Are Almonds poisonous for dogs?

by Angela
(Fort Myers, FL 33908)

My dog just passed away unexpectedly and a week before she died, I took her to the Vet because she wasn't acting right. I told her I had given her Almonds, the only thing I could think of that I had done differently in her routine. I was told by the Vet that shouldn't be a concern and she was given an antibiotic shot and I was told she should be fine. She wasn't and in a week was gone. I am so sad and it is hard to not have a reason for my loss.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Angela


Vet Answer on are Almonds Poisonous for Dogs


Hello Angela,

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. It is completely understandable that you are looking for answers.

Sweet almonds, the type that we eat, are not poisonous to dogs, but we still can’t completely rule them out as a cause of your dog’s illness. It is possible that almonds, particularly a large amount of them, could have been involved in the development of pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis typcially causes dogs to vomit, go off their food, have abdominal pain, and be lethargic, but some cases don’t have all (or even most) of these symptoms. If there was a lot of salt ingested with the nuts, a condition called sodium toxicity could have developed as well. The clincial signs of sodium toxicity are not subtle - restlessness, lethargy, twitching, seizures, coma, and death – and since you didn’t mention anything like this, we can probably rule it out. That said, if I had to guess I’d say that the almonds likely had nothing to do with your dog’s illness and death.

Unfortunately, without the benefit of a necropsy (the animal equivalent of an autopsy) you won’t ever know for sure what happened with your dog. This does complicate your grieving process, but eventually you’ll get to the point where you’ll think most about all the good times you two had together.



Best regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM