Can Dogs Eat Poppy Seeds?
Eating muffins, bagels, or bread with poppy seeds is a snack worthy of a chef’s kiss.
If your dog has access to your pantry, better to keep the poppy seeds in a place where they can’t reach them because poppy seeds are extremely poisonous to dogs. Do not make the mistake of leaving a bag of poppy seeds lying or feeding tasty poppy seed bagel to your pup.
Why? Let’s find out!
Why Poppy Seeds Are Bad for Dogs?
Can dogs eat poppy seeds? No. It’s as simple as that. Poppy seeds contain different levels of opiates and feeding poppy seeds to your pooch can lead to opioid poisoning or poppy poisoning.
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Poppy Poisoning in Dogs
Poppy poisoning in dogs occurs when dogs ingest a part of an opium poppy plant, such as its seeds. Each species of Poppies have different alkaloids, with some being completely dangerous to your dog’s health.
Codeine and morphine are two of the alkaloids found in poppies. There are only a minimal amount of these alkaloids in poppy seeds. But, if your dog accidentally ingests an insane amount of poppy seeds, these alkaloids can damage your dog’s central nervous system.
Symptoms of Poppy Poisoning in Dogs
What should you do if your dog eats poppy seeds or the poppy plant itself? The first thing to do is to recognize these symptoms of poppy toxicity in dogs:
- Lack of appetite
- Pinpoint pupils
- Depression
- Weakness
- Increase or decrease in heart rate
- Sedation
- Trembling
- Coma
- And in severe cases… death
If you observe any of these symptoms in your dog, immediately take them to the vet.
Treatment of Poppy Poisoning in Dogs
Your dog’s veterinarian can conduct a variety of treatments, including:
- Administer activated charcoal
- Induce vomiting
- Fluid therapy
- Intubation
Activated charcoal absorbs all the toxins from your dog’s body caused by the poppy seeds. This helps prevent the poison from spreading further to your dog’s body. The vet can also induce vomiting to remove all the poppy seeds from your dog’s stomach.
If there are clear signs of poisoning, your dog will be put under observation and probably be given fluid therapy. Intubation will also be necessary if your dog is experiencing breathing problems. This will allow your dog to have an alternative for oxygen support.
Meanwhile, there are some cases where your pooch needs to be observed for heart problems. In this case, your vet will use an EKG and constantly monitor your dog’s vitals and pulse to ensure nothing is out of the ordinary.
Can Dogs Eat Poppy Seeds Muffins?
No. Feeding your dog a poppy seed muffin is not safe. Even a few pieces of poppy seeds can cause an upset stomach. It’s better to avoid any food with poppy seeds altogether to be completely safe from its toxicity.
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Can Dogs Eat Poppy Seed Plants?
No. Poppy plants are even more dangerous than poppy seeds. Any species of poppy seed plants are considered toxic for dogs and should not be fed on purpose.
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Can Dogs Eat Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins?
Still, no. Lemon poppy seed muffins still contain poppy seeds, so the answer is naturally no. If I were you, I would opt for giving your pooch a lemon muffin without the puppy seeds. Lemons are much safer for dogs if consumed moderately. While poppy seeds, even in small amounts, are harmful to canines.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, dogs can’t eat poppy seeds or poppy plants. Regardless of their species, poppies are generally toxic to dogs. And as a responsible dog owner, you should be aware of the symptoms of poppy poisoning mentioned above. Also, to avoid accidents, keep your poppy seeds secured, sealed, and kept away from your dog’s reach.
