It’s pretty common knowledge that, while dogs have notoriously resilient tummies, it’s best to avoid feeding your furry friend certain people foods. It’s definitely ok to feed your dog some foods (more on that later), but the list of toxic human food is considerably longer. Here’s a list of human foods you should never feed your dog.
1. Chocolate
This is a biggie, and most people know this one. But different types of chocolate come with varying levels of toxicity. The darker the chocolate, the more harmful it is for your dog. Dark baker’s chocolate, for instance, is by the far the worst: the high concentration of caffeine and theobromine can be fatal in dogs. Milk chocolate becomes more lethal depending on how much is consumed and the size of the dog. White chocolate is the least toxic, but it should still be avoided.
2. Caffeine
The reason why chocolate is so dangerous for dogs is the caffeine. Caffeine contains methylxanthines, which cause vomiting and diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and death when consumed by dogs. So definitely avoid foods and beverages with caffeine in them, including coffee, soda and tea!
3. Grapes & Raisins
Avoid feeding your pup grapes or raisins at all costs! Grapes and raisins cause acute kidney failure as well as diarrhea, vomiting and laziness. Some dogs are affected more than others, but scientists still haven’t figured out why. In any event, it’s best to never feed Fido either of these.
4. Garlic & Onions
While it’s highly unlikely your dog will eat an entire onion or bulb of garlic (who are we kidding—dogs will get into just about anything), but the same toxicity caused by garlic and onions can be found in concentrated garlic and onion products (think soups, dips, etc.). If your dog ingests a large quantity of these, they can experience severe damage to their red blood cells, whose effects won’t show up until days later. These symptoms include dark red urine, lethargy, and anemia, which can also result in death unless you dog undergoes a blood transfusion! Yikes!
5. Alcohol
Alcohol can cause a wide variety of problems for dogs including vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, difficulty breathing, coma, and even death. Dogs simply don’t have the systems to process the complexity of alcohol. So definitely no beer for your furry friend!
6. Nuts
Nuts are full of healthy oils and fats…for humans. However, nuts can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis in dogs.
7. Xylitol
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is fatal to dogs. It is found in sugar-free candy, gum, toothpaste and even certain baked goods. Ingesting xylitol causes seizures and acute liver failure, most likely resulting in death.
If your dog has consumed any of these foods and are showing symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea or worse, take him or her to the vet immediately.
Foods That Are OK
Nothing beats a well-balanced dog food that’s designed specifically for the health of your pet, but there are some people foods that are OK to feed your dog from time to time. That list includes:
- rice
- peanut butter
- cheese & yogurt (no preservatives or artificial sweeteners)
- salmon
- boiled chicken (no raw meat or bones, please!)
- eggs
- oatmeal
- apple slices & baby carrots (good for the teeth!)
If you must feed your dog people food, keep it simple! Some meats like steak and the dark meat from turkey are far too rich for your dog to break it down and process it.