A Hewitt dog owner had to take her dog for treatment after it ingested several acorns from the backyard.
Deborah Williamson said a couple of weeks ago, her dog ate acorns and acorn shells one evening. The acorns caused the animal to become ill.
"When I came home from work, she had thrown up all over one of the puppy pads, shells, acorns and all so it was very clear what made her sick. She had terrible diarrhea all night long," Williamson said.
The Hewitt resident said the veterinarian gave the dog fluids, an injection and antibiotics, which helped her heal in a couple of days.
Hewitt Veterinary Hospital Owner and Veterinarian Dr. Kristin Dodson said acorn toxicity is rare in dogs but even one can cause problems.
"If the acorn is big enough and the dog is small enough, it could cause a blockage or an acute obstruction of the intestine and not acting right, right away within 24 hours," Dodson said.
The veterinarian said if dogs are eating a large number of acorns over a long period of time, it could also be dangerous.
"We can see kidney failure, something more serious," Dodson said. "If your dog goes into kidney failure without treatment, that could be fatal."
Williamson is now keeping her dog on a leash when she takes her outside to prevent her from eating acorns.
"Our situation was the best case scenario, even though she was desperately ill," Williamson said.
According to Dodson, all the parts of oak trees, including leaves and buds, can potentially be dangerous to all animals because of tannings.
If pets start exhibiting symptoms, such as loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting, you are asked to take them to a veterinarian.
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