It is common for your pet dogs to lurk around you whenever they see a packet of snacks being open or even generally seeing you eat something. and sometimes out of love or pity, we share a piece or two of our food with them. But what looks like an act of love now, may end up causing harm to your dog, and I know that’s the last thing you would want.
As a good dog-parent, it is your responsibility to know about the human foods that you can not feed your dog or the consumption of those will pose a threat to your dog’s good health. The Animal Poison Control Center has generated a list of human foods that you should never feed your dogs. And we will be discussing exactly that in this article.
Apart from this, we will also try to provide you assistance on what to do if your dog has eaten something that is contaminated or poisonous to him, and what would be your best bet at that moment.
Keep reading to know about the human foods that you should never feed your dog:
1. Chocolate
No matter how tempting it looks to your dog, do not feed chocolate to him. The majority of people already know that chocolate is dangerous for your dog’s health. But today you will learn the reason behind it.
All kinds of chocolate contain theobromine, and it is present in higher quantity in dark and unsweetened chocolates. It can not only make your dog feel nauseous but can cause him to vomit and have diarrhea. Apart from this, the more serious problems attached to it are, heart problems, tremors, seizures, and in a rare case, even death.
2. Milk and Other Dairy Products
Sharing an ice-creme with your dog may seem harmless, but giving them dairy products can cause them various digestive problems like diarrhea. Apart from that, the milk-based products may cause them food allergies that could trigger itching in dogs.
If your dog is feeling uneasy on a hot day, instead of giving them ice cream or sweet yogurt, give them some cold water to cool them. But giving them dairy isn’t such a great idea.
3. Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and raisins too belong in the category of human foods that you should never feed your dog. Even just a small amount of them can cause kidney failure in your pets and make them sick. The early sign of sickening after feeding them grapes is vomiting over and over.
It is important to consult the vet immediately if your dog is feeling uneasy cause, even a wait of a day can make them feel sluggish and depressed.
4. Tea, Coffee and Other Caffeine
Caffein can be fatal for the health of your dog so it is in their best interest if they are kept away from coffee, tea, cocoa, colas, energy drinks, etc. Not just the drinks, but they should not be fed beans and grounds of caffeine.
It is important to note that some of the medicines also contain caffeine, such as pain killers. So do remember to check the contents before giving them any medicine, and if you think that he has accidentally consumed something toxic, then go to your vet immediately.
5. Alcohol
This one is so obvious, that it shouldn’t need a special mention on the list. But since some dog-parent sometimes becomes so careless, that they forgot alcohol is as poisonous for dogs as it is for people.
The effects of alcohol on dogs and people are similar, it can harm their liver as well as their brains. Just the littlest quantity would be enough to harm your dog, so make sure that they don’t lick even your spilled beer or wine accidentally.
Alcohol can cause a range of problems in your dog such as vomiting, diarrhea, breathing problem, coordination problem, coma, and even death.
6.Onion and Garlic
Onion and Garlic, in any form, paste, raw, powdered, cooked, dehydrated, should not be fed to your dog. The presence of onion and garlic in your dog’s food could kill his red blood cells that would result in causing him anemia, the deficiency of blood.
Eating a lot of them can be poisonous for their health. And to check if they have accidentally eaten something from your house or even from outside, look for signs of weakness, breathing problems, and vomiting.
7. Avocado
It is natural to assume that avocado would be good for your pet, but it’s not. Avocados contain a substance called persin, which is allergic to some dogs and could trigger vomiting and diarrhea in them.
Some people also tend to grow avocados at home, in that case, make sure to keep your dog away from it, because persin is also present in leaves, seeds, and bark of the plant. The seed of the avocado is more fatal for your dog’s health, as it could get stuck in their stomach and intestine and that could be dangerous.
8. Xylitol
Xylitol is a common sweetening agent in candy, gum, baked goods, toothpaste, as well as some diet foods. The presence of xylitol in your dog’s food can cause their blood sugar level to drop and also cause them a liver failure.
The early symptoms of sickening includes, vomiting, lethargy, coordination problem, and seizures. The liver failure problem may also appear within a few days if the symptoms are left untreated.
9. Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia Nuts also fall into the category of human foods that you should not feed your dog. Keep them away from any food containing these nuts as even a small quantity of it may cause them to feel nauseous, fever, weakness, shakes, etc.
Also do note, if these nuts are given with chocolate, it becomes extremely dangerous and can cause them death.
10. Fat Trimmings and Bones
Giving bone and fat trimmings may not seem harmless at first but when you learn about the effects of it, you will start taking it seriously. The fat trimmings, both in the cooked form as well uncooked can cause them pancreatitis.
On the other hand, bones can result in cuts in your dog’s digestive, along with splinter, blockage, or even make them choke on it.
11. Yeast Dough
Baking item when it is still in the dough form needs to rise, and if your dog accidentally eats the yeast dough, that’s exactly what it’s going to do in their stomach. The dough in your dog’s stomach can swell that would cause the abdomen to stretch. Apart from that, the fermentation process could result in alcohol poisoning.
12. Salty Food
Salty foods such as snack items, chips, pretzels, etc, should not be fed to your dogs. It can make their throat dry and make them feel thirsty too often. Too much sodium in their blood can lead to sodium ion poisoning. And the collective effect of all this can cause them diarrhea, depression, tremors, seizure, vomiting, etc.
13. Raw Meat and Fish
Eating raw meat and fish can have the same effect on dogs as it is on humans. It can trigger bacterial infection as well as the presence of parasites could cause more serious issues. The diseases caused by the consumption of raw meat and fish are treatable but only if you rush to the vet immediately.
14. Raw Eggs
Raw and uncooked eggs are home to different infections, which makes it fatal to feed it your dog. Sometimes the presence of bacteria like Salmonella or E. Coli in raw eggs can cause them food poisoning.
15. Your Medicine
There is a reason why dog medicine and people medicine are different even for the same reason but sometimes people tend to forget that. But feeding them your own medicine when they are sick or injured can have just the opposite effect.
The presence of ingredients such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen in your common cold and pain reliever medicine can prove to be deadly for your dogs. So make sure all your medicines are out of reach from your dog.
What to do if he has accidentally consumed human foods that you should not feed your dog:
If your dog has accidentally consumed something from the above list of human foods that you should not feed your dog, then your best bet would be to consult your vet or to rush him to the hospital immediately. But even due to some reason, that option is out of the question, then contact ASPCA poison control and call them on 888-426-4435.
Caution: Do not induce vomiting in your dog before consulting your vet.
The Bottom Line
There isn’t much difference between a little kid and a dog, so the safety measures that you take to keep all the harmful substances out of reach from your babies, you should do it for your dog too, in order to ensure that even accidentally he doesn’t swallow something that he is not supposed to.
So that was all folks! I hope you found what you were looking for in the article. Do let us know about any questions, suggestions, or feedback that you may have for us in the comment section below. We will make sure to get back to you.