Are Acorns Toxic To Dogs?

Sep 27, 2023 | Halloween, Holiday, Maggie Lane Designs, Pet Health, Pets, Tips and Tricks

Happy Thursday everyone!  Jake, Maggie, and myself have been enjoying this September by walking the property line making loops back through the woods and then home.  The leaves are starting to fall, dead branches lay broken on the ground, and the ground is covered with seeds and nuts from the beautiful oak trees.  It got me wondering…are Acorns Toxic To Dogs?  Fortunately Jake and Maggie are not interested in eating them but if they were, how many is to many and what would happen?  After our walk yesterday, I finished decorating our front porch, took these beautiful photos of the pups, and finished mowing grass!  Then it was time to do my research for this post.  I apologize for not getting the post out sooner as this week has been hectic.
 
*This post contains affiliate links.  Two Adorable Labs will get a small percentage should you make a purchase from the links in this post. 
 

2023 Front Porch Fall/Halloween Decor

Over the summer I painted our front door Tricon Black from Sherwin Williams.  The little ghost people are from Lowes last month.  I bought them in the store and can’t find them online.  I made the wreath myself with ribbon from Amazon, flowers from Walmart, At Home Store, and Amazon.

Black lanterns are from Home Goods several years ago and I filled them with plastic pumpkins from Walmart from three years ago.  Metal pumpkin with green leaves is from At Home Store.  Real pumpkins are 3 for $10.00 at Shop N’ Save.  They are restocking tomorrow!  

Acorns Toxic | www.twoadorablelabs.com
What Are Acorns?
 
 
*Did you know that an acorn is actually a fruit? Its hard and woody outer shell protects a single seed inside it that can grow into an oak tree.  Acorns are green when they first grow, but become brown as they ripen. Towards the end of summer, or around early autumn, these hard fruits fully mature and fall to the ground, ready to grow into a new tree.
 
*You may have noticed that crunch underfoot is more pronounced some years than others—every 2 to 5 years, oak trees experience “masting,” a season in which they produce a much larger volume of acorns than usual. During these “mast events,” you’ll need to be even more vigilant about keeping acorns out of your dog’s mouth.
 

Black Urns

These black urns are from Amazon and the yellow mums are from Home Depot.

Acorn Toxic | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Are Acorns Toxic To Dogs?
 
*Mature acorns (or oaknuts) fall off oak trees starting in late summer around August or September and continue to fall throughout October.
 
*Acorns are nuts from oak trees. They contain compounds called tannins that are harmful to dogs. These tannins have a nasty bitter taste.  When dogs eat them, they may suffer severe stomach upset, kidney failure, and sometimes even death.
 
*They can be a choking hazard for your dog.
 
*A dog may also experience acorn poisoning (also called Quercus poisoning) by eating oak leaves. It’s particularly dangerous for dogs to eat buds or oak leaves in the spring or green acorns in the autumn.
Acorn Toxic | www.twoadorablelabs.com
How much does my dog need to eat to make them ill?
 
*The amount of tannins in each acorn is different, so it’s impossible to know the number of acorns your dog would need to eat to make them unwell. The concentration of tannins in an acorn changes as it ripens. Unripe green acorns contain higher amounts of tannins, whereas brown acorns contain less, making them less poisonous. The concentration of tannins varies from tree to tree and year to year and is dependent on a number of different factors. How your dog is affected by tannins will also depend on how big your dog is, how much they’ve eaten, when they last ate, how much they chew up the acorn and if they have any other health issues.
 

How I create my wreaths

If you are interested in making my wreath, I created this post a while ago on How To Create A Christmas Wreath and DIY Fall Wreath  I make all of my wreaths the same.  I start with a color palette appropriate for the season and/or holiday and build it from there using large flowers and fillers (small flowers) intertwining the flowers and branches to create a fluffy and colorful wreath.  I typically always make my own bow and have created videos on How To Make A Bow.

Acorn Toxic | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Symptoms can occur within a few hours of ingestion and may include:
 
*Loss of appetite
*Vomiting
*Diarrhea
*Abdominal pain
*Dehydration
*Shock
*Lethargy
*Shaking
*Red itchy skin
*Liver damage
*Kidney damage
Acorn Toxic | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Treatment for Acorn Poisoning
 
*If you think your dog ingested acorns, do not try to make them vomit.  Depending on how many acorns your dog ingested, the size of your dog, and the severity of his reaction, he may need IV fluid rehydration, an X-ray to determine if there’s a blockage, or surgery.
 
*Your vet may prescribe medication to control vomiting, diarrhea, and pain. The veterinarian may also collect blood samples to evaluate the dog’s kidney and liver function.
 
*Treatments may vary depending on your dog’s symptoms, but some to expect include IV fluids for hydration, and to flush out the tannins, and activated charcoal, as “that would coat and remove the material faster than anything else.  Your vet also may choose to give your dog a gastroprotectant, an antibiotic, anti-nausea medication, and/or a pain reliever. 
Acorn Toxic | www.twoadorablelabs.com
I hope you enjoyed this post.  Don’t hesitate to ask questions by commenting below or sending me an email!  I’ve tried incorporating my fall decor items just incase you are interested in where I bought everything you see in the photos!  Enjoy!  

Jake and Maggie sporting their new matching bow tie and sailor bow for Halloween!

These adorable bows were purchased from Naughty Paws

Acorn Toxic | www.twoadorablelabs.com
I’m Bobbi Jo, a lab-lover who took my passion for animals and dogs and turned it into something bigger.  When I adopted Jake and Maggie, my love for them became the driving force behind Two Adorable Labs, and my blog was born.  My hope is to not only share them with the world, but to help educate others on the importance of animal health and well-being.

Two Adorable Labs has become a collection of all that I love.  I’ll send one post each week on things that bring me joy on animal health, home decor, and food recipes for humans and our furry friends.  I hope you enjoy these posts and much as I do creating them!

I love hearing from all of you and do my best to respond to each and every one of you.  I always enjoy your comments, feedback, and suggestions so keep them coming!  If I’ve posted a recipe (for our human and our furry friends) and you try it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @twoadorablelabs and use #twoadorablelabs​.

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Love, Jake and Maggie

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2 Comments

  1. Sharon Crnko
    Sharon Crnko on September 28, 2023 at 8:50 am

    Gus doesn’t eat acorns, but I hope Joey avoids them. I guess I’ll find out. His brother Pickles just had emergency surgery because he ate a corn cob. It was very scary. This happened at midnight Sunday. The report is he is doing good. He has highly restrictive activity for 10 days. Try that with a 8 month lab!
    I love your porch and it looks like Maggie and Jake do too! I think this is my favorite wreath yet! Happy fall to all of you!

    Reply
    • Two Adorable Labs
      Two Adorable Labs on September 28, 2023 at 11:22 am

      Oh my I’m so sorry to hear. Poor baby. Keeping Pickles restricted is going to be tough. Thank you! I enjoyed creating this wreath. I love how vibrant and bright it all looks. I’ll be decorating the garage side today :-). Happy fall to all of you as well.

      Reply

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