No, your husky can’t eat nutmeg. Nutmeg is a spice that our dogs shouldn’t ingest. Small amounts of nutmeg ingested by your dog can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and more gastrointestinal upsets. Large amounts of nutmeg ingested will seriously harm your dog. The results of ingesting a large amount of nutmeg will cause your dog to have high blood pressure, abdominal pain, disorientation, elevated heart rate, hallucinations, dehydration, and even seizures.
We usually use nutmeg in festive baked goods and drinks. Especially during winter. We enjoy the smell and taste of a freshly baked apple pie, but we shouldn’t share it with our dogs. Keep the apple pie, pumpkin pie, gingerbread, and any baked goods that contain nutmeg far away from your husky. Besides the high sugar content found in these foods that will upset your dog’s stomach, your husky can’t eat nutmeg or foods that contain nutmeg. I know that sometimes we want to share what we’re eating with our dogs, even a tiny bite, but foods or drinks that contain nutmeg are bad for our dogs. Also, let all your family members, guests, and children know not to share baked goods or foods with your husky without asking you first.
Why is nutmeg poisonous to dogs?
Nutmeg is poisonous to dogs because it contains myristicin.
What is myristicin, and why is it harmful to dogs? Myristicin is a natural compound found in nutmeg and is toxic even to people in high amounts. Only two teaspoons of nutmeg are already a high amount of nutmeg if consumed by people. You might already know that nutmeg, myristicin to be more exact, can cause hallucinations, such as the mescaline acts in peyote. It has a hallucinatory effect, but it will affect people’s health.
Only two teaspoons are toxic to people, and it will lead to dizziness, hallucinations, nausea, increased heart rate, stomach pains, and many others. Dogs are smaller than us, and they shouldn’t ingest any amount of myristicin.
Does your husky likes to steal food from the counter? Place the gingerbread or the pie that contains nutmeg somewhere your husky can’t reach.
Why do we use nutmeg in our baked goods or eggnog if it’s toxic in large amounts?
Humans can eat a small amount of nutmeg, but dogs shouldn’t eat any amount. The baking recipes only call for ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg for a batch. And we don’t eat the whole thing alone at once. Our bodies can ingest this itsy bitsy tiny amount of nutmeg without experiencing hallucination, dizziness, or other symptoms. We shouldn’t share baked goods or eggnog with our dogs if they contain nutmeg.
Also, the sugar in baked goods is not good for your husky. Sugar consumption by dogs can lead to stomach upsets, vomiting, diarrhea, diabetes, overweight, and heart problems. These are serious health problems.
We all want to spoil our furry friends but giving them sweet baked goods is not the answer. Love, a balanced diet, and a healthy, active life are the things our dogs need. You might see your huskies making puppy eyes and begging you to share your food with them. Remember that dogs want to try what we eat because we eat those things and not because they need to eat them.
Our dogs don’t know what is safe for them to eat, and they count on us to make this decision for them. Nowadays, there are plenty of dog foods, wet and dry, or dog snacks made especially for dogs. Besides those, you can also let your husky try vegetables, fruits, fish, and many more. There are plenty of foods that your furry friend can safely try.
What to do if a dog eats nutmeg?
Did your dog eat nutmeg? Call your veterinarian immediately and explain the situation. The nutmeg amount, the dog size, and the overall health are essential for the veterinarian to know.
If your dog eats a small piece of a pie that contains nutmeg, such as a thumb, he or she may not experience any symptoms. Still, keep an eye on your dog and see if he or she is experiencing any adverse symptoms. A slice of pie can cause your husky diarrhea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal upset due to the high sugar content and nutmeg content. But if your dog got in your spice cabinet and ate dried nutmeg, he or she will experience the toxic effects that nutmeg has on your dog’s body. Effects such as increased heart rate, disorientation, dry mouth, and even seizures.
Your dog may get away with only stomach pains and diarrhea if he or she ingested only a really small amount, but this whole situation and the discomfort of your dog can be avoided if you keep your furry friend far away from the nutmeg.
Your dog’s veterinarian will give your dog emetics such as hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting, IV fluids, and maybe some activated charcoal if your dog ingested a high amount of nutmeg. This depends on the size of your dog and the amount of nutmeg that he or she ingested. Always call your dog’s veterinarian and explain the whole situation transparently.
Conclusion on if your husky can eat nutmeg
Your husky can’t eat nutmeg or any baked goods made with nutmeg or drinks that contain nutmeg. Nutmeg contains myristicin which is toxic to dogs. Make sure your spice cabinet is somewhere your husky can’t reach because we all know how curious a husky can be.
Do not use nutmeg in your dog’s treats if you’re making dog treats at home. You can put a really small amount of Ceylon cinnamon, cilantro, mint, parsley, dill, basil, or other safe herbs and spices in your husky’s homemade treats. I hope you find this article helpful.
