Is Macadamia nuts safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Unknown |
| Dogs | Toxic |
Severity: Moderate
Read the full first-aid guide: what to do if your pet ate something toxic
Macadamias enter American homes mostly as gifts, not grocery staples: a decorative tin from a Hawaii trip under the Christmas tree, or a bag of white-chocolate macadamia cookies from a bakery counter. The cookie format is the more dangerous one, because it stacks the macadamia toxin on top of chocolate's theobromine in the same bite, so a dog that steals two cookies is getting hit by two different toxins at once rather than one.
Facts and examples
- Macadamia nut ingestion in dogs causes severe lethargy, increased body temperature, vomiting, tremors, joint stiffness, and inability to walk from hind-limb weakness; the toxic mechanism is not fully understood and pancreatitis is a secondary risk from the nuts' high oil content. (source, verified 2026-07-26)
- Macadamia nuts cause weakness, incoordination, depression, vomiting, tremors, and hyperthermia in dogs (per ASPCA's people-foods list). (source, verified 2026-07-26)
Verdict re-verified against petpoisonhelpline.com, 2026-07-26 — confirmed unchanged. Source
This page is for general information only and is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your pet is showing symptoms, or you think they ate or touched something dangerous, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison-control hotline immediately.
Last verified 2026-07-26