Hazelnut
CautionHazelnuts are not toxic to dogs, but the round, hard shape is close to airway-sized for a small dog, and hazelnuts usually arrive wrapped in chocolate. If chocolate was involved, that is the more urgent problem.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Check the precautions before sharing
Risk depends on preparation, ingredients or amount. Read the precautions below; body weight alone cannot establish a safe portion.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Choking
- Gagging
- Retching without bringing anything up
- Drooling
- Intestinal blockage
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Pancreatitis
More about this food
Hazelnut kernels contain nothing that poisons a dog. They are not macadamias, and there is no neurological syndrome attached to them. The caution rating is about physical shape and about how hazelnuts actually reach a dog.
Shape comes first. A shelled hazelnut is a hard sphere roughly half an inch across. The American Kennel Club warns that nuts such as almonds are choking hazards, and a hazelnut is a worse shape than an almond. Dogs crunch a nut two or three times and swallow, so a hazelnut can plug the airway of a small dog and lodge in the esophagus or intestine of a medium one. Repeated unproductive retching, drooling with an inability to swallow, or sudden gagging and labored breathing means go now.
Fat comes second. The ASPCA notes that nuts contain high amounts of oils and fats that can cause digestive upset and potentially pancreatitis. Hazelnuts are no exception. A dog that ate a handful and then, 24 to 72 hours later, refuses food, vomits repeatedly and hunches its abdomen needs to be seen.
Third, and in practice the most common scenario: hazelnuts rarely arrive alone. In most households they show up inside chocolate -- Nutella, chocolate-hazelnut spreads, Ferrero Rocher, gianduja, hazelnut coffee creamer. Theobromine in chocolate is toxic to dogs, and the spread is a slab of sugar and fat. If your dog ate chocolate hazelnuts, the chocolate sets the urgency, not the nut. Note the type (dark, milk, white), the total weight, and the time, and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Count the missing wrappers too -- foil and paper cups often go down with the candy. If it was flavored coffee or syrup, the issue is caffeine rather than the flavoring, so measure how much was drunk.
Fourth is storage. Old or damp nuts grow mold, and some molds on nuts produce tremorgenic mycotoxins that cause trembling and seizures. Bitter or discolored hazelnuts go in the trash, not the dog bowl.
Summary: one plain shelled hazelnut in a large dog usually means 12 to 24 hours of watching. A small dog, a shell swallowed whole, a handful, or anything with chocolate on it means a phone call now. Do not induce vomiting at home -- a hard nut can wedge in the esophagus on the way back up.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog ate chocolate hazelnut candies. What matters most?
- The chocolate, not the nut. Note whether it was dark or milk, the total weight eaten, the time, and your dog's weight, then call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435. Count missing foil wrappers, which often get swallowed too.
- Is one plain hazelnut a problem?
- For a large dog, usually not -- watch 12 to 24 hours for vomiting or appetite change. For a small dog the size itself is the risk, so watch closely for gagging, drooling or repeated unproductive retching and go in if you see it.
- He licked chocolate hazelnut spread off a spoon.
- Most spreads are cocoa-based with very high sugar and fat, so report the brand and amount to your vet along with your dog's weight. If it was a sugar-free spread, check the label specifically for xylitol or birch sugar.