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I occasionally will by Avocados and eat them because they are so good.My soon to be 4 yr. old male Rottie has taken a liking to them as well, they also help make his coat nice and shiny. What concerns me is that now I have read conflicting information-some say they are harmful-others say no as long as he doesn't consume the skin or leaves and that in places where they grow animals-including dogs consume them on a regular basis with no ill effects-in fact they are very recognizable for their shiny healthy coats.Who is right? I certainly don't want to harm my dog as he really does love them,but I will stop if is harmful.
Well I understand your concern, but when looking for reliable information online always look first to a veterinary site or veterinarian. That is the only way you will get real information and not "something someone told someone else."
From the research I have done for about a year, it is true that avocados have been put on the toxic list for dogs, cats, birds and horses. These wonderful fruits are very toxic to the point of death, in horses.
I have a friend that fed Avoderm for years to her dogs and everyone of those dogs died from (early age)cancer. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. I feed Science Diet only and my dogs died from old age.
Here are some references to avocado toxicity that I have found:
This one is full of medical terms but it states that two dogs were found poisoned by eating avocados.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7898892
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado#Toxicity_to_animals
From the ASPCA:
http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/71/Foods-That-Are-Hazardous-to-Dogs-.aspx
From petplace.com (Dr. Jon DVM)
Avocados. The leaves, fruit, bark and seeds of avocados have all been reported to be toxic. The toxic component in the avocado is "persin," which is a fatty acid derivative. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause signs is unknown.
So by and large it's advisable to not feed the dog any avocados at all.
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Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
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