Mary Allen
You may also know chestnuts as sweet chestnuts or sweet chestnuts. Chestnuts are usually roasted and, as “hot chestnuts”, are a popular snack at Christmas markets. In addition, chestnuts are an ideal accompaniment to game or goose.
Before we get to the question of whether dogs are allowed to eat the delicious chestnuts, the difference to horse chestnuts is important. Because normal chestnuts are taboo for dogs.
You can easily recognize edible chestnuts by their typical heart shape and the white fluff at the top.
Chestnuts for dogs
Chestnuts are a healthy snack for your dog. They’re not just low in fat. They also contain no gluten. Chestnuts are therefore ideally suited for food-sensitive dogs.
The nutrients it contains are of great importance for your dog. They can have a very positive effect on his health.
If you want to give your darling chestnuts, be sure to feed them cooked and peeled. Add the crushed fruit to the feed. Or give small pieces as a treat in between. Together with a portion of cottage cheese or quark, chestnuts make an excellent diet meal.
Chestnut flour is very suitable for dog biscuits.
Boil or bake chestnuts?
Chestnuts are very easy to prepare. Cut a cross into the pointed end of the chestnut. Then cook the chestnuts in slightly bubbling water for about 30 minutes.
It’s even easier to prepare in the oven. For this, too, cut a little into each chestnut. Then place the chestnuts in a pot of water. After about an hour, spread the chestnuts out on a baking sheet. They then go into the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 170 degrees.
Put the crushed chestnuts in the feeding bowl. Or let chestnuts eat straight out of your hand. Dogs that tend to swallow could otherwise choke on it or get the chestnut in their windpipe.
Difference between chestnuts and sweet chestnuts?
By the way, many people think chestnuts and sweet chestnuts are the same fruit. That’s how I felt at first too. In fact, they are very similar. But strictly speaking, chestnuts are a further cultivated species of the original sweet chestnut.
The main difference is the taste. Chestnuts are very aromatic. They taste even more intense and sweeter than sweet chestnuts. Chestnuts are also slightly larger, lighter in color, and easier to peel.
Did you know that mushrooms are also called chestnuts? To be more precise, they are chestnut boletes. Due to their color and shape, they have been given the nickname Marone, because they are reminiscent of chestnuts. I also know these mushrooms as the little sister of the porcini mushrooms.
Are chestnuts poisonous to dogs?
However, without reservation, chestnuts are not suitable for dogs. Always make sure that your dog does not eat chestnuts raw and whole. In principle, chestnuts can be eaten raw, just like chestnuts. They taste even better when cooked or roasted in the oven.
Your furry friend might love to play with chestnuts. However, some dogs tend to eat fruit. That can be dangerous. If your dog swallows uncooked chestnuts, this can lead to a dreaded intestinal obstruction. Because the fruits are extremely difficult or hardly digestible for him in this state.
With a bit of luck, your dog will vomit up his unhealthy snack right away. But it can also be different. Then the chestnuts remain in the intestinal passage. They thus impede the onward transport of the food pulp.
Chestnuts are actually nuts
The chestnut is one of the nuts. It contains a lot of starch. To unlock them, you have to cook the fruit. This makes them digestible. The chestnut is usually boiled or fried.
Chestnuts contain high-quality protein and significantly less fat than other nuts. They are high-quality food. This is due to their minerals and trace elements. These include potassium, calcium, sulfur, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper. It also has vitamins E and C, vitamins from the B group, and provitamin A.
Healthy sweet chestnut leaves
You can also use the leaves of the chestnut. Pour some boiling water over about 5 grams of the dried leaves. Let this steep for a few minutes. You can drink the brew as tea. Or give it to your dog’s food when it has cooled down.
Would you like to make a cold juice from the leaves? Pour on cold water. Soak the dried leaves in it overnight. To protect the vitamin C it contains, this method is recommended.
Chestnuts as a medicinal plant
Chestnuts and sweet chestnuts are not only suitable as a side dish with food. They are said to have a healing effect. The fruits contain, among other things, tannins, vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids.
Flavonoids, for example, inhibit many enzymes in the body. They activate cells of the immune system. That is why they have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. They are used for coughs and whooping coughs and have an expectorant effect.
You can eat and feed the inside of the fruit raw. They taste slightly nutty and sweet. Boiled or roasted chestnuts are easier to digest. The important substances of the nut are not lost.
Horse chestnuts are poisonous to dogs
Horse chestnuts are much more common in nature in our latitudes. These can be very dangerous for your dog. Because they contain toxic saponins and glycosides.
Dogs like to play with the shiny chestnuts in autumn. And they often bite them. This can have dire consequences. The toxins cause vomiting and diarrhea. Larger amounts can cause visual disturbances, paralysis, and unconsciousness in your darling.
Your dog doesn’t even have to eat the chestnuts. It’s enough that he bites them. The toxins enter the blood via the mucous membranes.
Chestnuts are just as dangerous to swallow as chestnuts. Intestinal obstruction can also occur here. In autumn, therefore, make absolutely sure that your dog does not use horse chestnuts to play with.
Where do chestnuts come from?
It is not clear where the sweet chestnut originally came from. It probably found its way to Europe from Asia Minor. In ancient times, chestnuts were a popular staple food for the entire population. Due to its high nutritional value, it was indispensable.
After the potato was brought to Europe, the chestnut fell into oblivion. Likewise their advantages. Today it grows mainly in France and southern England. Likewise from Hungary along the Danube to the Black Sea.
You can find the chestnut in Turkey and Greece. Germany also has areas where chestnuts thrive. These include the Palatinate and the Saar, Moselle, and Taunus regions. You can also find the Marone on the Main.
As summer draws to a close, chestnuts ripen on the trees. The shiny fruits hide under prickly skin. People love them in many ways. The common horse chestnuts are only edible for wild boar.
On the other hand, those chestnuts that you can buy a few weeks later as sweet chestnuts or chestnuts to eat in almost every supermarket are different. Chestnuts are one of the few types of nuts that dogs can eat in small quantities without hesitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to horse chestnuts, the general rule is that dogs should not eat these chestnuts. Because they could be toxic to him. Even small amounts of chestnuts can cause stomach pains in dogs or digestive problems such as diarrhea.
How toxic are chestnuts to dogs?
Chestnuts contain saponins and glycosides that are toxic to dogs. If your dog bites a brown ball, the toxins come into contact with the oral mucosa. However, the toxins in the shell and in the brown core are only dangerous for your dog in larger quantities.
Are Acorns and Chestnuts Poisonous to Dogs?
Not all dog owners know that eating or chewing on acorns is dangerous for dogs. The substance tannin (tannic acid) is contained in the oak leaves and the acorns. If a dog eats a lot of tannins, it can get stomach pains, diarrhea, or vomit.
Are chestnuts good for dogs?
There’s nothing wrong with giving your dog a cooked, peeled chestnut. Chestnuts are low in fat and contain many B vitamins. Snacking is allowed, but they should not be part of the main meal.
What is poisonous about chestnuts?
All organs are poisonous, especially the green seed coats and unripe fruits. Toxic due to: Saponins are found particularly in green fruit skins and seeds. If the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract is intact, the toxins are hardly absorbed.
How do I know if these chestnuts are edible?
Chestnuts can be recognized by their heart-like shape, their red-brown skin with a triangular underside. Simple chestnuts, on the other hand, are smaller, rounder, and taste less intense and sweet. By the way: In Austria and Switzerland chestnuts are known as Maroni and Marroni.
What happens if you eat inedible chestnuts?
However, the horse chestnut is inedible for humans, even poisonous, and can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. However, wild animals such as deer, deer or wild boar can easily consume the chestnuts. Horse chestnuts and chestnuts can be distinguished by a few typical characteristics.
Are raw chestnuts healthy?
The edible chestnuts are very high in calories, but also healthy: They contain a lot of high-quality protein and significantly less fat than nuts. Potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, as well as vitamin E, vitamin C, almost all B vitamins, and beta-carotene are also found in large quantities in the chestnuts.
Are chestnuts difficult to digest?
Due to their easy digestibility, they are also not heavy on the stomach. They break down excess acid in the body. Sweet chestnuts are rich in basic micronutrients. Therefore, rheumatism sufferers should eat chestnuts regularly.
Which chestnuts can’t you eat?
Horse chestnut and sweet chestnut belong to different tree families. The horse chestnut is not edible, you can use it to make your own detergent, and children can make funny figures and animals out of the chestnuts. Sweet chestnuts are a popular snack at Christmas markets.
What animals eat chestnuts?
Deer and deer are more into the chestnut. And we humans used to eat chestnuts to get our fill. Important: Animals eat horse chestnuts, and people eat chestnuts – two completely different fruits.
How healthy are chestnuts?
Chestnuts, like chestnuts, consist largely of carbohydrates, water, and only two percent fat. They also contain valuable nutrients that make chestnuts healthy, especially B vitamins, vitamin C, folate, potassium, and magnesium.
How dangerous are chestnuts for dogs?
Because they could be toxic to him. Even small amounts of chestnuts can cause stomach pains in dogs or digestive problems such as diarrhea. Probably very few dogs eat horse chestnuts on purpose. Wild animals, on the other hand, like to eat them. For example, horse chestnuts are harmless for deer, deer, and wild boar.
What types of chestnuts are there?
There are two types of chestnuts: Horse chestnuts grow on the large trees that provide shade in beer gardens. The sweet chestnut is also known as Marone, Kesten, or Kaesten. Chestnuts: Toxic to Dogs? Almost everyone probably knows the horse chestnut. The large deciduous tree cannot be overlooked on an autumn walk.
Are chestnuts edible?
In general, chestnuts are edible. However, it depends on the variety. If you are not sure whether it is an edible variety, you should always refrain from eating it to be on the safe side. However, once you know and can recognize the edible varieties, chestnuts are good to enjoy.
What are the health benefits of chestnuts?
Flavonoids also have important medical importance. They have anti-allergic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects, among other things. To do this, they inhibit dozens of enzymes and activate cells of the body’s immune system. Due to its effect as a medicinal plant, the chestnut is used for various diseases and ailments.