My dog has eaten a chestnut: what should I do?

Horse chestnuts can irritate the digestive tract and can be dangerous as a foreign body. This is how you differentiate between risk, warning signs and appropriate action.

There are horse chestnuts on many paths in autumn. Their round, shiny brown seeds are enclosed in a green husk with short spines. They are different from edible sweet chestnuts.

Horse chestnuts contain, among other things, aescin and aesculin. These substances can cause problems in the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system. At the same time, there is a mechanical danger: a whole chestnut is hard, smooth and round. It can get stuck in the throat, stomach or intestines.

Symptoms can begin just a few hours after eating, but sometimes later. Pay attention to:

An intestinal obstruction may cause signs later on, including repeated vomiting, failure to pass stools, abdominal pain or increasing lethargy.

Contact a veterinary practice if your dog has eaten a horse chestnut or parts of it. Include weight, number, approximate size and timing. If possible, take a photo or a comparable find with you.

Don't try to induce vomiting yourself. If there is a large, hard foreign body, this can cause additional risks. Also do not use oil, salt or other home remedies. The veterinary practice will decide whether observation, imaging, controlled removal or further treatment is necessary based on size, timing and symptoms.

If your dog has difficulty breathing, collapses, shows severe neurological signs or keeps choking, go to the veterinary emergency service immediately.

Practice a reliable stop signal and reward your dog when he leaves things on the ground alone. A short lead can be useful on heavily used paths. For dogs who frequently pick up things, a well-fitted and introduced through positive training anti-scavenging muzzle can provide additional security.

Remove chestnuts from your own garden and check toys that are similarly round and small. Chestnuts are not suitable throwing or chewing toys.