Pine nut
CautionNo specific toxin in pine nuts is known to affect dogs, but they are among the fattiest common nuts, so even a modest handful risks GI upset and pancreatitis. Usually the pesto around them is the bigger 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.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Loose stool
- Excess gas
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Pancreatitis
More about this food
Pine nuts are not a known toxic nut for dogs. Nothing in them produces the neurological syndrome that macadamias or moldy black walnuts do, and a few pine nuts off the floor will not poison a dog. The caution rating comes from fat, and from what pine nuts are usually served in.
Start with fat. Pine nuts run over 60 g of fat per 100 g and roughly 670 kcal per 100 g, which puts them at the top of the fat ranking among nuts people actually keep in the kitchen. The ASPCA notes that nuts contain high amounts of oils and fats that can cause digestive upset and potentially pancreatitis. For an 11 lb dog, a small handful of pine nuts is a large share of the day's calories delivered entirely as fat. Acute pancreatitis typically appears 24 to 72 hours after the meal: refusing food, repeated vomiting, a praying posture with chest down and rear up, and abdominal pain on handling. Before that stage you generally see soft, greasy stool, diarrhea and gas.
Second, the company they keep. In an American kitchen, pine nuts are almost always in pesto, and pesto is built on garlic, olive oil and hard cheese -- garlic damages canine red blood cells, and the oil and cheese pile on fat and salt. Pine nuts also show up in salads with raisins or grapes, in granola and trail mix, and in baklava and other honey pastries. If your dog cleaned a bowl of pasta with pesto, the garlic and the fat load are the reason to call, not the nuts. Check the same dish for raisins, which are their own kidney emergency.
Third, a note for owners who cook for a sick dog: pine nuts do not belong in a bland recovery meal. A recovering GI tract needs low fat, and pine nuts are the opposite. Use a veterinary GI diet or plain lean protein instead.
For completeness: people occasionally report pine mouth, a lingering metallic taste for days after eating certain pine nuts. There is no published report of the same phenomenon in dogs.
Practically: a few pine nuts in a medium or large dog usually means 12 to 24 hours of watching. A handful or more, a small dog, or a seasoned dish eaten whole means calling your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Do not induce vomiting at home.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog ate pasta with pesto. Is it the pine nuts?
- Almost never. Pesto is built on garlic, olive oil and cheese, and garlic damages canine red blood cells while the oil and cheese deliver a heavy fat load. Report the portion size and your dog's weight when you call your vet.
- How many pine nuts is too many?
- There is no toxic dose, only a fat threshold, and it scales with size. A few nuts in a large dog is a watch-and-wait; a handful in a small dog is worth a phone call because of the pancreatitis risk over the next 24 to 72 hours.
- He ate a handful yesterday and seems fine today.
- Pancreatitis usually declares itself 24 to 72 hours out, so feeling fine now is not proof. Note the amount and your dog's weight, call for advice, and go in immediately if appetite drops, vomiting repeats or the belly gets tender.