If you can resist those heart-melting puppy eyes as they gaze into yours when you’re eating, you have way more willpower than me!
We love our dogs and want to spoil them rotten, especially when they are such good little beggars with massive appetites for human food.
However, before you flick Fido that leftover food from your plate, you should know that many common human foods are not suitable for canine consumption, often leading to food toxicity, one of the leading causes of an emergency trip to the veterinarian.
A dog’s digestive system differ significantly from us hoo-mans. Some of our foods can cause symptoms that range from a slight tummyache to severe problems like seizures, diarrhea, and even death.
While this list isn’t exhaustive, we hope that it will shed some insight as to what your pooch can or can not eat.
1. Chocolate and Caffeine
Of course, most dog owners know this. The chemical culprit is one called theobromine, which isn’t harmful to humans but can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and hydration for canines.
Dogs that have severe reactions can suffer from abnormal heartbeats, tremors, seizures, and even death in some cases.
2. Grapes and Raisins
These foods have a mycotoxin suspected of causing kidney failure in dogs. It can cause mild symptoms from diarrhea and vomiting to severe symptoms like seizures and death.
3. Raw Meat
While feeding the BARF (Bones And Raw Food) diet has gained awareness in recent years, raw meat can contain bacteria like e.coli and salmonella, while fish and eggs can contain enzymes and parasites that can be problematic to dogs.
These risks can be reduced through freezing and proper preparation to minimize any contamination, and some vets recommended lightly cooking the raw food to remove any bacteria.
When feeding raw food to your pup, the same rules apply as if we were preparing our own food. Food safety rules should be adhered to, and only fresh, uncontaminated meat fed.
4. Onions and Garlic
These two foods are such a frequent addition to our dishes that we don’t think twice about it. However, before you let your pooch polish up your leftovers, think about the ingredients of your dish.
Garlic, leeks, chives, and onions, are members of the Allium plant family that contain N-propyl disulfide, a compound that can damage the hemoglobin in the red blood cells.
A dog’s hemoglobin levels can fall with as little as 15g of these Alliums per kilogram of body weight, roughly equating to half a cup making a 20kg dog sick.
5. Booze
While enjoying your favorite brew with your canine buddy is oh-so-tempting, don’t!
The metabolism of a dog is way faster than a human, and canines absorb alcohol much faster, converting ethanol into acetone.
Whatever state of inebriation you get in after a cup of beer, you can bet that your pooch is feeling it much worse. The symptoms of a drunk pooch are exponentially more than that of a human, which include the usual side effects of drunkenness like:
Vomiting
Dehydration
Disorientation
Loss of balance and control
Dizziness
Salivation
Difficulty breathing
Unconsciousness
Irregular heartbeat
While alcohol is usually found in our favorite beverages, other sources of alcohol can be sprays, rubbing and cleaning solutions, windshield washer fluid, cough syrups and other medications, and fermenting dough.
6. Xylitol
This is another substance that is notorious for poisoning dogs. It is a naturally occurring alcohol extracted from trees to make medicines, and is widely found as a sugar substitute in candy or chewing gum.
Other sources of xylitol include peanut butter, baked goods, and toothpaste. Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs, and even a small amount can trigger a massive reaction like liver failure, seizures, and death.
7. Yeast
When yeast rises, it expands and grows in our digestive tracts. With humans, it isn’t too much of a problem since we’re larger and have more room in our intestines, however, with dogs, especially small ones, rising yeast could trigger symptoms like flatulence and mild discomfort.
In severe cases or if yeast is eaten in excessive quantities, the stomach lining or the intestines could be damaged or ruptured.
In addition, yeast ferments and creates ethanol, an alcohol that can get into your dog’s bloodstream and cause symptoms of alcohol poisoning.
Conclusion
We adore our dogs and love to share our food with them. However, before flicking them off those leftovers, consider what is in our human food and stay away from potentially toxic foods!
Thanks for reading, and all the best to you and your pooch!
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