We all like to treat our dogs and cats to the odd bit (or more) of human foods, but be aware quite a few of our favourite foods are not meant for consumption by dogs and cats. As with chocolate, onions, grapes and raisins, the following foodstuffs are frequently dangerous – if not fatal – when fed to dogs. And while toxicity is rarely seen in cats, it's important cat owners are aware of the dangers.
 

Macadamia nuts

Macadamia nuts are much loved by many (human) Australians, and while we still don’t know the actual mechanism for their toxicity, these delicious nuts have a toxic effect on dogs. In fact, as little as 50gm of nuts will cause serious symptoms in a 20kg dog. Individual animals respond differently and often the seriousness of the symptoms is not proportional to the amount of nuts eaten.

Fortunately, the toxicity caused by macadamia nuts is not normally fatal, but supportive veterinary treatment started early will make recovery much faster and more comfortable for your pet.

Clinical signs

Symptoms usually start to show within 12 hours after ingestion of the nuts and the most obvious signs are weakness in the back legs with staggering progressing to inability to walk (sometimes all four limbs are affected). The dog has tremors, and will appear depressed and sometimes in pain, develop a fever, and vomiting may occur.

Treatment

If you know your dog has had access to, or been fed macadamia nuts, ring us immediately. There is no specific antidote and inducing vomiting as soon as possible will help clear the stomach of the nuts. Other supportive treatment will depend on the seriousness of the symptoms but can include I/V fluids and pain relief.

In most cases, the dog will return to normal in about 48 hours.

One thing to note: often these nuts are chocolate coated and this can result in a more dangerous, concurrent toxicity with confusing clinical signs.