How many acorns can a dog eat?
Does your dog too love acorns, and you want an answer about “how many acorns can a dog eat?”. Here you’ll also be entrained with some explanations regarding why acorns are poisonous to your dog, and how to prevent your dog from eating acorns.
How many acorns can a dog eat?
Dogs can eat acorns for 3% of their body weight. Consuming acorns more than 3% will cause poisoning in dogs. Acorns are rich in tannins, and eating more acorns will expose your dog to gall tannin poisoning.
A dog weighing 5 lbs will only have to eat 4.8 oz of acorns to have tannin toxicity. That is 6% of its body weight. And hence small breeds are more likely to be exposed to this poisoning.
The answer to the above-mentioned question lies in some facts like your dog’s body weight, how many toxins it has in its system, and the current health status of your dog.
If you have an oak tree in your backyard, you must see that there are lots of acorns when the weather comes. And having a suspicious creature at home, a dog will create complications as your dog will try to eat them to experience a new taste. But it is not suitable for them. Let’s explore why.
Why do acorns cause poisoning in dogs?
Acorns contain vast amounts of tannin that cause toxicity in dogs entering your dog’s body. Their small size also increases the risk of choking in your dog if it is a small breed. Their shell will cause blockage in the intestines, and the sharp edges can cause ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract.
Here are some of the risks of eating acorns:
Choking:
The first thing your dog faces while eating an acorn is its shell. Some dogs find it too hard to break, and in a hurry, they try to eat it at once. They are round and small, so your dog can easily choke on them.
Even if it is swallowed down, it can cause intestinal obstruction in your dog’s GIT, and the risk of health hazards will increase if it is not passed out in the poop.
Some dogs won’t give up, and they try to chew them, and in trying to do so, they make small pieces of it that have sharp ends and can injure their guns and cause some lacerations on the tongue.
Those small pieces will go to the intestines, and as the body lacks the enzyme to process them, they will remain the same as before and can cause injuries in your dog’s intestines and stomach.
Poisoning:
Acorns contain a compound called gall tannin which is a type of tannin. It has a bitter taste. And some dogs stop eating it because of its flavor. They are a toxin and life-threatening to your dog.
Even a small amount of acorns can cause poisoning in dogs. You should not just sit around and relax that your dog has eaten 3 pounds because even if it’s not their 6% body weight, it can still put your pet’s life in danger.
How to know that your dog has acorn poisoning?
Mostly the signs of acorn poisoning appear 24 hours after eating them. You should look for the symptoms if your dog has eaten a few acorns, but if your dog has consumed a significant amount of acorns, you should not sit around and wait for the symptoms to appear.
Following are the symptoms of acorn poisoning in dogs:
- Labored breathing
- Panting
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Anorexia
- Weak and lethargic
- Bloody poop
- Urine with blood
It is not necessary for your dog to show all those symptoms. Every dog shows a separate set of symptoms. These symptoms usually appear when there is severe poisoning.
How to stop your dog from eating acorns?
Following are some of the ways you can stop your dog from eating acorns:
Restrict the access to acorns:
Don’t let your dog go to the backyard or the area where there are acorns. Forbid them to go to that area. Train them to obey your order when you say “No.”
Provide distractions:
Teach them that acorns are not a good fruit or treat and reward them with treats and better fruits so that they avoid eating acorns and learn this behavior permanently.
Conclusion:
Today we entertained you with an answer to the question, “how many acorns can a dog eat?“. Here you also got to know some answers regarding the signs of acorn poisoning in dogs, why acorns are poisonous to your dog, and how to prevent your dog from eating acorns.
