Cactus is an exotic food in some parts of the world, but in countries such as Mexico, Italy, Chile, and some regions of the United States, cacti are cultivated and commercialized.
In the market they can be found under the names of prickly pear leaves or nopales cactus, these are considered to be an important nutrient and medicinal food.
The leaves have been consumed by humans as part of traditional treatments for arteriosclerosis, diabetes, gastritis, and hyperglycemia.
This is because phenols, substances present in nopales, reduce the production of key molecules that are normally released with chronic inflammation.
However, this food has a great disadvantage, and that is that to survive in the desert, this plant retains a lot of calcium and that calcium is converted into small crystals called oxalates.
Oxalates are not digestible and generally remain stagnant in the urinary system.
This is why it is suggested not to feed your dog with cooked cactus.
Risks
Urinary stones
Dogs can form stones due to the presence of oxalates in their body, sometimes these stones are corrected by changing the diet and medication, but other times it is surgical.
Blood in Urine
The presence of crystals can inflame the urinary tissue from the kidney to the urethra, which can generate small or large hemorrhages of the tissue seen in the urine.
Decreased renal function
If there is obstruction at the urinary level, it is possible that the substances normally eliminated by the kidney can not be evacuated and this will generate an intoxication with the same wastes of the organism.
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