About a week ago, one of my dogs found an avocado that had dropped during Hurricane Lala. It wasn’t the first one to fall — my other dogs had found several, and every time, they’d trot over and bring me the fruit, tails wagging, showing off their treasure. I’d trade them for a treat, and throw the avocado over the fence, no harm done.
This time was different. This time, Tony got to an avocado sometime after dark, and he made the most of it. Overnight, he ate the entire skin and all of the flesh, so that when I walked outside the next morning, all that was left was the pit sitting between his paws, as he wagged his tail and smiled up at me.
We watched him closely for the next few days, mostly worried about his pancreas — avocado flesh is extremely high in fat, and fatty foods are a classic trigger for pancreatitis in dogs. Days passed, and he seemed fine. Energetic, eating normally, acting like himself. We started to relax.
Then, suddenly, he wasn’t fine at all.
When “Fine” Stopped Being Fine
He crashed fast. I went first to Horvath Animal Clinic, because they are excellent and usually easier to get into than Veterinary Associates. Dr. Horvath took blood, which revealed that his liver enzymes were off the charts. She followed with an x-ray, but she wasn’t at all sure what was going on with him. She urged me to call Veterinary Associates, because they have an ultrasound machine. Dr. Hamilton at Veterinary Associates ultrasounded him andcould see that there was something in his stomach, but even with ultrasound she couldn’t tell what it was. Because of his quickly deteriorating condition, she skipped scoping him and went straight to surgery.
When she opened his stomach, she found roughly half an avocado’s worth of hard, indigestible skin sitting there — undigested, unmoving, and clearly the source of the crisis. It hadn’t caused a dramatic, obvious blockage at first. It had just sat there, quietly wreaking havoc, until his body couldn’t compensate anymore.
He’s still hospitalized on IV fluids and antibiotics, and it will be a few more days before we know for certain whether he’s going to recover.
What I Didn’t Realize About Avocados and Dogs
I grew up with an avocado tree in the yard, and we always had dogs. There was never a problem. We used to throw the dogs avocados instead of tennis balls. I did not know:
- The pit and skin are the real danger — not just because of persin, a compound in avocados that can be toxic to dogs in larger amounts, but because they’re tough, fibrous, and essentially indigestible. They can sit in the stomach or intestines and cause a blockage or serious inflammation, even without an obvioco
- Delayed Response — We watched carefully for days, concerned about a fat-related issue like pancreatitis, and he seemed fine. The real crisis showed up well after we’d started to relax.
- Advanced imaging isn’t foolproof. Even an ultrasound didn’t give us a clear answer. Surgery was what ultimately revealed the problem.
- A “small” household hazard can become an emergency fast. This wasn’t a case of him getting into a bag of chocolate or something we’d flag as an obvious danger. It was fruit that fell in a storm.
If You Have Dogs and an Avocado Tree
Here’s my honest, hard-earned advice: if you have dogs with access to your yard, and you have an avocado tree, get rid of it.
I know that sounds extreme. But weigh the cost. It is so much cheaper — and so much less agonizing — to pay someone to cut down a tree than it is to pay for emergency vet visits, IV fluids, surgery, and days of not knowing whether your dog is going to make it. Money aside, the emotional toll of watching your dog go from fine to critical, and not knowing why, is not something I’d wish on anyone.
Dropped fruit doesn’t stay dropped for long in a yard with dogs in it. All it takes is one clever, food-motivated dog and one moment you’re not watching.
I’ll update this post as we know more about his recovery. If your dog has gotten into an avocado, don’t wait and watch the way we did — call your vet right away. Consider starting with a clinic that offers hospitalization as well as ultrasound and endoscopy.