Can pets eat nutmeg?
Nutmeg
Not safe
Dogs: Not safe · Cats: Not safe
By animal
| Animal | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | Not safe | Myristicin causes disorientation, a raised heart rate and, in quantity, seizures. |
| Cats | Not safe | Same. |
What it actually does
Nutmeg contains myristicin, which is hallucinogenic and toxic in quantity to people as well as animals. A pinch in a baked good is not a poisoning; a dog that eats a jar of ground nutmeg is. It comes up mostly at Christmas, alongside the other seasonal hazards — raisins in the pudding, chocolate, salt dough ornaments, and lilies in the flower arrangement.
No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.
Body weight decides almost everything here, so what is trivial for a 40 kg dog can matter for a 4 kg one, and a bird is smaller again. Where a real published threshold exists this page gives it; where none does, it says so rather than inventing one.
Sweets and baking
| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | Toxic | Toxic | Toxic |
| Xylitol and birch sugar | Toxic | Toxic | Risky |
| Chewing gum | Toxic | Toxic | Risky |
| Ice cream | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Honey | Risky | In moderation | In moderation |
| Cinnamon | Risky | In moderation | Risky |
Common questions
- Can dogs eat nutmeg?
- Not safe. Myristicin causes disorientation, a raised heart rate and, in quantity, seizures.
- Can cats eat nutmeg?
- Not safe. Same.
- What does nutmeg actually do?
- Nutmeg contains myristicin, which is hallucinogenic and toxic in quantity to people as well as animals. A pinch in a baked good is not a poisoning; a dog that eats a jar of ground nutmeg is. It comes up mostly at Christmas, alongside the other seasonal hazards — raisins in the pudding, chocolate, salt dough ornaments, and lilies in the flower arrangement.
Related pages
- Can pets eat chocolate? Toxic — treat as an emergency
- Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar? Toxic — treat as an emergency
- Can pets eat chewing gum? Toxic — treat as an emergency
- Can pets eat ice cream? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat honey? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat cinnamon? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat chocolate? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar? Also an emergency
- Everything, for dogs 46 foods
- Everything, for cats 46 foods