The Answer
In short, if you are wondering if your dog can eat acorns, the answer is no. However if your dog grabbed an acorn and chewed on it, chances are it will be ok.
More Information About Acorns For Dogs
It is common to have acorns in your yard during the fall and winter months. If you have oak trees, it is important to teach your dog not to eat the acorns. Acorns contain a chemical called tannins, which can cause your dog’s stomach to become upset and cause your dog to have diarrhea.
Although small amounts shouldn’t cause lasting damage, it is best to teach your dog not to eat acorns. Tannic acid, or tannins, can cause damage to the liver and kidneys. Acorns can also be dangerous because they can cause a blockage in your dog’s throat or digestive tract.
My Dog Ate An Acorn, Now What?
Depending on the amount of acorn your dog ate, and your dog’s size, your dog should be ok. Although acorns contain tannins, they only have small amounts. A dog would have to eat a lot of acorns to become ill. If your dog ate a large amount of acorns, or if you do not know how much they ate, you should monitor your dog for the following symptoms: vomiting, diarrhoea (with or without blood), abdominal pain, inappetance and lethargy. If you notice these symptoms in your dog, you should bring your dog to a vet asap.
What Is An Acorn?
An acorn is the nut that comes from oak trees. They usually contain the oak tree’s seed inside of a tough shell. The shell is cup shaped with a cap.
Acorns are most common during the fall and winter months, when they fall from the trees. If you have an oak tree, you need to be most careful during these seasons.
In Conclusion
If you have an oak tree in your yard, you should teach your dog not to eat acorns. The most common issue with acorns are that they can be a choking hazard, and could become lodged in your dogs digestive tract. Although acorns contain tannins, there is only a small amount, and a dog would have to eat a large quantity of acorns to become ill. If you notice your dog eating acorns, you should take them away and train your dog not to eat them.
I saw this and was thinking “Why would anyone feed their dog acorns?”… LOL.. for some reason I didn’t think of a dog just picking them off the ground and chewing on them.
I can see this being a big issue for dog owners who have oak trees in their backyard. It is something I never even thought of.
I have an oak tree in my yard, and my dog kept bringing in acorns with him every time he cam back inside. It took me a good 3 months to train him not to go after the acorns. I ended up getting him an outside toy for him to play with in the yard.