dog accidentally eats a couple of them, it wouldn’t be a severe issue, but make sure that they shouldn’t eat even a bit more than that.
The manageable intake depends on the size and breed of your dog, but it is always recommended to avoid pecans strictly and instead go for their suitable substitutes.
If you are thinking about what possibly would be the reason for pecans being harmful to dogs, let us explore it in the other sections.
Pecans Nutritional Facts
Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are a variety of hard-shelled nuts from the walnut family that generally require some tool to break them open for eating because of their distinctly arduous covering.
Surprisingly, ‘Pecan’ is derived from a Native American word that roughly translates into ‘a nut that requires a stone to crack.’ Pecans are a very popular nut worldwide and can be used in various recipes such as ice-creams, cookies, and pies.
- Pecans have a vibrant and buttery flavor, due to which they are used very commonly as an ingredient in desserts and appetizers.
- They are exceptionally rich in various essential nutrients and contain nearly 19 vitamins and minerals, but are high in fats and calories too, which sometimes make them unsuitable for people to include in their healthy diet.
- Pecans are an excellent source of fiber, zinc, copper, and thiamine that help better various aspects of your health like boosting immunity, rapid production of RBCs, and smooth functioning of the nervous system.
- The presence of zinc in pecans is necessary for healthy cell growth, brain functioning, improving the healing factor, and building good immune health in the body.
- Vitamin B1 and thiamine are specifically responsible for fueling your body by converting carbs into energy. This energizing fuel keeps the body active and agile round the clock.
- Pecans are a good source of monosaturated fatty acids that benefit heart health efficiently. It also reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL), total cholesterol, and triglycerides in the body which ultimately keeps the cholesterol and GI levels in control and minimizes the risks of heart diseases.
- Regulated consumption of pecans also showed stabilized blood sugar levels to avoid diseases like diabetes and heart stroke. This regulation in the blood sugar is mainly due to the soluble fiber content in pecans that helps carry out this function efficiently. It also assists improvement in blood absorption and insulin production within the body, which results in gradual lowering in levels of hemoglobin A1C to keep the blood sugar in control for a longer-term.
- Pecans are rich in nutrients like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help improve the brain’s functioning. Adequate intake of these nutrients is suitable for long-term cognition, decreased mental decline rate, and reduced inflammation.
- Although pecans have several potential health benefits, they also have some disadvantages, including the high content of fats and calories that contribute to rapid weight gain and obesity. It can also be harmful or fatal to people allergic to tree nuts like walnuts, cashews, almonds, and chestnuts.
Pecans Nutritional Stats
Pecans are rich in vitamins and minerals that maintain a healthy body and balance a regular diet.
Although the nutrients are adequate in this tree nut, the fat and calorie content is relatively higher than the standard proportion, which is the biggest challenge in including this nut frequently in the diet.
Statistically, one ounce (28 grams) of pecans have the following nutritional profile:
Calories – 195
Protein – 2.5 grams
Fat – 21 grams
Carbs – 4 grams
Fiber – 2.8 grams
Copper – 38% of the Daily Value (DV)
Thiamine (Vitamin B1) – 16% of the DV
Zinc – 12% of the DV
Magnesium – 8% of the DV
Phosphorus – 6% of the DV
Iron – 4% of the DV
Health Benefits Of Pecans For Dogs
Pecans are forbidden for dogs, so they don’t possess any health benefits. As we already established, Pecans is not a dog-friendly food and should be avoided entirely for them.
The toxic fatalities that pecans pose to the dog’s health far outweigh the minimal advantages it may provide to their nutritional requirements.
Nuts are very healthy and commonly consumed food for humans which is why your dog may beg you to share it with them. But as far as we know, the majority of the nuts are harmful to dogs, and the long-term effects of nuts on canines are yet to be explored by the experts.
The basic prevailing argument is that nuts are calorie-dense and highly fatty for canines, and they shouldn’t eat them frequently.
There are a couple of replacements of pecans that are healthy in general and can also be consumed by dogs safely in moderation – Peanuts and Chestnuts. These nuts have a nutrition-dense profile and are perfectly suitable for dogs occasionally.
Usually, these nuts are fed to canines in peanut butter and roasted chestnuts. These are considered one of the healthiest treats for dogs and are much appreciated and loved.
Apart from replacing pecans with other better substitutes, there is no chance of you feeding them these forbidden nuts and providing them with exceptional nutritional benefits.
Can dogs eat cooked pecans?
No, cooked pecans are not safe for dogs to eat. Cooking the pecans would possibly decrease the amount of natural poison and toxins in the nuts but still won’t be less enough to make its consumption entirely safe for dogs.
The residue toxicities would still be potentially fatal to harm the internal functioning of your pooch. Also, the cooking procedure won’t affect the high calorie and fat content.
They would still pose a severe threat to your lovely dog, whose gastrointestinal and digestive systems won’t be able to break down the pecans no matter how you process them.
Can dogs eat pecans from the tree?
Pecans are harmful to dogs because of their ingrained toxins and poisons, high fat and calorie content, and the hard shell in which they are covered.
They would undoubtedly be suffering from issues like intestinal blockages, choking, indigestion, obesity, internal ruptures, etc., if your pet canine eats that forbidden nut.
So, even if your dog somehow gets to the pecan tree and swipes a pecan from there directly, it still would be as much harm to their health as well as their teeth and mouth with that hard shell intact.
Pecans have a natural constituency that certainly is not a perfect match for dogs, and hence you shouldn’t try feeding them pecans.
Are Pecans Safe For Dogs?
Pecans are not safe for dog consumption for various reasons like digestive disorders, coronary diseases, and widespread health problems it would cause to their body, posing a severe threat to their lives.
In general, tree nuts are ill-suited for dogs because of the mismatch between the nutrition-dense fuel and the sensitive digestion system.
Dogs are strictly kept away from edibles like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, and pine nuts.
These nuts are highly nutritional and fueling foods for humans, but dogs face difficulties digesting and assimilating the nutrients, so they are no significant benefit.
Are Pecans Good For Dogs?
Pecans are highly nutritious and healthy for humans due to their rich nutrition profile, but their constituency is such that they are not at all suitable for dogs.
Pecans have high fat and calorie content that can cause various digestive issues like obesity, indigestion, and gastrointestinal stasis. It can also severely affect the liver and kidneys, leading to bladder sludge, kidney stones, and live failure.
These toxicities outweigh far more than the potential health benefits pecans provide to dogs, so it is strictly recommended to avoid pecans for your pet doggies and instead go for other nuts like cashews and peanuts in small quantities that would give them a good amount of nutrition and no toxic side effects.
Are Pecans Bad For Dogs?
Pecans are incredibly healthy but unfortunately not suitable for dogs. Tree nuts like pecans are grown in the wild and have a complex constituency which is quite tricky for sensitive stomachs to digest and assimilate.
They can cause digestive issues like gastrointestinal upset and stomach obstruction, which can be very painful and severe in dogs and lead to death.
A fatal toxin called juglone is present in pecans that may cause neurological malfunctions and seizures when they get moldy. They also produce tremorgenic mycotoxins that are dangerous if ingested in high amounts.
Moreover, tree nuts like pecans also contain a natural poison called aflatoxin that grows on molds like aspergillus that sometimes infest pecan nuts.
Nutritious nuts like pecans are harmless to humans in general, but dogs can’t digest or break down such complex food items, and these natural poisons and toxins are present in pecan nuts.
However, a couple of pecans won’t harm your dog, but a handful of them might kill them, so it’s best if you stay away from them.
It is strictly recommended to keep your dogs away from pecans, but it won’t be a problem if they somehow manage to eat one or two of them. But even this quantity can be fatal to small breeds and enough to cause severe digestive obstruction or choking in them.
Do Dogs Like Pecans?
Dogs would be much excited for treats like nuts now and then, but as a responsible pet owner, you should not feed them these tree nuts because of the toxic traits they pose towards dogs.
All nuts, including pecans, taste very good and can be delicious for humans and dogs, but their natural ingredients make them utterly unsuitable for canines.
Can dogs eat banana bread with pecans?
Dogs can safely eat banana bread and gain several essential nutrients from it but eating pecans with any food is strictly a no because complementing a potentially toxic nut with a healthy variety of bread won’t nullify the natural toxicity of the pecans.
So, instead of feeding pecans with something or the other, go for banana bread with peanut butter for your dog, as it will be exceptionally nutritious and delicious as well.
How Many Pecans Can A Dogs Eat?
Generally, it is recommended that dogs should not eat any amount of pecans at all. As we have already discussed, they are highly toxic and dangerous to dogs’ health and won’t be worth it.
The poisons and toxins present naturally in the pecans are inappropriate for dogs as their tolerance to chemical substances isn’t very impressive.
However, if your pet doggo accidentally gulps down one or two pecans (deshelled ones), it won’t be a severe problem in the case of a big-sized dog but maybe a pressing matter for small dogs.
How Often Can A Dogs Eat Pecans?
Dogs should never be fed pecans by choice, as we have already established the cons of including tree nuts like pecans in a dog diet. There are several other substitutes of nuts and daily dietary supplements that can fulfill the nutritional requirements of dogs regularly.
Somehow, if your dog manages to eat a couple of pecans by mistake, don’t let it repeat again and again, as the toxin deposition in the body can increase and cause severe disorders.
How To Feed Pecans To Dogs?
There are no feeding instructions of pecans to dogs because you must not feed any pecans to your dogs, no matter in which form they are, such as cookies, pies, or ice-creams.
Due to the nutritional composition of pecans, they are unsuitable for dog consumption and should be avoided entirely.
If you still want to feed them recipes or products derived from nuts suitable for them, go for peanut butter and roasted chestnuts as their occasional treat.
Can dogs eat almonds and walnuts?
No, dogs cannot eat almonds safely because of the choking hazard and the amount of protein in them, making it difficult for dogs to digest and assimilate them properly.
Moreover, they have aflatoxins and amygdalin that are toxic for dogs when ingested in excessive amounts.
Furthermore, walnuts are also not recommended for dogs. They are also unsafe for canine consumption due to the tremorgenic mycotoxins and juglone present in them that are responsible for causing seizures and tremors vomiting, and other severe issues.
However, a small amount of accidental intake of almonds and walnuts won’t certainly harm the dog’s health.
Do Pecans Affect The Digestive System Of Dogs?
Although pecans cause severe effects on a dog’s circulatory, neuromuscular, and excretory systems, they are very harmful to their digestion. They can get disturbed appetite when dogs consume unsuitable nuts like pecans.
These nuts can cause gastrointestinal stasis, digestive obstruction, diarrhea, internal injuries in the digestive tract, abdominal pain, pancreatitis, etc. These are incredibly fatal and can also lead to death.
Final Thoughts
Pecans may taste fabulous to humans, but you should never feed them to your doggy at all. However, if your pooch still manages to eat some pecans lying on the floor, it is not a very severe issue and can be observed for any symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or indigestion.
If you feel that your dog isn’t getting any better and the symptoms persist, take them to your vet for further necessary treatment. Moreover, there are sporadic cases of severe damage due to pecan ingestion in dogs, so there is no need to worry much.
Moderation in any edibles is key to a disease-free dietary routine in canines. And as we know, dogs and pecans don’t match up in the equation of health, so it’s better if you avoid feeding pecans to your dogs altogether. This way, your pooch would be safe from several health disorders and have good health.
FAQs
Can dogs eat marshmallows?
No, dogs cannot eat marshmallows because they contain artificial sweeteners, gelatin, and a toxin called xylitol that is potentially harmful to dogs and severely affects their health.
Can dogs eat oatmeal cookies?
Oatmeal is safe for dogs, but its cookies are not suitable for dogs because the added sugar is harmful to dogs. If the cookies have raisins or chocolate in them, that’s an excellent reason to keep them away from dogs because both ingredients are toxic to dogs.
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