Can Dogs Eat Cashews?
In moderation, cashews can be a healthy treat for your pup
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Dogs can eat cashews in moderation, but they’re not a necessary part of a balanced diet. These protein-rich nuts are high in fiber, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, and immune-boosting nutrients like zinc and magnesium. They’re also high in copper, which is good for our joints and our bones. While there’s no doubt that cashews are beneficial to humans, they can actually harm your dog when fed improperly. Here’s what to know about feeding your dog cashews, plus what to look out for so you can ensure you’re not doing more harm than good.
Can Dogs Eat Cashews?
Plain cashews are generally considered safe to feed to dogs in small amounts. Like most tasty things in life, moderation is key. The protein, fiber, and healthy fats found in cashews can become troublesome when dogs eat too much. This is true for us as well as our dogs, but dogs have a much lower threshold for rich foods like nuts. In fact, some nuts are toxic to dogs, such as macadamia nuts.
When choosing cashews to feed your dog, there are a few factors to keep in mind.
Salt
It's best to choose unsalted cashews for dogs because excessive salt in their diet can lead to dehydration and gastrointestinal distress. Plain cashews are best—and definitely don’t feed any cashews with additional flavors on them.
Fat
Always feed cashews to your dog sparingly. All that fat—heart-healthy as it is—can pose a problem for overweight pups. In some cases, too much fat in your dog’s diet can even lead to pancreatitis, a serious illness that requires immediate treatment from a veterinarian.
Start Slowly
It's best to slowly introduce any new food, cashews included. Your dog may have food allergies or intolerances you’re not aware of because they haven’t yet been introduced to the food. Plus, some human foods won't agree with a dog’s stomach even if they’re deemed safe to eat. As the benevolent human in their life, it’s your job to monitor their diet closely and not put them in a situation where issues can occur.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction include itching, swelling, and skin issues like redness and hives. Be on the lookout for any other signs of stomach distress as well, particularly serious ones like vomiting and diarrhea.
How to Feed Cashews to Dogs
Want to see if your dog likes cashews? Follow the guidelines above, and only choose a packaged, unsalted raw or roasted variety. Because other nuts can be quite toxic to our canine friends, it’s important that you do not feed your dog cashews out of a variety pack.
To begin, offer your dog only one or two cashews and wait to see how they tolerate it. If there are no issues, you can feed a couple more the next time depending on your dog's size. As a general guideline, small dogs should have no more than two cashews a day while large dogs can eat a small handful (about five to 10 cashews). However, each dog is different, so consult your veterinarian to make sure you're not harming your dog.
Overall, treats usually shouldn’t make up any more than 10 percent of your dog’s daily caloric intake. Cashews are high in calories (nearly 10 calories per nut), so less is definitely more. This goes double if your dog is overweight or not very active. And if your dog has any sort of existing stomach issues or food allergies, you may be better off sticking to dog-friendly foods that aren’t quite so rich.
Can Dogs Eat Cashew Butter or Milk?
As for cashew butter or cashew milk, some varieties that you find in the store will have additional ingredients like added and/or excessive salt, sugars, or oils that should be avoided. Always check the ingredients before feeding store-bought cashew butter or cashew milk to your dog. Never feed foods that contain xylitol, a sugar substitute that is highly toxic to dogs.
You can also consider making your own dog-safe cashew butter for your pup. Just combine one cup of unsalted cashews with a dash of honey in a food processor and blend until smooth. Again, you’ll want to use moderation in serving it.
Nuts That Are Dangerous to Dogs
Cashews may be fine for your furry one in moderation, but some nuts need to be avoided at all costs due to their toxicity to canines. If you’re going to see if your dog goes nuts for nuts, make sure you’re avoiding the following types:
Hickory nuts
As for cashews, when given properly, they might just become one of your dog’s favorite once-in-a-while treats.
Read the original article on The Spruce Pets.
