If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or one of the other resources listed:
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435
• Pet Poison Helpline® 24-hour animal poison control service at (855) 764-7661
Macadamia Nuts
Whether processed or fresh, macadamia nuts can cause problems for your pet. Dogs are the only species in which toxicity has been reported.
Signs and symptoms of toxicity: weakness, depression, vomiting, lack of muscle control, tremors, joint pain, difficulty walking, hind limb weakness, elevated body temperature, and mild abdominal pain. These signs usually occur within 12 hours of ingestion.
Toxic Consumption: Typically clinical signs of toxicity are seen at > 2 g/kg (0.8 g/lb) . However, as little as 0.7 g/kg (0.3 g/lb) may cause signs of toxicosis.
For all considerations below, an approximation of 12 nuts in 1 ounce of macadamia nuts was used.
| X-Small Yorkie, Chihuahua |
Small Pug, Boston Terrier, Poodle |
Medium Beagle, Scottish Terrier |
Large Boxer, Cocker Spaniel |
X-Large Retriever, German Shepherd |
XX-Large Great Dane, St. Bernard |
| 1 – 10 lbs. (0.45 – 4.6 kg) |
11 – 25 lbs. (5 – 11.4 kg) |
26 – 40 lbs. (11.8 – 18.2 kg) |
41 – 70 lbs. (18.6 – 31.8 kg) |
71 – 90 lbs. (32.3 – 40.9 kg) |
91 – 110 lbs. (41.4 – 50 kg) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| > 0.1 nuts | > 1 nut | > 3 nuts | > 5 nuts | > 9 nuts | > 12 nuts |
References:
– Osweiler, G, et al. (2011). Blackwell’s five-minute veterinary consult clinical companion. Small Animal Toxicology. [Kindle version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
– The Merck Veterinary Manual. Macadamia Nuts. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/toxicology/food_hazards/macadamia_nuts.html. Accessed August 31, 2014.
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