We have put together a handy list of the top 10 foods you should avoid feeding your dogs in order to keep them safe, healthy and happy. We know it’s difficult to resist those big brown eyes and adorable grin, but it can sometimes be as simple as throwing them a piece of your chocolate bar or leftovers from dinner that could trigger all kinds of nasty symptoms. As many dog owners know, the only things dogs are interested in is providing unconditional love, taking naps, chasing their own tail and most importantly – food. Our list of foods will vary from being very dangerous or even poisonous to more milder foods that are just as important to take note to avoid feeding. As always, if you think your pet has eaten any of the following foods, and is displaying any signs of illness, contact your local veterinarian and seek some advice.
Vegetables such as garlic, herbs and chives can cause quite serious gastrointestinal that could lead to dangerous internal damage. Whether the garlic is cooked, raw or powdered, it can kill your dogs red blood cells resulting in anaemia – keep it high up in cupboards or hard to reach areas where your pooch can’t get to. If they do consume a significant amount, look for signs of vomiting, week legs and problems with their breathing. Consult your vet as soon as you can if symptoms worsen.
If your dog costumes chocolate, their heart will start to beat rapidly as the heart rate rises. Chocolate contains a substance called methylxanthines which can be found in cocoa seeds. This can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, panting and more than normal urination. In some worse cases, hyperactivity and seizures may occur. Depending of the size of your dog and the amount they digest is also a factor. If you have a very large dog and they sneak a piece from your bar, symptoms will be less severe. Un-like if you have a much smaller, naughtier dog who eats a whole slice of chocolate sponge cake – this will most likely need professional assistance and/or advice from your vet. The most dangerous types of chocolate are dark and unsweetened cooking chocolate, with higher levels of theobromine. The bottom line is though that all chocolate is bad for your dog, even white chocolate.
Raw food diets are becoming ever more popular with dogs and their owners. Why? It’s thought that feeding your dog raw food including raw meat stimulates them as if they were in the wild. Within a raw diet, some owners feed their dogs uncooked eggs, which some would consider a bad idea. Raw or uncooked eggs have a high chance of containing bacteria like salmonella or E. coli which can result in food poisoning for your dog. There are many issues on this topic though, so do some reading if you are considering a raw diet for your dog.
When the weather starts to hot up and fruit salads are flowing, make sure you watch out for that dollop you dropped on the floor. Dogs will (or at least try) to eat anything they get their paws on! For some reason, dogs are attracted to the smells of sweet fruit but unfortunately, these foods can be highly toxic. Right now, it’s known that we as owners don’t have an exact reason why this is. All we know is, dogs eating things like grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure. Least to say, it’s best to keep them well away.
When ingested, macadamia nuts can be fatal to dogs. Sometimes, within as little as 12 hours, this can cause dogs to show symptoms of poisoning which can include weakness, depression, tremors, vomiting and increased body temperature. Due to the high fat and oil content in these nuts, even a small amount consumed can cause these symptoms to last for up to 48 hours. If you think your pup and accidently eaten any macadamia nuts, please contact your vest for the best possible advice.
It seems an obvious one, right? However, it’s known that some dog owners think it’s amusing to watch dogs stumble, intoxicated. This is not a laughing matter and under no circumstances should you let your dog consume any alcohol, not even a drop. Letting your dog have some alcohol is cruel and very dangerous. Even the smallest amount consumed can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, difficulty breathing, coma and even death. The toxicity level is 100% in dogs with death occurring 12 to 24 hours after ingestion.
It’s the most common thing to give a dog, a bone, and to give in to those sad, asking eyes. Cooked bones or raw bones, including those that come from leftovers, are not safe for your dog. Bones can splinter into shards that can cause choking and serious damage to the dog’s mouth, throat, or intestines. On top of that, your dog’s teeth could be at risk too. This could result in an expensive dentist bill. We recommend chew sticks and lovely biscuits covered in their favourite flavours.
Avocados are one of the trendiest health foods of today. Can dogs eat them? Avocado contains persin, a fungicidal toxin, which may cause serious problems or even death. Can dogs eat any part of an avocado? Avocado pulp is okay, the skin and meat are okay and not toxic to dogs. It’s the pit. The pit doesn’t digest in a dog’s intestinal system and is likely cause a blockage. If your dog eats gets it’s paws a whole avocado it is extremely unlikely that they will be able to fully digest it. The only option left would be to surgically remove it. Bottom line is to keep your pup away from avocados.
We are all guilty of indulging in too many salty snacks here and there and it’s so easy to share with your dog. High intake of salt can cause tremors, high temperature, seizures, and even death in major cases. Salt is an essential part of their diet, but portion control is a massive thing. Foods such as crisps, savoury biscuits, processed meat or cheese are things you probably should avoid putting in their diet. Having too much salt can cause symptoms including dehydration if they eat more than they should. It’s unfortunate that salt is so very tasty to dogs. Try your best not to give in to those puppy dog eyes.
Dough is a don’t. When baking up a delicious treat, we leave dough to rise. Yeast dough will still rise even when the dog has consumed it, releasing toxic levels of ethanol into the dog’s bloodstream. This can be painful for your dog and cause the stomach to bloat and potentially become life threatening. While bread can be given as a special treat, you should never give your dog yeast dough. Another danger with raw dough is that the fermenting yeast creates ethanol. This can cause alcohol poisoning in your dog which can be fatal. Symptoms to be aware of are difficulty breathing, panting, drooling, vomiting, weakness or, disorientation. If this occurs, consult your vet immediately.
We all love our furry friends. We love their licks, wagging tails and cheeky personalities. Becoming knowledgeable of things that they can and cannot eat is essential in being a pet owner.
After making you aware of all the foods to avoid, see below a few tasty treats you CAN feed your furry friend that should have no implications. Choosing foods that are cooked, pure and not fatty or heavily seasoned is the best route to go.
All these foods should be consumed in moderation alongside a healthy, well-balanced diet, if you are unsure, ask your vet to suggest some quality dog foods.
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