Avacado.... bad or good

[WhitneysMom]

I have always thought avacado was a good thing for my pets, but a few moments ago while reading "Keep Away" a poisonous plant and food article for dogs located in 2005 - 2006 Annual Puppies USA magazine I noticed that Avacado is listed in the food poisonous list. I have known that Avacado Leaves are toxic to your little buddies But am baffled and confused with seeing the Avacado on the food list. Especially due to the number of foods that list avacado as ingredients not to mention the one that bases their whole line on the use of the fruit. Another one on the list is garlic which is also in many foods and treats. I loved seeing this article because I take a list when I plant shop to double check before I buy any plants. It is funny cause even before Whitney I was the Holiday Poinsettia Grinch, while visiting people with animals I have a tendancy to move or let them know they should keep them far away from their pets. Making me some one like... Miss Ba Hum Bug paranoid Fur lover. :rolleyes:

[gmacleod]

I believe avocados are a problem, yes. Definitely the skin and the pit are, but I think the flesh as well.

As for garlic... well, technically garlic is a member of the onion family and onions are definitely toxic to dogs. But it is a very weak onion - and in small doses has some very beneficial properties. So with garlic, it's a case of applying common sense - as with a great many things, a little is a good thing, a lot can be harmful.

[WhitneysMom]

The garlic thing makes sense, cause onions are really BAD. I still would like to find out more about the avacado flesh. I am going to call my vet and see what he thinks. hhhmmmmmmm?

[gmacleod]

Well, here's a site that discuss avocado toxicity in relation to dogs: http://petplace.netscape.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=4774

I'm not sure that the question of toxicity of the avocado flesh has really been answered, but if you feed it and see any of the symptoms listed, then it would probably be wise to put that one on the "do not feed" list. LOL - avocados are terribly fatty anyway.

[WhitneysMom]

Thanks I will check that out. As for my avacado freakout I was a little more worried because I started to read the article just as my little angel was finishing up her food with a bit of pumpkin and a little bit of avacado I had just cut up into it. She has had a little flaky skin and I have no idea why. I was eating the avacado so I cut her up some to (cause I though they were good to feed in moderation, cause of the fat) aaahhhhh I am just not going to feed it again.. period. Same reason I will never bungie jump, just not worth it!

[WhitneysMom]

Ok I read it....



NO MORE AVACADO FOR WHITNEY!!!!!!!!


me only!!!!! (in moderation, cause of the fat) hahaha :lol:

[Carolyn]

I personally would not feed avocados to my dogs....but I will add that I live in an area with many avo groves....and the dogs do eat them. I remember one time my vet had a grossly overweight dog come in with a very frustrated ower who complained that she couldn't keep her dog away from the avos. I choose not to grow them on my property because I don't want my two eating them. Carolyn

[wasabi-glow]

Well what about the AVODERM dog food? I think the AVO means avocado? They even consider it good for dog's skin..

please check this out..
http://www.breeders-choice.com/Dog_Products/avodermdog_insideout_avo.html

http://www.breeders-choice.com/Dog_Products/avodermdog.html

[gmacleod]

Good question LOL

I don't actually think I've ever come across anyone who feeds avoderm, but I do note that it is on the Whole Dog Journal's list of quality foods. Personally, I think it is too light in meat and too heavy in grains, but that's a different issue to the one at hand...

In the ingredient list they list avocado oil. Not avocados/whole avocados. It's also a reasonably long way down the ingredient list, meaning that there isn't a huge amount of it in the food. So presumably that means that the oil alone isn't a problem, or else the amounts they're using are too small to have any appreciable toxicity effect. Conceivably even the extrusion/cooking process deactivates the toxic component of avocados (if it is present in the oil). Really, who knows? I haven't heard any particular negative reports about avoderm, certainly not in respect of toxicity poisoning, but I'm not sure it's a widely used food either. Because of it's low meat content, it's not actually a food I'd choose to use anyway.

[WhitneysMom]

Avoderm is the brand I was originally not naming. It was a food I looked at briefly but is contains CORN, I did also notice it contained just avocado oil and found it interesting that avocado anything was really far down the ingredient list and they choose to call it what they did.. I actually just saw a lady yesterday leave the pet store with a GIANT bag of it. There are times at the pet store when I see people buying really atrocious food brands and want to nicely say a few things like with a lady who was asking the store workers if they had anything to treat hotspots. evilicon

[adora's mom]

I had no idea avocados were bad for dogs. Luckily, I've never given them any! Thanks for posting the info. Now my pups will never know the sweet creamy deliciousness that is avocado. Poor things. ;)