Acorn eating. Poisonous?


  • When Bella got her AKC puppy training certificate there was a book of information tucked in her goody bag. It had a list of poisonous foods, plants, etc. Oak was listed and upon further research I found it is the buds and acorns. We have said tree in our backyard and Bella likes to chew and/or eat the acorns. It seems to be a game for her to find where a squirrel has buried them so she can dig them up and eat them. Should I be concerned? Does anyone else's basenji eat them? Any adverse effects?



  • Daisy loves to eat acorns. Except - she will spit out the green ones. I had no idea they were unhealthy. We just got thru with black walnuts … them things are huge! "Tree litter" as I call it, is just beginning...How on earth can I stop her from eating them? She's a glutton already! I love fall, but I hate the droppings. It is like walking on marbles in my back yard. Them dang things are so difficult to rake up too, because they're so heavy. I'll bet I shoveled up about 18 very heavy brown grocery bags full last year. Thank goodness our city picks up yard refuse.


  • I should add to BlueBell - I haven't seen any adverse reactions from Daisy. She's almost 3 yrs old (already) - also a mix breed - but shouldn't think it would matter in this case.


  • Mine will eat the Loquat seeds from tree in the front. I have to grab them out of his mouth and keep them cleaned up. The squirrels eat the little fruit and drop the seeds. So I hacked the tree way back. Now he's happy just chewing on the cuttings.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN2I-tpi-nM


  • I'm having problems with my Javascript right now, so couldn't see "youtube". But cutting down my (dozen or more) oak trees would cost a fortune! I hope that keeping my two furkids well fed and nourished will do. Also - keeping the yard picked up. However, Daisy is a nibbler - and I haven't seen any adverse affects. (paws crossed). :)


  • Happy to know that there have not been adverse reactions by those who also like to partake. Bella also likes the big seed pods that come off our magnolia. She thinks my trying to get the acorns and such out of her mouth is a game. She puts them as far back in her throat as possible without swallowing them in hopes I won't reach that far. Good thing she isn't a biter.


  • I better say thank you to all my squirrel's who get the most of my oak nuts, walnuts. Not my favorite tree's but there were there long before we got here. I will watch and make sure Jaycee hopefully don't get any of them. Thank you.

    Rita Jean


  • I haven't had my basenji long enough to see him in action eating all the "decorations" in the Fall, but my lab mix use to get diarrhea from eating them, finally i made the connection with acorns… anyways you might just have to rake rake rake!


  • My Basenjis do eat acorns with no effect at all. I do find that mine seem to know what they can and can't eat. I suppose each generation has learned from the last. Puppies of course have to be watched (like human babies) because they'll chew anything.

    Incidentally when I was a child (a very,very long time ago) i too used to eat acorns, - again with no ill effects!

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