Avocado

Conditions and restrictions

Only ripe flesh with no skin, pit, salt, seasoning, sauce, onion or garlic. If you offer it at all, limit it to a small piece. Do not offer it without veterinary advice if your pet has pancreatitis, excess weight, a sensitive stomach or a prescribed diet.

Benefits

Avocado contains fat and fibre, but pets do not need it: a complete diet already meets their nutritional needs.

Risks

• Because it is high in fat, a large amount may cause vomiting or diarrhoea and can trigger pancreatitis in a susceptible pet.
• Evidence about persin in cats and dogs is limited; the flesh should not be treated as suitable for unrestricted feeding.

Already eaten — what now?

After a small piece of plain flesh with no symptoms, observe your pet. Call a veterinarian if a large or unknown amount was eaten, or if repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, marked lethargy or refusal to eat develops. Do not induce vomiting yourself.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not offer a whole pit or large pit fragments as a toy or chew.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a pet.

Risks

• A whole pit or large fragment can lodge in the throat, stomach or intestine and cause choking or an obstruction.
• If an obstruction develops, delay raises the risk of intestinal injury and surgery.

Already eaten — what now?

If your pet swallowed the pit or a large fragment, call an open clinic immediately. Leave at once for choking, unproductive retching, repeated vomiting, pain, abdominal swelling, weakness or refusal to eat. Do not assume the pit will pass and do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian tells you to.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not offer the skin, leaves or stems, and keep the plant out of reach.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a pet.

Risks

• Persin occurs in several parts of avocado, and the leaves are considered the most toxic part of the plant for susceptible species.
• No precise toxic dose has been established for dogs or cats, and the skin may also cause digestive upset or act as a foreign body.

Already eaten — what now?

Call a veterinarian the same day and report the species, weight, part of the avocado and possible amount eaten. Leave immediately for difficult breathing, weakness, collapse, repeated vomiting or rapid deterioration. Do not induce vomiting yourself.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not offer guacamole or other dishes containing onion, garlic, chives or onion powder.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a pet.

Risks

• Raw, cooked and concentrated onion or garlic can damage red blood cells and cause haemolytic anaemia.
• Signs of anaemia may be delayed for several days; cats are more susceptible than dogs.

Already eaten — what now?

Call a veterinarian immediately and keep the recipe or packaging. Give your pet’s weight, the full ingredient list, possible amount and time. Leave at once for weakness, pale gums, rapid breathing, dark urine or collapse. Do not wait for symptoms or induce vomiting yourself.