Are Pine Cones And Pine Needles Poisonous To Dogs?

The answer to "Are pine cones poisonous to dogs?" is no. Both pine cones and pine needles are not poisonous to dogs, however you should not let your dog eat them. The reason for this is because pine needles can perforate the dog's stomach or bowel due to their shape. Both pine needles and pine cones can also cause an obstruction during digestion which could quickly cause your dog to become sick. If you see your dog ingesting spruce needles and cones then it would be wise to keep an eye on him and if in doubt take him to the vet to get him checked out.

Although pine cones or needles are not poisonous, pine oil, which is produced from the tree and the needles does have an irritant effect on dogs. It may upset their stomach, but the oil is not fatal. So, the answer to this is that pine needles, pine cones and dogs do not mix. If you see him or her eat one you do not have to rush off to get your dogs stomach pumped, but it would be wise to keep them away from these items just to be on the safe side.

If you are ever worried about your dog's health then seek advice from a qualified vet as the advice we give you is not professional and veterinary advice should be sought after if you are worried in any way about your pet.

My dog recently ingested about 1 cup of dried pine needles and nearly died. We're not sure if she might have ingested something else along with them but it affected her and vet's test showed that it was toxic to her kidneys and liver.

I'm researching scientific studies on the topic now and have found a few where the results indicate that some pine needles can be extremely toxic.

Pine needles can carry mold, and that surely could have made your dog sick.

Chewing up bits of wood and bark should not be a problem. However, when choosing a mulch beware of using cocoa shell. This product is becoming popular but it smells just as enticing to dogs as it does to us! Cocoa shell contains the same ingredient that makes human chocolate poisonous to dogs. So do not use this product if you have dogs.

Are blue spruce pine needles bad for dogs?

That's complete crap when people say the only danger in pinecones is clogging their digestive tract.  My dog ate a pinecone that was not developed yet, and now he is at the pet hospital with his liver not functioning from what the vet says is poisoning.  Even if it is from mold or some other thing on the pinecone...that makes eating pinecones a danger on terms of poisoning!!  People need to be aware that this is a real danger...even our own vet did not realize this was a possibility and sent him home at first bc the X-ray didn't show an obstruction.  Then he became even more ill than he already was due to what we now know is some type of poisoning from the cone....and now it may be too late.

Canines have been around man for as long back as the evolution of human society itself. Dogs, as pets, become a part and parcel of the family that adopts them. However, their anatomy being different from ours, there are certain dos and don'ts in their maintenance. Pet dogs need to be monitored constantly because their natural tendency is to sniff and lick or taste anything new to them. This could be dangerous, but if the owner is aware of the effects of such intake or contact, it becomes easier to handle the problem. Your concern for the animal is so natural and the Boston Terrier is such an adorable pet.  

Mulching is one of the most popular ways for maintaining healthy landscape plants.
According to hgic.clemson.edu Mulch is basically any material applied to the soil surface to protect or improve the surface area covered. Mulching is really nature's idea, since large quantities of mulch is generated all the time with fallen leaves, twigs and pieces of bark and even spent flower blossoms, fallen fruit and other organic material. You have absolutely no need worry about your pet's health. However, you could take the canine to the vet and get a thorough medical check conducted.

No they are not toxic to dogs

Yeah if they eat them :)

No, it's not a problem depending on the size of the piece that he ate or if it was treated with something. In general it is OK.

No they are not poisonous but if swallowed they can definately cause problems. If parts of the pine cone is swallowed and the dog can not pooped them out they at the worse may have to be cut open to get them out. So be careful.