Can dogs eat hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts are nuts, foods that depending on which one we are talking about can even be dangerous for dogs. However, hazelnuts in particular should not pose any problem for these animals, since They do not present any type of danger or toxicity. Of course, being a very fatty food, its consumption is not entirely recommended either, or at least not as part of their daily diet, since they predispose them to being overweight, among other problems.

Dogs are facultative carnivores, which means that they have adapted to consume foods other than protein of animal origin as well (which is why they are sometimes even considered omnivorous animals). Thus, they require a diet based on meat foods and plant foods or foods rich in carbohydrates, such as tubers or cereals, something that perfectly supplements a complete diet marketed for canine species such as those found in the market, either in the form of dry feed or homemade food prepared by specialists, among other types of food. For all these reasons, your dog does not need to eat food beyond its usual diet, even if it asks you to. However, from time to time all dog sitters, as long as there is no contraindication, usually give them some kind of snack or extra food that they particularly like, and one of them may be hazelnuts.

Hazelnuts are a very fatty food, but they also have enormous health benefits for those who consume them due to their nutritional density, something that dogs that eat them occasionally as a treat could also benefit from.

Among the benefits we find that it can contribute to improve cholesterol levels and heart health, as they contain monounsaturated fatty acids and oleic acid, which control blood cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. being rich in antioxidants such as phytosterols and vitamin E, protect against free radicals and oxidative stress.

On the other hand, due to its mineral content such as magnesium, phosphorus or calcium, they contribute to the functioning of metabolic processes, bones and the balance of the nervous system. Because they contain large amounts of folic acid (vitamin B9) and zinc, they are especially indicated during pregnancy and lactation and involved in the production of red blood cells, cell multiplication and creation of new cells and in nervous development. Hazelnuts also contain a good amount of protein of plant origin, ideal for muscle maintenance in our dogs.

Hazelnuts should not be offered indiscriminately due to their high amount of calories. For this reason, it is best to offer very few hazelnuts and always occasionally, never routinely.

You should know that foods outside of your dog’s diet should never account for more than 10% of the daily intake, so think about whether you give him some other type of snack or food for human consumption that he particularly likes. As a general rule, you should not offer more than 3 or 4 hazelnuts a week if your dog is medium to large, a maximum of 2 if it is small or 5 if it is large.

The best way to offer hazelnuts to your dog is, of course, by removing the shell and crushing them to avoid choking eating it whole, especially if your dog is a greedy or nervous eater. You can chop it or crush it until it is pulverized to mix it with some kind of natural food or his ration of homemade food (if he follows this diet), since it is not convenient to mix them with the feed. We talk about it in this article: “Is it good to combine feed with homemade food?”. So can dogs eat hazelnut cream? If it is 100% natural, without added salt or sugar, you can mix it with any food, as we have just discussed.

You should know that hazelnuts contain a series of compounds that can act as antinutrients, among which oxalic acid stands out, which when passed to the digestive system binds to magnesium or calcium and forms insoluble salts that can cause kidney stones, which in turn they can cause kidney failure or an obstruction to the flow of urine. Phytic acid also binds to minerals, specifically calcium, zinc, iron, manganese and magnesium, so the dog would obtain less absorption of these minerals in its diet. They also contain tannins, which are involved in the absorption of vitamins B12 and A, and trypsin inhibitors, substances that block the action of these enzymes secreted by the pancreas to facilitate protein absorption. Therefore, it is important to take into account the recommendation of do not exceed the amount indicated in the previous section.

Hazelnuts, due to their fat and calorie content, can increase the weight of your dog if they are consumed frequently, predisposing the animal to overweight and obesity, which in turn predispose to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, among others. Due to their fat content, they can also make your dog more prone to the development of pancreatitisa painful inflammation of the pancreas that negatively affects the health and quality of life of the affected dog.

hazelnuts should never be offered in combination with other nuts, especially with macadamia nuts, since they contain more oxalic acid content than hazelnuts, causing irritation of the esophageal and stomach mucosa, as well as symptoms such as weakness, paralysis, dizziness, mobility problems, abdominal pain, tremors and vomiting. They can also lead to an increased risk of calcium oxalate stone formation, which can only be removed by surgery. We talk about it in this article: “Can dogs eat nuts?”.

As we just discussed, you should never offer your dog hazelnuts in combination with other nuts, especially macadamia nuts, due to the risk of oxalates. Nor should you offer your dog hazelnuts if he is on a diet because are overweight or obeseif present nut allergy or if have pancreatitis. Nor is it convenient to offer hazelnuts if your dog is sick or convalescing from an illness, especially a digestive illness, because it is a food that can be somewhat strong for his body at this time.

Now that you know that dogs can eat hazelnuts, but in moderation, keep learning and discover in this video which are the best fruits for dogs:

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