# Are nuts bad for dogs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745 "2006-04-22T13:26:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/1 "2006-04-22T13:26:58Z")
I love nuts, so does my mother’s dog. I have no problem sharing nuts with the dog (usually peanuts but sometimes mixed nuts and occasionaly only chashews). My mother claims nuts are BAD FOR THE DOG. Are they? (I have to add that this dog is the fourth dog owned by my family. The youngest to die of the other three was 16 and all three were regular consumers of chocolate). ---
**Author:** ![SausageChowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@SausageChowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SausageChowder)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/2 "2006-04-22T13:40:21Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] I love nuts, so does my mother’s dog. I have no problem sharing nuts with the dog (usually peanuts but sometimes mixed nuts and occasionaly only chashews). My mother claims nuts are BAD FOR THE DOG. Are they? [/QUOTE] Macadamia nuts can cause paralysis in dogs. > [@dog site](#): > > The ingestion of as few as six macadamia nuts has caused paralysis in dogs. Dogs with macadamia poisoning will appear anxious and have difficulty moving their rear legs. The legs may appear to be painful. Luckily, the paralysis is temporary and clears up within a few days. The causative agent of the paralysis is unknown. I think peanut butter is okay because our vet told us to coat our dog’s pill in peanut butter or Cheez Whiz when he was being a real bastard about sallowing them. But you might want to ask your vet to be sure. Here is a site about bad people food for dogs that mentions the Macadamia nuts: > **[Domain Parked With VentraIP Australia](http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Dogs&story_no=257)** ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/3 "2006-04-22T13:48:46Z")
[QUOTE=SausageChowder] I think peanut butter is okay because our vet told us to coat our dog’s pill in peanut butter or Cheez Whiz when he was being a real bastard about sallowing them. But you might want to ask your vet to be sure. [/QUOTE] Unless your dog has an allergy, peanut butter is just fine. My three dogs love it. It keeps the dog occupied, especially if you put it in a rubber toy and freeze it overnight. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/4 "2006-04-22T14:00:31Z")
I get peanuts by the poundful and share it with the dog. He loves em, but seems to shit the bits out whole. Don’t think it’ll hurt him at all. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/5 "2006-04-22T14:56:46Z")
Yup. That’s why we neuter 'em. (Thanks, everybody! I’ll be here all week!) ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/6 "2006-04-22T16:00:29Z")
Thanks, **SCSimmons**. I was sooo tempted to make a similar joke. ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/7 "2006-04-22T16:48:33Z")
[QUOTE=SCSimmons] Yup. That’s why we neuter 'em. (Thanks, everybody! I’ll be here all week!) [/QUOTE] Ho ho ho ho, yes! – Ed McMahon, every The Tonight Show he was ever on. ---
**Author:** ![M.Meursault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@M.Meursault](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/M.Meursault)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/8 "2006-04-22T19:24:55Z")
Some nuts can be a bit fatty for dogs, causing upset stomachs and diarrhea. My shih tzu ate a few walnuts that fell on the floor when I was making banana nut bread and she was sick for a few days. I took her to the vet, just to make sure she was fine (she was due for a check up anyways), and the vet said that nuts can be too fatty for some dogs. She gave Gertie (the shih tzu) some stool softeners and sent us on are merry, projectile pooping way. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/9 "2006-04-22T20:37:17Z")
[QUOTE=SCSimmons] Yup. That’s why we neuter 'em. (Thanks, everybody! I’ll be here all week!) [/QUOTE] Dammit, beaten to the punch. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/10 "2006-04-23T05:40:30Z")
Nuts can be a choking hazard. I should probably reword that but I don’t want to bother. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/11 "2006-04-23T06:38:26Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] Nuts can be a choking hazard. [/QUOTE] Dogs don’t choke - do they? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/12 "2006-04-23T07:57:50Z")
Don’t forget that botanically, peanuts are not nuts (which grow on trees), they are legumes (which grow underground). ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/13 "2006-04-23T14:10:51Z")
My dog licks his all the time, ain’t dead yet. See? There was still another joke that could be made. (GQ answered, of course) ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/14 "2006-04-23T18:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=Stark Raven Mad] Dogs don’t choke - do they? [/QUOTE] Sure they do. They can be even more prone to it than humans because they gulp their food or try to swallow things they shouldn’t. I once had to fish a chunk of bone out of a choking dog’s throat. Search the net for directions on how to do the Heimlich Manouver on dogs. It’s much the same as for humans. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/15 "2006-04-24T11:38:44Z")
So the essential message here is…Let them eat nuts? The dog will thank you (and I didn’t want to kill the doofus, so I thank you too). ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/16 "2006-04-24T12:46:41Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] So the essential message here is…Let them eat nuts? The dog will thank you (and I didn’t want to kill the doofus, so I thank you too). [/QUOTE] Dogs’ digestive systems are much like ours. With a few exceptions, if it’s healthy for humans to eat, it’s healthy for dogs. (Vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and the like.) Now, dogs who aren’t used to eating vegetables may experience gas until they get used to it, and any sudden change in diet is prone to give them the squirts. Salt and fat should be avoided, as should chocolate and dairy. (Some dogs are lactose intolerant.) Smell is the most important factor to a dog when it comes to whether something is considered edible. For example, if your dog declines a piece of carrot, smear a bit of peanut butter on it. I used to make my dog a spinach and rice dish that she loved (use chicken broth to cook the rice instead of water.) The more variety in your dog’s diet, the better. My vet put it this way-- you’d survive just fine on a diet of only chicken and rice, but you’re more healthy if you have vegetables and a variety of grains. Dogs are the same way. Most commercial dog foods are the equivillent of just having chicken and rice every day. Add a bit of cooked vegetables to your dog’s food-- give him a bit of the veggie you’re having for dinner. Start out with just a taste until their tummies are used to it. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-nuts-bad-for-dogs/353745/17 "2006-04-24T14:44:13Z")
[QUOTE=Lissa] Dogs’ digestive systems are much like ours. With a few exceptions, if it’s healthy for humans to eat, it’s healthy for dogs. [/QUOTE] One relatively “new” problem that might be wise to mention: grapes. There seem to be certain dogs that will go into acute renal failure after ingestion of grapes/raisins. Cite: [http://www.aspca.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16645](http://www.aspca.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16645)