Things Your Dog Shouldn't Eat

Ten things you should never feed your dog.

Things Your Dog Shouldn't Eat
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Do you ever share food with your dog? There are many types of food you can share with your dog. However, some foods can make your dog sick.

Most dog owners give their pets different types of human food now and again. Vegetables such as carrots, green beans, peas, celery, and broccoli are excellent for dogs. However, there are certain types of food that your dog should never eat.

If you want your dog to stay healthy, never feed it any of the following varieties of food:

Onions

Onions contain an organosulfur compound called allyl propyl disulfide. This compound is toxic to dogs because it causes oxidative stress in dogs' red blood cells. This oxidative stress can cause a type of anemia in dogs. Do not worry if your dog accidentally eats a small amount of onion. Your dog would have to consume more than 0.5 percent of its body weight in onion for it to have a toxic effect.

Garlic

Garlic also contains the organosulfur compounds that cause oxidative stress in a dog's red blood cells. Your dog would need to eat a lot of garlic to get sick, though. Between fifteen to thirty grams of garlic per kilogram of body weight is toxic to dogs. You don't need to panic if your dog gets hold of something with a little bit of garlic in it when you are not looking.

Grapes

Grapes contain tartaric acid. Tartaric acid might be the compound that causes kidney failure in dogs, alongside anuria. Anuria is the inability to pass urine. Kidney failure can be fatal. If you suspect your dog has eaten grapes, contact your vet.

Raisins

Raisins are dried grapes. Raisins are, therefore, toxic to dogs in the same way as grapes. Do not feed a dog raisins.

Avocado

Avocados contain a fungicidal toxin called persin. Persin is poisonous to dogs if they eat enough of it. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, pancreatitis, and myocardial harm. It is not clear how much persin a dog would need to eat before it had a toxic effect. Your dog would probably be fine after eating a small amount of guacamole from a leftover taco. However, it is best to avoid giving your dog avocado if possible.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains an alkaloid called theobromine. Dogs cannot metabolize theobromine very effectively. This theobromine builds up in the dog's system instead of being eliminated. If a dog eats an excessive amount of chocolate, it can die. Some signs a dog has eaten chocolate include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, poor coordination, and an accelerated heart rate. If you think your dog has eaten chocolate and you notice any of these symptoms, seek advice from the vet.

Caffeine

Though one slurp will not do any real damage, it is unwise to let your dog sip your coffee, tea, or energy drink. Be especially wary of allowing your dog anywhere near used coffee grounds. Caffeine consumption sometimes poisons dogs. Caffeine poisoning causes cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, and seizures in dogs.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nut toxicosis is not fatal to dogs. However, it causes hyperthermia, weakness in the back legs, vomiting, and depression of the central nervous system. Dogs can show symptoms of macadamia toxicosis once they have ingested 2.4 grams of nuts per kilogram of body weight.

Salty Snacks

Do not share salty snacks such as salted peanuts and potato chips with your dog. At a minimum, your dog will be very thirsty after eating lots of salty food. In the worst-case scenario, dogs can suffer from sodium poisoning. Sodium poisoning symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, tremors, seizures, and death.

Sweet Treats

If you let your dog have a lot of sugary treats such as candies and biscuits, it can cause pancreatitis. This type of infection is painful. Do not give your dog sweet sugar-free sweet treats as they might contain Xylitol. This chemical compound can make your dog's blood sugar dangerously low. Xylitol can also damage a dog's liver. If a portion of food tastes sweet, it is best to avoid sharing it with your dog.

Always Check

If you are thinking of feeding your dog anything other than regular dog food, check to see if it is safe for your pet to ingest first. It only takes seconds to check online to see how safe any type of food is before feeding it to your dog. If you are worried about anything your dog has already eaten, contact the vet and seek their advice immediately. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting the health of your favorite canine friend.

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