---
title: "Can dogs and cats eat nutmeg?"
description: "Nutmeg and pets: not safe. What it does, whether the dose matters, and how dogs, cats, rabbits and birds differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/nutmeg/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 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?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/)
- [Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/)
- [Can pets eat chewing gum?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chewing-gum/)
- [Can pets eat ice cream?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/ice-cream/)
- [Can pets eat honey?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/honey/)
- [Can pets eat cinnamon?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cinnamon/)
- [Can pets eat chocolate?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/)
- [Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/grapes/)
- [Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/)
- [Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/)
- [Everything, for dogs](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog/)
- [Everything, for cats](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cat/)

## Sources

- Animal Poison Control Center — toxic and non-toxic lists — ASPCA (https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control)