Can Dogs Eat Acorns? Are They Actually Poisonous?

I love seeing leaves and acorns on the ground. That’s when it truly starts to feel like fall is here, and the hot summer weather has faded away.

However, autumn might not be the best season for you if your dog has the habit of picking things up off the ground. This is especially true of acorns, because they aren’t safe for dogs to eat!

Dogs should never eat acorns because they contain toxic chemicals known as tannins. Acorns also pose a choking hazard and can cause intestinal blockages. In extreme cases, your dog could suffer organ damage or even die after eating acorns. However, this is unlikely so long as they receive veterinary treatment.

In this article, we’ll talk about why acorns are dangerous, what to do if your dog has eaten acorns, and how to stop your dog from eating acorns off the ground.

Are Acorns Toxic to Dogs?

Acorns are toxic to dogs because they contain tannins, which are chemical compounds found in various plants. Oak leaves also contain tannins.

The most dangerous acorns are those that have yet to ripen. These acorns contain the highest levels of tannins, and the amount decreases as they ripen. However, ripe acorns are still unsafe for your dog to eat.

Aside from being toxic, acorns are also very solid and hard to digest. They pose a choking hazard and can lead to intestinal blockages that require surgery to remove.

Will One Acorn Hurt my Dog?

There are so many variables that it’s difficult to say exactly how many acorns will hurt your dog. We don’t have a lot of studies on this kind of information for good reason — we don’t want to be poisoning dogs in order to find out!

Here are some factors to consider:

• Ripe acorns are less toxic, though they can still cause harm.
• It takes fewer tannins to poison a small dog than a large one, so small dogs are most at-risk.
• Poisoning isn’t the only risk to eating acorns—your dog could also develop an intestinal blockage.

Personally, I wouldn’t wait for symptoms of poisoning to happen if I knew my dog had eaten something toxic. Your dog has the best chances of recovery and survival if you call your vet immediately.

Think about it this way: the worst that happens if your dog is fine, is that you get a vet bill and look a bit silly. The worst that happens if your dog has been poisoned is that they die.

Therefore, this isn’t the time to underreact.

Symptoms of Dogs Eating Acorns

Symptoms of acorn poisoning in dogs include:

• Drooling
• Retching or coughing
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Bloody stool
• Tiredness
• Lack of appetite
• Dehydration
• Excessive thirst and urination
• Stomach pain

In extreme cases, dogs can suffer from kidney and liver damage. Some dogs die of acorn poisoning, although this is unlikely if your dog is treated promptly by a veterinarian.

What to Do if a Dog Eats Acorns

If your dog eats acorns, call your veterinarian right away. They can advise you based on your individual dog and how many acorns they’ve eaten.

Sometimes our pups seem to wait to get into trouble until the nights or weekends when the vet is closed, or when they’re booked out for weeks. If this happens, call an emergency veterinarian. They can give you advice and will likely suggest that you bring your dog in to be evaluated.

How Will My Vet Diagnose Acorn Poisoning?

When you bring your dog to the vet, they’ll first take a verbal history from you. They’ll likely ask how many acorns your dog ate and if they’re showing any symptoms of poisoning.

They’ll perform a visual exam and palpate your dog’s abdomen. Your vet might also suggest bloodwork to see if the acorns have affected your dog’s kidneys or liver, or X-rays to see if there’s a blockage.

To treat your pup, your vet might suggest medication, fluids, or surgery.

Don’t try to treat acorn poisoning at home by making your dog sick, as this can worsen the situation.

How to Stop a Dog From Eating Acorns

If your dog is always eating acorns, or other things off of the ground during your walks, there are a couple of solutions you can try.

These include:

• Avoiding areas with oak trees
• Removing oak trees from your yard
• Supervising your dog in the yard
• Training your dog to wear a muzzle on walks
• Teaching the “leave it” command
• Teaching the “drop it” command

Avoid Oak Trees on Walks

If your favorite park has an oak tree and your dog is always picking up acorns, I recommend choosing a new place to walk—at least while the acorns are on the ground during the fall.

This is the simplest way to keep your dog from eating acorns, though it doesn’t solve the problem if they are continuously eating things they shouldn’t.

Avoiding oak trees can also be a temporary solution while you muzzle train or teach a solid “leave it” cue.

Remove Oak Trees from Your Yard

This solution can be pricey, but potentially worthwhile if your dog is always getting into acorns in the backyard. Removing the trees and carefully raking up any stray acorns and leaves will solve your problem for good.

The cost can also balance out when you factor in the cost of vet appointments if your dog continues to eat acorns. Surgeries to remove acorns from your dog’s digestive tract are incredibly pricey, not to mention the pain and stress you and your dog would have to go through.

Supervise Your Dog Outdoors

If you can’t afford to remove trees, or don’t want to, try supervising your dog in the backyard instead. You might need a leash to keep them away from the acorns, or you might be able to allow them to roam the yard while watching them closely.

Muzzle Train Your Dog

If your dog is always picking up acorns and other things from the ground, it might be safest to muzzle them before bringing them outside.

To some people, this may seem cruel, but muzzles don’t hurt your dog. They might be a little uncomfortable, but nothing compared to being poisoned or getting an intestinal blockage!

The best way to muzzle your dog is to train them first. This takes time and patience, but it’s worth it to maintain a good relationship and teach them that the muzzle means good things, not punishment!

Introduce the muzzle slowly and give your pup lots of treats for interacting with it. In time, they’ll learn to put their snout in the muzzle without fear and won’t be trying to take it off while it’s on, which can make dog parents feel super guilty!

The muzzle doesn’t have to be forever, either. If you prefer, you can train your dog a solid “leave it” command and then remove the muzzle once they’ve mastered it.

Teach the “Leave it” Command

The most effective way to stop your dog from eating acorns and other random things is to teach a solid “leave it” command. This training is essential for keeping your dog safe.

Start by “feeding” treats to your dog and the ground simultaneously. Once your pup is used to this, begin feeding them a treat, leaving one on the floor, feeding them another treat…you get the picture!

Over time, you can space this out so that your dog is waiting longer and longer for its treat. You can also increase the difficulty over time by placing the treats on the floor closer to your dog. Remember to go slow—you want to set them up for success, not failure.

Pair in a command word such as “leave it” once your dog is leaving the treats on the floor alone consistently. Remember to praise them for listening!

You can also teach a release cue, if your dog doesn’t know one already, by saying “okay” or “get it” and allowing them to eat the treats on the ground.

If your dog goes after the treats early, pick them up and try again. Don’t scold them—after all, they don’t know better yet!

Teach the “Drop it” Command

Unlike “leave it,” which works for items your dog hasn’t picked up yet, “drop it” teaches them to put something down. It’s helpful if your dog already has an acorn in its mouth and you need them to let it go.

One of the most fun ways to teach “drop it” is a game of fetch! Pair it with treats so that your dog is motivated to come back to you and drop the toy as a “trade.”

If your dog isn’t bringing the toy back, try tossing it nearer. You could also wait until your dog is chewing their toy and offer a treat that they’d prefer as a trade.

Remember to use your release word to allow them to have their toy back—don’t take it permanently, as this could be seen as a punishment for listening!

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/EIBrubaker