Can Dogs Eat Walnuts? A Nutty Question!

Have you ever wondered if walnuts are toxic to dogs? The answer is no, but walnuts are not easily digestible for our furry friends. This can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal issues in dogs, ranging from diarrhea to intestinal blockages, and even pancreatitis.

Walnuts are indeed packed with nutrients, especially when fresh, offering a wealth of protein and antioxidants that can effectively lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. However, dogs are unable to absorb these beneficial nutrients from walnuts.

Moreover, the high fat content in walnuts can be a kind of "poison" for dogs. While they may not face immediate issues when they can't digest these fats, the longterm accumulation can be a nightmare for their pancreases.

Nationwide Pet Insurance, a company that we will refer to later, conducted an experiment. A 30pound dog can consume about 14 grams of fat daily, but every 30 grams of walnut meat contains 18 grams of fat.

Let's put it bluntly: for dogs that regularly consume walnuts, pancreatitis is just a matter of time.

But there's more to be concerned about.

Fresh walnuts are rich in moisture, which makes them prone to mold during processing. Mold is a common issue, as there are over 50 types of fungi that can cause walnuts to spoil. These molds can cause varying degrees of harm to both humans and dogs.

When dogs ingest even a small amount of moldy walnuts, they may exhibit symptoms such as neurological tremors and vomiting.

Some of you might be wondering, "Why doesn't it affect me if I eat moldy walnuts?"

Humans and dogs have different thresholds for toxicity.