogs in small quantities and occasionally.

As a pet owner, never assume that every food you consume is healthy for your pets; this assumption has led to pets experiencing different health issues and in severe cases has resulted in the death of the pets.

Is Guacamole Okay For Dogs To Eat?

For starters who might not know what guacamole is, it is simply an “avocado sauce.” It is not everyone that likes taking their avocado raw. Some people prefer to take theirs in the form of a sauce rather than a fruit. Smashed, mashed, and seasoned avocado with recipes is known as guacamole.

So, back to the question if guacamole is okay for dogs to eat. The answer could be a yes or no, as it all depends on the ingredient used in preparing the guacamole and the amount consumed by a dog. The common ingredients used in its preparation include avocado, salt, garlic and onions, tomatoes, and other spices.

Some of these ingredients are harmful to a dog’s digestive system and could make a dog develop some health issues. Most times a meal is not dangerous for dogs, but the ingredients are. We will be considering each of these ingredients and their effects on a dog below.

Avocadoes

Indeed, a lot of fruits are great for dog consumption. However, the sad news is that avocado is not one of those fruits. What makes avocado bad for dogs is that it contains a fungicidal toxin – persin. Persin is present all over an avocado, including its plants, seeds, stem, and skin.

Although, dogs have a high resistance level to persin compared to other animals. However, too much consumption of it could lead to some harmful effects on a dog. So, it is always advised that a dog is not fed avocado at all, especially the unripe ones, as the level of persin is higher than ripe ones.

Some harmful health effects of persin in a dog include vomiting, breathing difficulties, nasal congestion, and diarrhea. In addition, avocados contain high-fat content, which could lead to pancreatitis. Common symptoms of pancreatitis include reduced appetite, lethargy, nausea, and fever.

So, if your dog recently had a taste of guacamole and you notice it suddenly developing any of these symptoms, it is best to take it to a veterinary doctor for a medical checkup and treatment as soon as possible.

Salt

If you do not know before, too much salt is not suitable for dog consumption. Hence, dog owners are often advised not to feed dogs any human food containing salt. So, since salt is usually needed while preparing guacamole, you should ensure your dog does not have a taste of it. Too much salt in a dog’s body could increase body temperature, frequent urination, excessive thirst, and even seizures.

Garlic and Onions

Many people could like garlic and onions in their guacamole. However, both ingredients are very toxic to dogs. Garlic and onion contain a toxin – N-propyl disulfide, which could damage a dog’s red blood cells and thereby developing hemolytic anemia.

The worse thing about these ingredients is that their symptoms might not manifest until about 3 to 5 days after consumption. At that point, it could have caused some severe damage to the dog. Common signs to watch out for are vomiting, weight loss, diarrhea, exercise intolerance, pale gum, and dark orange-colored urine.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are very healthy and harmless to dogs. So, it is safe for their consumption, especially the ripe ones. However, it is essential to state that the tomato plant contains a toxin that is not safe for dog consumption. So, on no occasion should you mistakenly add the leaves or stem of tomatoes to your guacamole.

Other Spices

Aside from the above-mentioned ingredients used in preparing guacamole, some other spices like jalapeno and cayenne could also be added to your sauce. However, these spices are actually quite healthy for dogs in minimal quantities. Too much of these spices could lead to a stomach upset for your dog.

Can Dogs Eat Guacamole Chips?

Since it is not advised to feed your dog guacamole, you should also not consider feeding them guacamole chips. Although there might be changes in the preparation process, the ingredients are still the same. Guacamole chips also contain salt, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and spices (cayenne and jalapeno).

Can Dogs Eat Avocados?

To answer if dogs can eat avocado, the answer is quite tricky, as it all depends on the amount and part that is consumed. If a dog is expected to eat avocado, it must be a ripe one and of minimal size. Overfeeding on it could lead to your dog’s risk of experiencing some adverse effects of persin, which is more present in unripe avocados.

Also, we already stated that avocado contains a high-fat content which is also not good for your dog, as it could lead to the development of pancreatitis. In addition, if your dog is eating avocado, ensure it only feeds on the fruit itself and no other parts. If a dog feeds on an avocado leaf, stem, bark or seed, or pit, there are certain implications.

For instance, if your dog ends up ingesting an avocado seed, it could lead to the blockage of its airways or intestines. Also, feeding on other parts like the leaf of an avocado could lead to high exposure to toxins.

Lastly, ensure your dog only feeds on a plain avocado. Eating avocado sauce – guacamole would make your dog contact with other food ingredients that are harmful and unhealthy to your dog. You must monitor your dog after eating avocados.

Regardless of the quantity consumed, if you notice your dog developing symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, fever, difficulty breathing, or lethargy, ensure you contact the veterinary doctor immediately. Your dog might be suffering from some side effects of the avocado.

Can Dogs Have Avocado Oil?

Yes, dogs can have avocado oil. Unlike actual avocado, which contains a toxin, avocado oil is free from this toxin and has a lot of vitamins that are beneficial to a dog’s health. Some of the vitamins include Vitamin A, E, B1, and B12 help boost and improve a dog’s joint mobility, vision, reproductive system, neurologic health, coat, immune and digestive systems.

However, if you are to feed your dog, ensure it is done in a minimum quantity due to the high level of fat in it. Foods containing high-fat content cause issues to a dog’s digestive system because it is not designed to handle a lot of fat. Many of the nutrients lacking in your dog’s regular meal are present in Avocado oil.

Avocado oil contains Omega 3 fatty acid which is important to the dog’s health as it eases joint pain and reduces inflammation. Despite the health benefits of avocado oil, you should feed your dog in small quantities and it should not be regularly.

Final Thoughts

As a dog owner, it is best to keep your dog away from avocado and its products if you want to avoid health complications. Instead of feeding your dog avocados, there are tons of other healthy fruits like bananas, apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, and pineapples.

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