Human food that are dangerous for dogs to consume
You probably want to share all your delicious people food with your pup. After all, who can resist those puppy-dog eyes begging for a morsel? But hold off on spoiling your fur baby. Sometimes being a good doggy parent is knowing when to say, “No.” Some foods are just downright bad for dogs and can cause all sorts of health problems. Even if your dog has eaten these foods in the past with no problems, they could be causing serious issues that you might not be aware of. Here are a few foods you should never feed dogs, no matter how adorably they beg.
Chocolate
Winner in “the bad food for your dog” competition is one of your most favorite treats—chocolate. It contains methylxanthines—although they are not harmful for human but are extremely toxic for dogs. When ingested by pets, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures and even death. Dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. Save those sweets treats only for yourself.
Candy, Gum, Peanut Butter, Baked Goods
Xylitol is a common ingredient when it comes to these foods. It causes an insulin surge in your dog’s blood that can lead to a drop in blood sugar and concurrently liver failure. Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, loss of coordination, seizures, and even death. Although peanut butter are sometimes made without xylitol, you should check the ingredients list of your foods carefully before making a purchase.
Grape and Raisins
Although the toxic ingredients for dog in grapes and raisins remain unknown, these fruits are famous for their ability to cause acute kidney failure when ingest by dogs. Until more information about the toxic substance is discovered, avoid feeding grape and raisins to your dogs at any cost.
Onions and Garlic
A small dose of this food combo might not do much harm but a larger dose or regular small dose can lead to severe poisoning. Thiosulphate is believed to be the toxic ingredient. These food can cause gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage which leads to anemia. Symptoms can include weakness, vomiting and loss of appetite.
Milk and Other Dairy Products
A slice of cheese ,which is suddenly dropped on the floor, is not good for your dogs since they aren’t built with an enzyme to process cow milk products. Lactase, an enzyme required for breaking down lactose in milk are not well-processed in dogs. Dairy products ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal diseases. Besides, the high fat content also leads to pancreatitis in dogs just like fatty meals consumption.
Raw/Uncooked Meat, Eggs and Bones
Raw eggs and uncooked meat can contain Salmonella and E. Coli, two of the most harmful bacteria for pets and human. Wolves can eat fresh meat from the kill but it doesn’t mean that your dog can too. Avidin in raw eggs can lower body’s ability to absorb biotin (Vitamin B), which can lead to skin and coat problems. People believe that feeding raw meats and bones to your pets is a natural and healthy options but this is not the case. For domestic pets, it is very common for them to choke on bones or their digestive tract can be lodged in or punctured with bones grafts. Salt
Popcorns and pretzels are believed to be harmful for dogs but that’s only the case if they are salted. Large ingestion of salts not only cause excessive thirst and urination but also leading to a condition called sodium ion poisoning in dogs. Other signs that can be included are: vomiting, diarrhea, tremors and seizures. In case of severe overdose—it can lead to death. So we always recommend our clients to avoid feeding their pets potato chips, salted popcorns and pretzels.
Safe Food For Dogs
Pasta and rice are acceptable, even better if your dogs can be fed with brown rice but these ingredients should be no more than 10 percent of their normal diet. Whole wheat bread is normally good for your dogs as long as they are not raw and salted. Lean meat from chicken, turkey, lean ground beef to steak are healthy but remember to cook them well. Fat content should always be kept at the lowest level as possible when preparing a home-cooked meal for dogs. Vegetables are a good source of vitamins and fibers for your pets. Some vegetables can be eaten raw like carrots, cucumber, zucchini and lettuce or steamed like green beans, broccoli and asparagus.
As long as you stick to a diet approved by the vet, your pet should be ok. In addition to that, you can research some other human healthy foods that you are able to share with your dogs. Control the urge to feed those puppy faces and keep most of those human food for yourself.
