Can live oak acorns cause sudden kidney failure in dogs?

I had an oak tree in our backyard when I lived in Illinois and our dogs would eat the acorns. They became sick to their stomachs with vomiting, runny stools, etc but it was never fatal, so when you posted I did some research and found that yes indeed acorns can cause kidney failure but not sudden and not without showing gastrointestinal problems first. Acorns contain gallotannin which, depending on the amount eaten, can cause gastrointestinal upsets in pets and other animals, with symptoms such as cramps, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, sometimes bloody diarrhea, and kidney failure. A few dogs may have seizures. Acorns swallowed whole have the potential to block the intestines, while chewed acorns release more toxin and the sharp pieces can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
I suggest you read this article
http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/dangers_of_dogs_eating_acorns

Thank you for the answer. I had already read that article. I'm mainly curious how many acorns it would take to kill a 40 Lb., 1 year old English Pointer. I know she did eat some. Would it take three, thirty or three hundred? Additionally, what breeds of dogs would be less likely to eat acorns?

I had a yellow lab that almost died from sudden kidney failure. It took him weeks to regain the weight he lost in 3 days. We knew he had been at our neighbor's house, but couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. We finally determined he had eaten onions. Onions will cause sudden renal failure in dogs and my neighbor had thrown out some scraps containing leftover pieces of an onion she had chopped up. There are several other foods that cause this and like onions, are things you would never imagine would be harmful, much less fatal.

I don't know about acorns. A neighbor's dog ate rotten, moldy sunflower heads. The dog got brain damage. It's something to keep in mind for the future.

A dog would have to eat a lot of acorns to be poisoned, and they just don't taste that good.

I would wonder about somebody throwing something into the yard, or possibly her getting access to a chemical such as antifreeze or pesticides.

This answer was edited by AuntCoffee 178 days ago.

Reason: Rewritten