The magnificent horse chestnut tree, with its beautiful leaf colours, is one of the best sights of autumn, however the beautiful brown conkers it sheds are not so welcome to pet owners as they are toxic to animals.
- How to identify nuts and seeds from British trees
- Can dogs eat mushrooms and other fungi?
- Can dogs eat acorns?
Are conkers poisonous to dogs?
Conkers are very poisonous to dogs, says pet nutritionist Emily Boardman at Burns Pet Nutrition.
Conkers contain a toxin called aesculin, which can cause a dog to be sick or can upset their stomach or cause blockages, if chewed or swallowed.
If enough is eaten it can also produce more serious effects, and in rare cases can be deadly.
It’s hard to say how many conkers might make them ill or prove fatal to them, as it depends on the tree’s toxicity (which varies from year to year) and also on factors like the size of your dog, how many they’ve chewed, whether it was on a full or empty stomach etc.
Although rare, if your dog has eaten one or more conkers, you should contact your vet straight away.
What are the symptoms of conker poisoning in dogs?
It can take between one and six hours of consumption to show symptoms, which might include:
- Being thirsty
- Stomach pain and or upset stomach
- Being sick – which could contain blood
- Dribbling
- Off their food
- Being edgy and restless
- Walking oddly
- Shaking
- Not being able to move
If left untreated, a dog can go into toxic shock. It has also been reported that dogs can experience respiratory paralysis and may die.
To note - choking or blocking the stomach or the gut are also risks from conker ingestion.
If you think your dog may have eaten conkers consult your vet straight away - don't wait for symptoms to appear
Conkers are also poisonous to other animals including horses, cats and cattle.
- Poisonous plants to cats: Cats Protection warn about the deadly plants to avoid if you have cats
- Poisonous plants to dogs: vet warns about deadly flowers, trees, shrubs and bulbs
- Plants poisonous to horses: from heart issues to blindness and even death, these toxic plants can cause an array of issues for equines
Love dogs? Check out our pets section for advice on a variety of topics from how to housetrain your puppy to how to get rid of fleas.
