TOXIC 🥜 Nuts & Seeds

Can Dogs Eat Walnut?

Short answer

No, walnut is toxic to dogs.

According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, which names this food among those dangerous to pets, our dog rating is toxic. Portion guidance: None. Watch for: Tremors, seizures, GI upset, vomiting. The same food is rated toxic for cats, so multi-pet households should not assume the dog rating transfers. Ask your veterinarian about your own animal.

No. Walnut is toxic to dogs.

Any walnut can be moldy; black walnuts specifically contain juglone; avoid all varieties

Food-safety rating slip

Dogs can-eat rating TOXIC Walnut

TOXIC · #15/160 hazard · Nuts & Seeds

  • LEVEL toxic
  • RANK #15/160
  • DOC #11/160
  • CAT toxic
  • SHARE 30.8% haz
  • RISK 4 risks
  • SYMP listed
  • PHOTO Almonds

Category photo peer: Almonds (caution)

Macadamia Nut4Walnut (this)4Pecan3Pistachio3Almonds2Cashews2
Dogs hazard band in this category (4=toxic · 3=unsafe · 2=caution · 1=safe)

Walnut ranks #15 of 160 foods by dog hazard band (toxic) and #11 of 160 by documentation depth in PlainPetFood's archive. Cats: toxic. Band scores in the chart are ordinal (toxic=4 → safe=1), not clinical doses. Read with this food →

Category standing

Toxic on both the dog and cat charts

Dogs and cats share a toxic rating for Walnut. Inside nuts & seeds, 2 of 13 dog ratings are toxic. This is a household-wide keep-away, not a species-specific quirk.

Source for this food: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, which names it among the foods dangerous to pets. Portion, preparation and symptom detail on this page is our own editorial guidance.

Portion & Preparation

Recommended Portion
None

Risks & Warnings

  • Black walnuts contain juglone — highly toxic
  • Other walnuts can harbor mold
  • Neurological damage
  • GI obstruction

Warning Signs

Tremors, seizures, GI upset, vomiting

If your dog shows these symptoms, contact your vet or call ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435

Also Safe for Cats?

TOXIC Cats must never eat walnut
Full cat safety guide for Walnut →

🚨 Pet Poison Emergency

ASPCA Animal Poison Control

888-426-4435

24/7, consultation fee may apply

Other Nuts & Seeds for Dogs

Rating bands and editorial notes are rendered from PlainPetFood's food-safety archive. See our methodology for how we evaluate evidence and label named authority sources. For general pet-food safety information, visit the FDA's pet-food safety guidance.

PlainPetFood publishes an editorial food-safety compilation. When the FDA or ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center names a food as dangerous, that food's page links the source; other ratings are identified as editorial guidance. Its dog rating, portion, preparation notes and warning signs are rendered from the food-safety archive; a named FDA or ASPCA source is linked above when that authority names this food. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, report a correction, the methodology behind these numbers, or contact the editorial team. Data current as of August 29, 2026.