Caring dog owners are acutely curious about which human foods pose a serious danger because they want to know they aren’t feeding poison to their pup. This article gives an overview of 12 Human foods your dog should never eat.
1. Chocolate
Most people know that chocolate is poisonous food for dogs. This is because chocolate contains a toxic substance called theobromine (dark chocolate has the highest content of this), which can cause cardiac arrhythmias and central nervous system dysfunction in dogs. If your dog eats chocolate, he may - after four to twenty-four hours - exhibit symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, abdominal discomfort, lethargy, muscle tremors, irregular heartbeat, high body temperature, seizures and even death.
2. Coffee, Tea, and Other Caffeine
Due to their caffeine contents, coffee and tea are dangerous for dogs to consume. Caffeine, when ingested by dogs, raises blood pressure and causes cardiac arrhythmias, which can ultimately lead to death. Most of the signs of caffeine toxicity can start as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion and include hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, elevated heart rate, seizures and tremors. Cocoa, chocolate, colas, and energy drinks can also pose serious threats, so keep your dog away from any caffeine source.
3. Avocado
Avocados are another poisonous food for many animals, not just dogs. This is because they contain a fungicidal toxin called Persin which can lead to fluid accumulation in their lungs and chest, causing breathing difficulties, oxygen deprivation and even death. Persin is present in all parts of the avocado, including the fruit, pit, leaves and bark.
4. Onions and Garlic
Anything in the onion family - from garlic to shallots to scallions to chives - whether powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated - is toxic to dogs and can cause gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage, leading to anemia in dogs. Poisoning from garlic and onions may have delayed symptoms, but include lethargy, weakness and orange- to dark red-tinged urine.
5. Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and raisins are injurious to dogs as this may cause severe liver damage and kidney failure. Other symptoms include vomiting over and over, diarrhea, foul breath and loss of appetite. The active ingredient which causes the toxin is unknown, however there are stories of dogs dying from a small chunk of grapes and raisins.
6. Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts, part of the Protaceae family, contain an unknown toxin that can affect your dog’s muscles and nervous system leading to vomiting, increased body temperature, depression, lethargy and weakness in their back legs. The symptoms can be popping out within 12 hours of ingestion and can last approximately 24 to 48 hours. Additionally, macadamia nuts when ingested together with chocolate, it will make symptoms worse, maybe even leading to death.
7. Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages and food products containing alcohol have the same effect on a dog’s liver and brain that it has on people. Consuming even small amounts of it may cause significant drops in blood pressure, body temperature, and blood sugar, which can lead to more severe symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, central nervous system damage, difficulty breathing, tremors, coma and even death.
8. Artificial Sweetener (Xylitol)
Candy, gum, toothpaste, baked goods, and some diet foods are often laced with an artificial sweetener called Xylitol that's extremely toxic to dogs. Xylitol ingestion can cause your dog's blood sugar to drop, which can put them in a coma within 15 to 20 minutes. According to the Pet Poison Helpline, initial signs of toxicosis include vomiting, lethargy, and coordination problems. Signs can progress to more serious complications, such as liver failure and blood clotting disorders and even death.
9. Cooked Bones
Giving your dog a raw uncooked bone to chew on is great exercise for their jaw, cooked bones - whether - . can easily splinter and in large quantities can become a chocking hazard or at worst, a perforation of the gut which can be fatal.
10. Raw Yeast Dough
It is extremely unsafe for dogs to eat raw yeast dough, because the fermenting yeast gets rapidly absorbed in the bloodstream, where it produces enough ethanol to cause alcohol poisoning and death if your dog consumes it. Additionally, unbaked yeast dough can expands in the dog's stomach causing it to bloat, potentially twisting the stomach—a situation that can become a life threatening emergency.
11. Lemons and Limes
Lemons and limes, like other citrus fruits, can be extremely dangerous for your dog, because the skins of lemons and limes contain a substance called psoralen, which can cause dogs to have gastrointestinal upset. Ingestion of larger quantities of these fruits can cause more severe symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, difficulty walking, liver failure and death.
12. Cat Food
Every now and then we hear the saying "what's good for the goose is good for the gander", but it's not always true with cat and dog. Although cat food won’t poison your dog immediately, it can lead to some serious health complications over time, such as gastrointestinal upset, obesity, and pancreatitis. Abdominal pain and a hunched back, lethargy and weakness, appetite loss, vomiting and diarrhea, a distended abdomen, and fever are the most common symptoms.
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