Foods Your Dog Should NEVER Eat

While dogs may be famous for eating a lot of naughty things, there are plenty of things that your dog should never eat.  For example, most people know that they should never give a dog chocolate or allow them to go through the garbage can.  In fact, there are a lot of foods that can be very bad for your dog and lead to serious health problems, illness, or even cause death if your dog ingests them.

Fortunately, some foods won’t appeal to your dog, which is a kind of natural protection from things that could poison him.  However, there are some dogs that seem to lack this instinct or they may eat things anyway, without caring if the food appeals to them.  With some foods, such as chocolate, it may seem like the more you try to keep it away from your dog, the harder they will try to get the food.

The Do Not Eat List

With a view to all of the table scraps and processed foods you probably have in your kitchen, here is a list of the foods that you should not feed your dog:

Alcohol - Even small amounts alcohol can cause organ damage and may lead to possible coma or death.

Baby Food - Baby food often contains both garlic and onion powder, causing dangerous results.

Bones - Cooked bones can chip or splinter when swallowed and lead to obstructions, cuts, and intestinal blockages.

Cat Food - Cat food is much richer and fattier than most dog foods and is too high in protein for dogs to properly digest.

Chocolate and Caffeine - The active ingredients in chocolate and caffeine — caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline — are all toxic to dogs. They can cause heart or nervous system failure even in small amounts. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous for your dog.

Citrus Oil Extracts - May cause your dog to vomit.

Fat Trimmings - May cause pancreatitis.

Grapes or Raisins - Contain a toxin that has not yet been fully identified that can cause kidney damage.

Hops - May cause increased heart rate, panting, fever, and seizures. In some cases it may even cause death.

Liver - Too much liver can cause vitamin A toxicity, affecting the dog’s bones and muscles.

Macadamia Nuts - May affect the dog’s digestive system, the muscles, and the nervous system.

Molds - Molds may be toxic and can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Ingesting molds can cause organ damage.

Mushrooms - Some mushrooms are toxic, and can cause nervous system failure, shock, and even death in severe cases.

Onions and Garlic - Onions and garlic contain sulfoxides and disulfides that can cause anemia and blood damage in both cats and dogs.

Peaches and Plums - Peaches and plums contains pits which can be dangerous to your dog. The fruit is not harmful but the pits are. The same is true with other pitted fruits.

Persimmons - The seeds of the persimmon can cause intestinal blockage and enteritis.

Potato, Rhubarb and Tomato Leaves - These plants contain oxalates and ingesting them can lead to numerous digestive and urinary problems.

Raw Eggs - Raw eggs contain the avidin enzyme.  Eating this enzyme can reduce biotin absorption and lead to hair and skin problems. Eating raw eggs also raises the possibility of salmonella.

Raw Fish - Feeding your dog raw fish can lead to a thiamine deficiency. This can cause your dog to lose his appetite, have seizures, and can even lead to death if your dog eats raw fish regularly.

Salt - Giving your dog salt can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances which can impair the nervous system.

Vitamin Supplements with Iron - Too much iron can cause iron poisoning which can damage organs throughout the body.

Xylitol - Xylitol, an artificial sweetener, can cause liver failure.

Yeast - Yeast can cause swelling and pain in the stomach. There is the potential for a stomach rupture.

The list provided here is only a partial list of foods that can cause direct damage to a dog’s organs.  If you give your dog an excessive amount of table scraps or overfeed your dog, you are also putting your dog at risk.

As someone who loves your dog, it’s up to you to make sure your dog is fed well, but you need to make sure you only feed your dog foods that are safe.  Dogs are usually happy to eat whatever you feed them.  Rich, fatty foods from your plate can be just as bad for your dog as some of the foods on the Do Not Eat list, so be careful what you give to your dog.

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com .

Until next time…..