Like most dog owners, I love to spoil my furry little pets. However, their health and safety is always my first priority. Many dog owners like to feed their dogs table scraps every now and then, but I've found that some dog owners are unaware that some human foods can make dogs sick... or even cause death! I believe it is very important for all dog owners to know what foods can be harmful to dogs.
Chocolate contains something called theobromine. Theobromine is toxic to dogs. It affects their heart and nervous system. Dogs who have ingested chocolate can suffer from seizures and even die. An ounce of chocolate contains enough theobromine to poison a dog.
Grapes and raisins cause kidney failure in dogs. A single serving of raisins is enough to kill a dog.
Fruit seeds and pits can be deadly to dogs. The seeds and pits of apples, cherries, plums, peaches, pears and apricots contain cyanide. They can also obstruct the digestive track.
Other foods that can be poisonous to dogs are walnuts, mushrooms, nutmeg, and raw fish.
Tomatoes can cause cause tremors and heart arrhythmia in dogs. Avacados can cause breathing and respiratory problems. Onions can damage dogs' red blood cells.
Large amounts of salt can cause kidney problems in dogs. Additionally too much fat and sugar can cause obesity, dental problems, and diseases such as pancreatitis.
Raw liver or large amounts of cooked liver can lead to Vitamin A toxicity in dogs. This can lead to all sorts of health problems.
Macadamia nuts affect dog muscles as well as their digestive and nervous systems. It can even lead to paralysis.
Yeast dough can expand in the digestive system which produces gas and can even rupture the stomach or intestines.
Also, dogs do not have the proper enzymes to breakdown the lactose in milk and dairy products.
Because there are so many foods than can be harmful to your dogs, you should be very careful about what you feed them. People food should comprise no more than 10% of your dog's total diet. Before feeding your dog any type of human food, you should make sure it is something that is safe.
If you want to spoil your dog with special treats, you can buy cakes and cookies made especially for dogs from a dog bakery. If you don't have a dog bakery in your area, you can purchase treats online from the Three Dog Bakery at https://www.threedog.com/shop.aspx Or you can always get yourself a dog cookbook and bake your own special treats that are safe for your dog.
I never knew that many of those foods could cause harm to a dog.
I hope that dog owners can learn of this too, because many dishes use things like onions, tomatoes, etc.
Thanks for the information.