Foods To Avoid Feeding Your Dog
I expect you have become aware
that chocolate is bad for your dog but I have also heard that many
other foodstuffs are also very bad and can potentially poison your pet.
Did you know for instance that
raisins and grapes can be quite toxic to dogs and the outcome from
eating them can indeed be fatal? There has not been enough research
done to confirm exactly why raisins and grapes are poisonous to dogs
or indeed, why some dogs are affected and others not. It seems that
even grapes grown organically which have not had pesticides used in
their production can have the same effects as those grown with
pesticides. What is known from studies of reported cases is that the
dog can suffer from acute kidney failure because they are unable to
flush away the poisons and this then results in a toxic build up,
that can be fatal.
I think we have all assumed at
one time or another that if a certain food is O.K. for us humans then
it will be O.K. for our dog. Here is a list of foods that we eat that
should not be given to dogs because giving him our leftovers and
other human treats could literally be killing him with kindness.
Chocolate - Who hasn't given
their dogs chocolate? They love it as much as we do but apart from
making them fat, it contains the same chemical as the cocoa mulch and
is poisonous to your dog. If you want to continue with his treats
then only buy chocolate that has been specifically produced for dogs.
Onions - This is one I learned
about recently and was surprised that onions are another no no. It
has been stated by vets that raw onions can cause hemolytic anemia
and have warned against giving your dog onions.
Potatoes - Potatoes that have
been exposed to the light with the skins turned green should be
avoided and raw ones should not be fed to your dog. Cooked potatoes
are O.K. and will not cause harm.
Garden Cocoa Mulch - Do you use
Cocoa mulch in your garden boarders? It has been reported recently
that this can be poisonous to your dog because they like the smell of
it and then they like to eat it but it contains a harmful chemical
called Theobromine.
Xylitol - This chemical is used
in the sweeteners that we use to avoid the calories in sugar and it
is added to many other products including candies and sweets. If a
dog is given too many of these goodies, the chemical can cause a drop
in blood sugar and this can lead to lethargy, depression and seizures
and can develop very quickly. Again, it is probably better to give
your dogs treats that have been specifically produced for them.
Alcohol - I am not sure who or
why anyone would give their dog an alcoholic drink but it takes all
sorts to make the world go around. Too much is bad for people and
very bad for dogs.
Fatty foods - Any foods that
contain lots of fat are just as bad for your dog as they are for us
and should be avoided. Even innocent things like avocados are full of
fat and a fat dog is an unhealthy dog.
Nuts - Dogs should not be
allowed to eat nuts and especially if they are covered in salt. Dogs
don't seem to like Walnuts very much anyway but they along with
Macadamia and Brazil nuts are full of fat and should be avoided.