Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs of black walnut poisoning in dogs after eating wood or nuts
By Coleman, Adrienne E & Merola, Valentina·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2016·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Clinical signs associated with ingestion of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) wood, nuts, and hulls in dogs: 93 cases (2001-2012).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 93 dogs showed different symptoms after eating parts of a black walnut tree. Dogs that ingested the wood often experienced neurological or musculoskeletal issues, while those that ate the nuts or hulls mostly vomited. Specifically, nearly half of the dogs that ate the wood or nuts vomited, but those that ate the wood had a much higher chance of developing serious neurological problems. If your dog has eaten any part of a black walnut tree and shows signs of vomiting or unusual behavior, it's important to contact your veterinarian for advice and possible treatment.
People also search for: dog vomiting after eating black walnut · black walnut wood poisoning in dogs · dog neurological signs after walnut ingestion
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical signs associated with oral exposure to black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) wood, nuts, or nut hulls in dogs and to compare clinical syndromes between dogs that ingested wood and dogs that ingested the walnuts or nut hulls. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 93 dogs. PROCEDURES: Records of dogs with oral exposure to black walnut wood, nuts, or nut hulls between November 2001 and December 2012 were retrieved from the Animal Poison Control Center database. Records were reviewed, and data regarding signalment; exposure; time of onset, type, and duration of clinical signs; serum biochemical abnormalities; treatment; and response to treatment were collected. Results were compared statistically between dogs that ingested wood and those that ingested nut components. RESULTS: 28 cases involved exposure to wood, and 65 involved exposure to nuts or hulls. Spontaneous vomiting was commonly observed (13/28 [46%] and 31/65 [48%] dogs that ingested wood and nut components, respectively). Neurologic or musculoskeletal signs were significantly more common in dogs that ingested wood (26/28 [93%]) than in those that ingested nuts or hulls (15/65 [23%]). Relative risk of developing neurologic signs after ingestion of wood was approximately 4 times that after ingestion of nuts or hulls. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ingestion of black walnut wood by dogs resulted in a clinical syndrome in which neurologic or musculoskeletal signs were most frequently reported, whereas ingestion of black walnuts or their hulls was most commonly associated with vomiting. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing 2 different clinical syndromes associated with exposure to black walnut tree components in dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26720086/