Dog lovers understand the trust that their dog places in them. As the bumper sticker says, "God help me to become the person my dog thinks I am". This is why it is so important that you are aware of the foods that are harmful to your dog’s health. Below are 10 foods that you should keep away from your dog.
* Onions and Garlic: Onions and garlic cause anaemia in dogs which is the destruction of a dog’s blood cells. How can you figure out if your dog is anaemic? You’ll notice vomiting, low energy, a low enthusiasm for food and difficulty breathing. Onions and garlic are not just harmful to dogs, it can kill them in large amounts.
* Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins have been connected to kidney failure in dogs. Even a small amount can cause sickness. Constant vomiting is a symptom and your dog will also become slow and show symptoms of depression. Keep anything with grapes and raisins away from your dog. If you have grapes growing around your home, make sure your dog doesn’t take an interest in them.
* Caffeine: Just because a cup of coffee perks you up in the morning, doesn’t mean you should share it with your dog. Dogs are allergic to caffeine. It can cause restlessness, heart palpitations, muscle tremors, and internal bleeding. For older dogs this can be deadly. Remember that most all energy drinks contain caffeine so do not share that energy boosting drink with your dog.
* Avocado: It is a bad idea to share your guacamole with your canine. Avocado contains a chemical called persin. Persin is harmless when consumed by humans but it’s poisonous when given to dogs in large amounts. Persin can be found in the leaves, bark and seed of the avocado tree. If you have avocado trees in your yard, it’s a good idea to keep your dog away from them as best as you can.
* Dairy – Milk Products: Resist the temptation to share that ice-cream cone or milk shake with your dog buddy. Dairy causes diarrhea in dogs and exacerbates food allergies. Yes, it seems so right to share that ice cream with your dog. And, your dog seems to love to share that ice cream. But you need to be smarter than your dog and understand this is going to cause your dog not to feel well later – and it will be your fault, not your dogs. Your dog does not know any better. You now do.
* Sugar Free Candy: Many sugar free Candies contains xylitol which is used in a number of sugar free candies. Xylitol is safe for people (our bodies actually produce xylitol) but with dogs it can cause liver failure within a few days of consuming it. Your dog will initially show symptoms such as lethargy and vomiting. It may eventually lead to seizures. Xylitol is very often used in sugar free chewing gum and breath mints. It is vital you keep any gum/candies with xylitol away from puppies (who tend to want to eat, chew anything they can get in their mouth). Puppies are just babies in dog form and have no idea how dangerous some innocent looking things can be.
* Chocolate: Chocolate is commonly known as being harmful to dogs, but few people know why. Theobromine is the dangerous chemical in chocolate and is present even in white chocolate. The worst types of chocolate for dogs are dark chocolate, chocolate mulch and unsweetened baking chocolate. Even small amounts can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and death.
* Raw Eggs: Raw eggs can lead to food poisoning from the presence of salmonella or e-coli bacteria. There’s also an enzyme in the egg that prevents the absorption of an essential B Vitamin. Raw eggs are just not the best food for dogs. A raw egg now and then is not a problem, however, raw eggs feed to a dog over a long period of time can cause skin problems as well as problems with the dog’s coat.
* Cooked Bones of Any Type: Never give dogs cooked bones of any type. This is a sure way to injure or kill your dog. Raw bones are usually O.K. to give dogs. There is actually a dog food movement that advocated giving dogs raw bones since this would be a natural part of a wild dogs diet. Cooked bones are another matter. Cooked bones are brittle and hardened and therefore can cut a dogs mouth and stomach lining. This is a good topic to bring up with your dog’s veterinarian when you go in for your dog’s shots or check up. No matter what, keep cooked bones away from dogs. And keep an eye out for your dog finding cooked in the trash or out on a walk.
* Salt: Too much salt can cause excessive thirst and urination. Since many ‘sport’s drinks’ contain salt, sharing that gatorade-like drink with your dog after a long walk or run is a bad idea. Allowing your dog to consume to much salt in foods or liquid over a long period of time can lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning include, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, fever, and seizures. It can lead to death as well. You might also consider cutting down on the salt yourself … check out the fact involving salt consumption in humans. Your dog really wants you to be around forever.
Your dog may be your closest friend. But, this doesn’t mean that your canine family member can eat all of the same foods that you eat. Hard as it is grasp, your dog is a dog and you are a human being – there are differences and this applies to diet. Keep the foods on this list away from your dog. Maybe help teach others how to better protect their dog from harmful foods. You will avoid harming your four footed friend, avoid veterinarian bills (or worse) and prove to your dog that you can be the trustworthy pack leader they think you are.
