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California Gardening

Dog ate unknown seed- id help please?

15 years ago

Hi all! My dog just ate a rather large seed that he found in the garden. I'm not sure what it is, but have found a few while gardening during the last few months. (I think it came from one of the neighbors' yards because we don't have any trees or plants that have such seeds.)

Does anyone have any idea what this might be?

Thanks very much!

Sharon :)

{{gwi:548196}}

Its shaped like a torpedo, not two-sided.

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Comments (4)

dicot
15 years ago
Looks like an acorn from one of the live oaks to me, hard to tell which species exactly. One or two isn't a big danger, but they are toxic in quantity. From a pet site:
++++++++
The primary toxins found in the (acorn) plant material are tannins and phenols. These compounds attack proteins they come in contact with possibly causing ulcers and bleeding of the mouth lining, the esophagus, and the intestines. This may be demonstrated by bloody or dark diarrhea. Additionally, the toxins are converted in the digestive tract where they may enter the blood stream causing hepatic (liver) and renal (kidney) damage and in extreme cases failure.

The symptoms are usually delayed, in some cases a week after ingestion. These signs may include depression, constipation or diarrhea (both accompanied by blood), abdominal pain, rough coat, a period of frequent urination followed by no urination.

The lethal dose for dogs is not known, for cattle it is approximately 6% of the animal's body weight. If you have a 40 pound dog, that's almost 2Â½ pounds of acorns. However the literature does not state how long a period of time this quantity could be consumed over and still be lethal. As a precaution, keep all areas available to your dog free of acorns and downed oak vegetation. Be especially vigilant after periods of extreme wind or strong storms when there may be more plant material on the ground.
minipoodle
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you soooo much!! I just looked it up online and yup, that's it! (Makes sense too, since one of the neighbors has that tree.)

Phew! I was worried that it was one of those palm seeds or something. Thanks for the speedy help! :)

Sharon
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ladyslppr
15 years ago
Although acorns may be toxic to dogs, I wouldn't worry too much about your dog hurting himself by eating too many. I am sure thousands, if not millions of dogs live happily in yards where oak trees drop acorns that are never picked up. If acorn poisoning was even a remote threat, you'd see sensationalized stories about it on TV.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
15 years ago
Yes an acorn without the cap. Perhaps giving him a chew-toy would keep his mouth busy with something safer.

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