Your dog will always have their eyes on the food you are having, and it will ask you for a share with its hungry expressions and desperate looks, and it’s nothing new to the dog owners. But it’s the responsibility of the dog owners to think whether the snacks being shared with their dogs are safe for them or not.

Almonds are the healthiest snack for people looking to live a fit and nutritious lifestyle. But the question is if you can share your part of almonds with your dog or not. Although almonds are less toxic than other nuts like walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. they still can pose certain health issues in your dog. Also, read Can Dogs Eat Pistachios?

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Can dogs eat almonds? Let’s read to find out what this article has to say on this topic. 

Can Dogs Eat Almonds? 

The simple answer to this question is “NO”! Almonds have many health benefits that can be very effective to humans but considering your canine companion, it will not be a good addition to their diet. 

Let’s look at the reasons why almonds aren’t safe for your dog. 

Potential Hazards Almonds for Dogs:

1. Indigestion: 

Almonds are rich in vitamins and other premium nutrients making it difficult for dogs to digest them. Chances are that bigger dogs like Labradors can find it easier to digest than small dogs like Yorkshires. It can lead to bowel obstruction, stomach aches, and because of indigestion, you can find bits of almonds in their stool too.

2. Choking Hazard: 

Dogs are fed only those kinds of food that are easy to chew because most of the time they prefer swallowing the food without even trying to chew it. Therefore almonds too can become a reason for choking hazards in your dog. It can lead to life-threatening obstructions of the esophagus and the windpipe, especially in small puppies.

3. Allergic Reactions: 

If your dog is allergic to nut allergies, even a single almond can prove to be very fatal to their health. Always keep a close watch on the allergic symptoms like coughing, sneezing, breathing problems, etc. so that you take your dog to the veterinarian on time to get your dog treated.

4. Kidney Stones: 

Almonds are rich in potassium and if your dog consumes it in large quantities, your dog can give rise to kidney and bladder stones. Kidney stones, if not treated immediately, can rupture the bladder, which eventually will lead to the death of the dog.

5. Pancreatitis: 

Almonds are high in fats, which means feeding your dog with a lot of almonds will make them develop pancreatitis. Some of the symptoms that will symbolize the pancreatitis issue are: 

1. Loss of appetite 
2. Upset stomach 
3. Lethargy 
4. Dehydration 
5. Breathing problems 
6. Fever 
7. Weakness 
8. Weight loss 
9. Diarrhea
10. Vomiting
    

    6. Aflatoxin Poisoning: 

Aflatoxins are poisonous elements found in nuts like pistachio, almonds, etc. These elements are though very slightly toxic to humans but can get very harmful for our furry pals. Lethargy, vomiting, liver dysfunction, etc. are some of the symptoms of Aflatoxin Poisoning.

7. Fluid Retention: 

Just like humans, dogs too look for delicious treats, to have a change in their daily routine of (so-called boring) meals. Dogs will definitely like the taste of the flavored varieties of almonds like cinnamon, smoked, and barbecue but since they are salted, it can be harmful to them in many aspects. The composition of salt present in these almonds can make your canine friend thirsty at very short durations thus leading to increased fluid retention. It can also lead to salted toxicity and other heart and kidney problems too. 

By looking at so many dangerous effects of almonds on a dog, can we not feed any alternative of almonds to our dogs, like almond butter or almond milk? Let’s read to find it out. 

Can Dogs Have Almond Milk or Almond Butter? 

So far we have read, almonds are not a great treat to your dog, but what about almond milk and butter? Well, these are not a great snack for the dog either. 

Both of these treats are high in fat which means they can cause or worsen pancreatitis. In addition to high fats, these products also contain many food preservatives and flavoring, which are not ideal for a dog’s health.

Food additives like Xylitol, artificial sugar, salt, etc. can cause problems in the dog’s digestive system, making their entire body functioning fragile. 

Apart from these food items, there are other types of nuts too that can be harmful to your dogs. These are: 

1. Pecans 
2. Macadamia Nuts 
3. Pistachios 
4. Walnuts 
5. Cashews 
6. Hazelnuts 

What to do if your dog eats almonds? 

A couple of almonds won’t do any harm to your dog but since it is having so many dangerous effects, dog owners prefer to keep their dog away from almonds. Even then if your pup manages to eat almonds somehow, the first thing you should investigate is the number of almonds eaten. If your dog has eaten almonds in large quantities, take it to the veterinarian without a second thought. 

However, if your dog has eaten almonds in small quantities only, then you can wait to monitor any kind of symptoms like intestinal blockage, choking hazards, diarrhea, which makes an indication that almonds have affected your dog’s health badly. If no symptoms are monitored, you can relax and just make sure that your dog does not eat the almonds again. Also, read Can Dogs Eat Peanuts?

Final Thoughts: 

The final answer to the question, ‘Can Dogs Eat Almonds?’ is “NO”! Even though a few almonds won’t do any harm to your dog, it is advisable that you keep your dog away from the reach of almonds from the very beginning. 

There are many dangerous effects of almonds as you have read above. Hence, it is better to avoid them to prevent any kind of potential health hazards in your dog in the future. 

There are many safe and healthy alternatives that you can try feeding your dog and they too will gain some nutritional value from that. At the end of the day, it is better to play safe and just to avoid any minute margins of risk, which you may encounter if your dog eats almonds in any way.