Can Ducks Eat Avocado? 8 Symptoms Of Toxicity

Whether ducks can eat avocados and whether ducks should eat avocados differs. If you give them, Ducks will go crazy over avocados. But it can even kill your bird.

So, Can ducks eat avocado? No, ducks should not eat avocado. Because of the fungicidal toxin named person, which is not only toxic to birds but also mammals. Bloggers will try to sell you the idea of feeding avocados to ducks moderately. However, there are a lot of things that can go wrong even if you are careful.

If you are a regular avocado buyer, it might be tempting to give the skin and other parts to the ducks. But they are even more toxic than the flesh. So, you need to skip the fruit altogether. Find more information about the fruit and how it relates to ducks in the article.

Can Ducks Eat Avocados? Why is it so toxic?

We have already made it pretty clear in the intro that you can not feed avocado to ducks, be it backyard ducks or wild ducks. It won’t be occasional treats for ducks. Consider it as it is prohibited food for ducks, just like a citrus fruit. It won’t enrich your ducks’ balanced diet. Therefore, you can’t feed your ducks avocado.

However, a fruit so popular among humans demands some detail about why it is so toxic to most animals.

Avocado plants accumulate a fungicide called persin in their body, branches, leaves, skin, and seed. And this accumulation leaches into the flesh of the fruit as well. This persin is toxic to your duck.

So, what is persin?

Persin is a fatty acid derivative. These derivatives reside in the idioblast oil cells in avocado skin and leaves. Toxic persin is also an acetogenin which means that it has shown capabilities to kill cancer tumor cells.

But this same antimycotic compound is toxic for monogastric animals such as birds, reptiles, and even mammals like dogs and cats. And your duck also falls in this category. However, there is still a demand for more research on this topic.

Why persin is so toxic for ducks?

There is actually no research to answer that at a molecular level. However, there is research that uses persin to kill cancer cells from breast cancer patients in vitro. Persin increases the cytotoxic effect. This basically means it increases the cell-killing capabilities of immune cells and tamoxifen.

I hypothesize that persin activates some kind of immune response that destroys cells in certain parts of the body. That is why we are unable to see any kind of symptoms after ingestion of persin. Because native cells cause the problem in the bodies of ducks.

Can Baby Ducks Eat Avocado?

No, ducklings can’t eat avocados. There is no reason to think that ducklings would be any better than adult ducks at handling toxins. They are more susceptible to persin. And giving them the fruit will certainly cause death.

Some Other Recommended Fruits:

What happens if my ducks have consumed avocado?

Well, there is not much you can do about that. Even 2 grams of avocado can be toxic. However, the following discussion might be handy.

Diagnose toxicity of avocado consumption

There is no way to diagnose avocado intoxication. If you know for sure that your ducks have had avocado, take action immediately, as every part of an avocado tree can cause serious trouble to your ducks. When the symptoms arrive it will be too late.

8 Symptoms of Toxicity from Avocado Consumption by Ducks

It is not well documented through intensive research. But according to my experience, ducks can have the following symptoms from avocado poising-

Breathing problems
Problems with stability and standing
Weakness
Swelling of throat
Apathy
Heart failure
Unrest
Coma

These symptoms may occur after 12 hours of ingestion.

If the fowl bird is already dead, the following symptoms can indicate that it was caused by avocado toxication–

Myocardial necrosis
Disordered plumage
Heart damage

Can Avocados Kill Ducks?

Yes, avocado consumption can kill your feathered friends. Adult ducks might be able to survive but baby ducks don’t have a good chance.

Adult ducks might have 12 to 24 hours after avocado consumption. The death can also be sudden or as long as 48 hours.

Ducks Treatment of Toxicity from Avocado Consumption

There is no first aid here. The only thing you can do is run to the nearest veterinarian (pet doctor).

The veterinarians will start with a complete crop lavage or crop wash. This will empty the crop of any avocado sediments. After that, activated charcoal will be used to bind the toxins with it.

This will prevent the toxin from entering the cardiovascular system. In this process, your duck may be sedated, and a gavage tube might be used to get the coal in the right place as fast as possible.

This coal dosage will be given to them every 6 to 8 hours until the duck shows signs of recovery. In the meantime, the duck’s cardiovascular system, blood chemistry profile, and electrolyte levels should be monitored.

Related Read: Should Ducks Eat Oranges

Avocado Substitutes

Avocados are high in fatty acids. All kinds of nuts can fill in for that, such as

Walnuts
Almonds etc.

And it’s not like you have to feed avocados to your pet duck. It is a snack, anyway, more like an occasional treat. You can offer them a variety of food such as fruits, veggies, and leafy greens. There are a variety of fruits that are packed with a wide variety of nutrients and can also fill in the nutrient demand of ducks while being a good snack as well. These are-

Banana
Kiwi

You can also give them vegetables to make up for the minerals that avocados contain-

Kale
Pea
Collards
Ripe tomatoes
Cabbage, etc.

However, do not forget to provide fresh water for them. If they don’t consume enough water, different health issues, such as dehydration, might arise.

Helpful Reading: Types of Fruits Ducks Can Eat and Avoid

Please do not follow what people are saying online

There are plenty of fools online saying that avocados are good when fed in moderation. I don’t think they have ever seen a duck unless it is on their plate. They will show you videos of ducks and chickens going nuts over rotten avocados. Please avoid them.

Check out this short video about ducks going nuts over avocados –

Conclusion

Avocado is unsafe for ducks. Please understand you are feeding avocados to ducks for your own satisfaction. No matter how much your ducks like it, they do not need it. Their regular diet mix is enough for them. They don’t need the variety. They just need the nutrients.

Avocados are overrated anyway! So, better if you avoid feeding it to ducks but eat it yourself. It’s healthy for humans.

Source & References:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221909837_Fungicides_and_Their_Effects_on_Animals
https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/1022200-persin–a-phytochemical-in-avocado-fruit-its-role-as-a-nutraceutical-or-plant-toxin-in-nutrition.html

Can Ducks Eat Avocado? | No, It’s Toxic!

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