Ask a Vet: Are fruits and nuts safe treats for dogs?

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Have a nonemergency question about your pet’s health? Dr. Heather Oxford of L.A. veterinary hospital California Animal Rehabilitation (CARE) is here to help! In this installment of Ask a Vet, Dr. Oxford has some tips for reader Jasmine about the dangers of feeding some ‘people foods’ to dogs:

Jasmine’s question: Hi Dr. Oxford, is it safe to feed dogs fruits and nuts?

Heather Oxford, DVM: Great question, especially with us going into fruit season. Fruits and nuts that are toxic include grapes, raisins and macademia nuts. Feeding large amounts of rinds of citrus fruits can also cause toxicity due to increased ingestion of essential oils. All other fruits and nuts are not known to be toxic to dogs, but must be fed in moderation or else gastrointestinal issues could occur.

To submit your question for Dr. Oxford, just leave a comment on this post or send us a tweet @LATunleashed and look for her answer in an upcoming installment of Ask a Vet!

About our vet: Dr. Oxford received her bachelor of science degree at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. She also received a master’s of public health degree in epidemiology from Emory University and went on to work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. She then went to the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine, where she received her doctor of veterinary medicine degree. She practices at California Animal Rehabilitation and is also certified in veterinary rehabilitation and acupuncture. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Wade, and German shepherd, Tess.