Every year, thousands of dogs succumb to illness, allergies and even death from consuming foods they shouldn’t. Some of these foods, dog owners will know are off-limits, but others are less obvious. This may seem like a lot of ‘Don’ts’ to keep track of, but your four-legged friend will be healthier and happier for it.
*Think grapes or raisins make a good treat? Think again…they cause kidney failure in dogs and just a tiny amount can make your dog sick.
*Caffeine, be it in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, cola, etc. can cause restlessness, tremors, rapid breathing, fits and bleeding. Your dog would have to ingest a large quantity for these things to occur, but why experiment?
*Avocados! While guacamole is yummy to you and your dog, keep it away from your furry friend. Avocados contain a substance called Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
*Milk and other Dairy: Who doesn’t love ice cream? The temptation is always there to give your dog a lick of your cone or frozen yogurt (or regular yogurt). These can cause diarrhea and stomach upsets. Consuming dairy can also cause food allergies to develop, which can result in itchiness.
*Onion and Garlic in any form, whether raw, powdered, or dehydrated. They cause weakness, vomiting, dullness and breathing problems. Onions are the bigger culprit here. Your dog would have to eat a great deal of garlic to experience serious symptoms.
*Alcohol – ok, so you think it’s cute to give your dog a taste of your Heineken…not so fast. Alcohol has the same effect on a dog’s liver and brain that it does in humans. It just takes much less to do the damage… and the smaller the dog, the quicker the effect. Vomiting, diarrhea, problems breathing, coordination, even depression can set in.
*Macadamia Nuts. Delicious, right? And dogs would love ‘em, but as few as six of these nuts can make your pooch very sick. Tremors, weakness, vomiting, paralysis, rapid heart rate and increased body temperature are the not-so-fun poisonous side effects.
*'Human' candy of any kind, baked goods, sugary foods and drinks can cause diabetes and host of other problems. Diet sweets that include a substance called xylitol can cause vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Xylitol increases insulin rate quickly in dogs, which can result in liver failure or seizures.
*While we’re on the subject of sweets, Chocolate is definitely a no-no, no matter how tiny the amount. The toxic enemy here is theobromine, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures and death.
*Raw eggs may contain poisonous E. coli or Salmonella and can also interfere with the absorption of a particular B vitamin, which can cause skin and coat problems.
*Bones and Fat trimmings. Fat tastes good, but can cause pancreatitis in your dog. A dog can choke on cooked bones and they can splinter into a zillion pieces causing obstructions or lacerations of the digestive system.
*If you dog gets a hold of a peach or plum pit, beware. The pits from these particular fruits can cause inflammation in small dogs and digestive obstruction can occur from Fido swallowing a peach or plum pit, plus these pits contain cyanide which is poisonous to both humans and dogs.
*Salt – chips, pretzels and your average snack food has so much sodium in it, humans really shouldn’t be eating it either, but in a dog, the effects are worse. Excessive thirst, urination, sodium ion poisoning are symptoms and beyond that, tremors, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, high body temperature and seizures can occur from Rover chewing up too many Cheetos.
*Raw Dough, as in yeast breads, are taboo! Dough needs to rise before it’s baked, so when your dog ingests it, it will rise in your dog’s stomach, stretching the abdomen and causing pain. Also when your bread dough rises, it ferments, producing alcohol that can lead to alcohol poisoning.
*Human medicines can be deadly for dogs. Keep them out of reach from your curious pup. And don’t give your dog over-the counter meds unless your Vet specifically gives the go-ahead.
Located in upper Fairfield County, Trap Falls Kennel Club is an All-breed dog club, and member club of the American Kennel Club, website: http://www.trapfalls.org/
