Foods to avoid for your dog
Ask The Vet Home > Dogs > Dog Care > Nutrition
Dogs are exposed to a lot of different foods in our urban lifestyle. A lot of us tend to think that just because we can eat something that our dog can too. Whilst this is true for some foods, it's not for ALL foods. Dogs aren't humans. Some foods are toxic to them at levels that don't affect us. They have a different metabolic rate to us which is why they can't process certain foods like we can and these foods end up poisoning them. At best, sometimes this just results in a mild gastrointestinal upset ie diarrhea and little vomiting. At worst, it can cause severe disease and can be potentially fatal.
There are certain things that you know to avoid instinctively eg alcohol and recreational drugs. Okay this may sound stupid but there have been reported cases of pets who have been unwittingly poisoned as a result of substance abuse by their owners. Other common foods that are a big no-no for dogs include :
1. chocolate - the amount of chocolate that a dog can consume without any side effects varies with the size of the dog and the type of chocolate. It's the theobromine in chocolate that is toxic to dogs - affects their heart and nervous system. As a general rule, avoid it altogether in dogs.
2. caffeine - tea, coffee, coca cola, energy drinks that contain lots of caffeine.
3. grapes (includes raisins) - these contain a known toxin which causes kidney damage.
4. organ meats like liver in excessive quantities - results in hypervitaminosis A (too much Vitamin A) which can result in irreversible damage to bones.
5. macadamia nuts - no one really knows why it affects dogs, there's no known toxin identified in the nuts but we do know for sure that it causes digestive and nervous system problems.
6. onions - can result in anemia because it destroys red blood cells in dogs. So don't feed your leftover pizza to your dog.
7. garlic - similar to onions.
8. dairy products - generally not a good idea for dogs although some owners report no ill effects from dogs who eat the occasional cheese slice. Like humans, if your dog doesn't have enough of the enzyme lactase in its gut, then drinking milk can result in flatulence and diarrhea. There is lactose-free milk available for dogs if you still feel compelled to feed your puppy milk.
Needless to say, things like garbage and spoilt food isn't a great idea for dogs - although the bulk of the gastrointestinal upsets caused by eating garbage isn't the fault of the owner ie the dog somehow got into the trash whilst the owner was out. Moral of the story, get a well fitting lid on your garbage bin.
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