Poisonous foods for dogs tells you what not to feed your animal
Did you know that there are many potentially harmful foods for your pet? From grapes to chocolate, many of the scraps from the table can be unsafe for pet consumption.
But what’s actually safe as a treat and what can be potentially dangerous to feed them? Let’s take a look below at examples of items that can be harmful to feed your dog.
What’s on the No-No List?
For a full list of dangerous foods, go to Pet Education to learn more. In the list below, we’ll discuss some of the most important items that can be poisonous foods for dogs:
- Avocado — What tastes great to humans can be a deadly substance (in large amounts) to our animals. Avocados contain persin which can be fatal to our furry friends; be sure to keep your pet away from avocado trees in your backyard as persin is found in the seeds, bark, leaves, and its fruit
- Alcohol — Can result in intoxication, coma, and death
- Onions and garlic — Both onions and garlic (in all their forms) can cause complications with a pet’s red blood cells. This may lead to anemia in the animal. Cats are normally more susceptible than their canine counterparts
- Grapes and raisins –Grapes and/or raisins can cause kidney failure; it’s best to keep both off counters or anywhere in which an animal may be able get to them
- Macadamia nuts — It can be fatal to feed you animal macadamia nuts or any items containing them. With as little as 6 nuts, a dog may experience muscle tremors, vomiting, higher body temperature, and even rapid heart beat. NEVER give your pet chocolate and macadamia nuts, as this can make the symptoms even more pronounced
- Candy and gum (xylitol) — Xylitol is an artificial sweetener which can cause extremely low blood sugar in animals; vomiting, weakness, and collapse may occur after ingestion. Liver failure may occur with high doses
- Chocolate/coffee/caffeine products/tea — Many of us know that chocolate can be a very dangerous item to feed to our pets; these other list items contain caffeine, theobromine, and/or theophylline. If ingested by your animal, they can cause both vomiting and diarrhea and can be fatal to the heart and nervous systems of your pet
- Fat trimmings and bones — We’ve all fed our animals at one time or another bones or scraps from our meals; these types of treats, though, may end up causing obstruction of the airway. It can even end up lacerating parts of the animal’s digestive system
- Peaches, plums, and persimmons — The problem is more about the seeds and pits which may cause inflammation of the small intestine and/or obstruction; as well, the peach and plum pits contain harmful and deadly cyanide for both humans and animals
- And more
Items Which May Be Problematic
There are also products which may not be fatal, but can cause issues to arise. Some of them may include:
- Milk or other dairy products — May cause diarrhea or other intestinal problems in your animal
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- Raw eggs and meat — Potential to cause food poisoning and other health issues; it’s better to cook the products first (especially fish). See: WebMD for more information in the Raw Meat and Fish section of the slideshow (slide 14 of 25)
For the full list, head over to Pet Education to see how mushrooms, salt products, and more can affect your animal.
What Your Pet Can Eat (For Once-In-A-While Treats)
For more information on what’s an acceptable snack for your furry friend, be sure to head over to the Pets WebMD site. Here are a few (basic) ideas, though:
- Lean meats
- Some fresh fruits
- Certain vegetables
- Cooked pasta and/or white rice
In the end, it may be best to substitute dog food and treats for “human food” snacks; both you and the animal will be a lot happier, even though Fido doesn’t know it just yet.
Thus, learning more about potential poisonous foods for dogs can help to keep your animal safe, healthy, and happy for many years to come.
Resources:
PetEducation.com: Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog.
WebMD.com: Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat.
Above photo attributed to Todd Huffman