Foods Your Dogs Should NEVER Eat

You love your dog and want to feed them the best brand of dog food. However, there are times that you want to show more love by feeding them food that you are eating. Unfortunately, there are certain types of food that your dog should never eat.

These foods can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and even a trip to the vet.

Lucky for you, we have a list of foods that your dog should avoid, so you will be well prepared next time that you decide to take a piece of food from your dish to give to your beloved pet.

Xylitol

Baked goods, toothpaste, candy, gum, and some sweet food are filled with xylitol. It can lower your dog's blood sugar level leading to liver failure. Some common symptoms are fatigue, vomiting, seizures, coordination problems, and liver failure.

Avocado

Avocado is delicious and nutritious food for humans, but not for dogs. Too much avocado can cause diarrhea and vomiting for your canine companion.

If you are growing avocado in your backyard, it’s essential to keep your dog away from the plant. The ingredient persin is found in the seed, bark, leaves, and the fruit of the avocado. It can stick to the stomach and intestines, causing fatal obstruction.

Alcohol

It takes a smaller amount of alcohol to harm your four-legged friend than it is to harm a human being. A little bit of liquor, wine, or beer can cause diarrhea, vomiting, breathing problem, coordination issues, and death.

Smaller dogs experience a higher level of toxication with just a few amounts of alcohol. In severe cases, the dog's liver and brain can be significantly harmed.

Onion/Garlic

Onions and garlic are great ingredients to put in a dish for human beings. However, it can destroy your dog's red blood cells leading to severe anemia.

If you give your dog a treat from your plate and realize that he is having some breathing problems, weakness, and vomiting, then there’s a chance that you might have accidentally given him onions or garlic.

Caffeinated Drinks

Humans drink coffee and tea for its caffeine content to keep them energized throughout the day. However, caffeine can be fatal for your dog. It’s vital to make sure that your dog does not get into your cup of tea or coffee.

Keep them away from energy drinks, chocolate, Coca-Cola, and cocoa. Any form of caffeine can be harmful and require a trip to the vet as soon as possible.

Grapes/Raisin

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure for your canine companion. A small amount of these delicious treats can make your dog extremely sick. The early signs that you will notice are severe vomiting, depression, and sluggish.

Dairy Product

It's adorable to see your dog lick from your ice cream cone. However, it’s best to replace ice cream with ice cold water for the summer season.

Any dairy product can cause diarrhea, bloating, and other digestive problems for your dogs. They can even trigger a food allergy, which can cause severe itching.

Macadamia nuts

Six or more raw or roasted macadamia nuts can cause vomiting, fever, muscle aches, and weakness in your dog. If you give them a lot of macadamia nuts, it can potentially be fatal

Chocolate

Everyone knows that chocolate is bad for dogs because of its Theobromine. The most dangerous types of chocolate are the dark and unsweetened kind. This can cause your dog to vomit and diarrhea as well as having other symptoms of tremors, seizures, heart problems, and death.

Fatty trimmings and bones

Fat trimming from bones and meat can lead to pancreatitis in dogs. Even though it’s only natural to give your dog bones to chew on, but he or she can still choke on it. Plus, bones have splinters that can penetrate or block the digestive system.

Persimmons, Peaches, Plums

The seeds from persimmons can be problematic for the intestines. It can block the gut resulting in an obstruction that can lead to abdominal pain, vomiting, and a trip to the vet.

This is very common for dogs that eat the pit from the plum or peaches. The pit contains cyanide, which can be extremely poisonous for your dog.

Raw Eggs

According to the Veterinary Medical Association, it’s not a good idea to feed your dog raw and uncooked eggs. This is mainly because they can get food poisoning from E. coli or salmonella that can leave your dog severely dehydrated.

Raw Meat and Fish

Raw meat and fish contain bacteria that can lead to food poisoning. Fish such as trout, sturgeon, or salmon contain parasites that can get into your dog's system and absorb their nutrients and blood.

This can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, lethargic, and anemia. If left untreated, and you continue feeding raw meat and fish, your dog can die from severe malnutrition and anemia. The first sign is often fever and swollen lymph nodes.

Is Salt Bad for Dogs

Salty foods such as chips or pretzel can cause dehydration and high blood pressure. Keep in mind that a high amount of salt can lead to sodium ion poisoning, which can be fatal to your dog. The initial symptoms of high salt content would be depression, tremors, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and high fever.

Is Sugar Bad for Dogs

Sugary foods and drinks can cause your dog to gain weight, and have cavities in their teeth. If you keep giving your pup delicious sweet treat, he or she can eventually develop diabetes.

Dough

Before the bread is baked, the dough needs time to rise. If your dog took a huge bite and swallow the dough, it will rise in his or her stomach. When that happens, your dog will have abdominal bloating and swelling, and the dough can stretch out the stomach, leading to severe pain.

Keep in mind that when the yeast ferments as it rises, it creates alcohol, which can lead to alcohol poisoning in your dog’s digestive system.

Human Medication

It’s essential to keep all your medications locked up safely away from your dog and children. Never give your dog over the counter medicines unless your veterinarian recommends it.

Often times, medications like: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and Zyrtec, which are typical to help reduce symptoms related to allergies, cold, and pain in humans, can actually be harmful to your dog.

Kitchen Pantry

There are a lot of things in the kitchen pantry that can hurt your dog. For example, baking soda and baking powder are highly toxic as well as spices and nutmeg.

It is essential to keep this food high enough so your dog cannot reach them, and with the pantry doors closed.

What If Your Dog Eats What They Shouldn't?

Sometimes, your dog would get into foods that they are not allowed to eat. If your dog has taken a big bite out of a chocolate cake or has eaten something very salty, then it’s essential to call your local veterinarian, closest emergency clinic, or animal control. Make sure to keep an eye out for unusual signs and symptoms.

Ingredients That You Don’t Want In Your Dog food

All dog foods are not created equally. Some brands are cheaper, but they are made of elements that can cause weight gain and harmful to your dog's health. However, quality ingredients tend to be more expensive, but they have all the essential nutrients that your dog needs.

It can be very overwhelming to know which elements to avoid, but fortunately, we have listed the ingredients that you should avoid in your dog food.

Ethoxyquin

This is a common ingredient that is found in most dog food, and is used as a preservative. This product was developed from herbicide, and it’s associated with kidney and liver damage. It can also cause other health issues such as leukemia, blindness, immune deficiency syndrome, and cancer in the spleen, stomach, skin, and liver.

Propylene glycol

Propylene glycol is basically antifreeze and is often found in the kitchen or sink cleaner as well as the auto care department. If this ingredient is found in a brand of dog food, then avoid it like a plague.

Propylene glycol can cause digestion problems and kidney failure as well as other issues like cancerous lesions within the intestine and intestinal blockage.

Plus, it reduces moisture; therefore, it can lead to dehydration as well as killing off the natural flora bacteria in your dog's gut. The lack of natural flora microorganisms can decrease digestion and make your dog vulnerable to infection

BHA/BHT

As a preservative, this ingredient can cause kidney damage. It is linked to cancer for both humans and dogs. If you find this ingredient in the dog food, throw it away immediately.

Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is used to make the dog food more appealing. Unfortunately, too much of it can lead to diabetes, hyperactivity, and weight gain. It can also make your dog more sluggish and fatigue over time.

Byproduct

Byproducts can be either lamb, beef, fish, chicken, turkey, and much more. It is basically the internal remains of an animal that does not include the muscle meat.

Unfortunately, this can be very unsanitary and could lead to the incorporation of diseased tissue or tumors from the organs, which is not very good for your dog.

What dogs can eat

Even though we have listed a lot of food that your dog can’t eat, there’s still a bunch of other treats that owners are curious about.

For example, pet owners would ask questions like, "can dogs eat cucumber?" "Is watermelon bad for dogs?" "Is rice good for dogs?"

These are all valid questions, and we are here to answer them.

Can Dogs Eat Rice?

If your dog has an upset stomach, then make some rice with chicken soup to soothe the G.I. system. When it comes to rice for dogs, definitely choose brown rice because of its high protein and low-fat content.

If you’re wondering about the topic is "white rice good for dogs," then just know that the digestible carbohydrate provides an excellent source of energy your dog, especially if he or she has an upset stomach.

Can Dogs Eat Cucumbers?

If you’re wondering about the question "can dogs have cucumbers," then the answer is yes. Dogs are omnivores animals so they eat both meat and vegetables. Cucumbers are low in calories and are crunchy treats for your dogs. They contain 8 cal per one cup of sliced, and can keep your dog healthy and happy.

Before feeding them the cucumber, it’s important to chop them into smaller pieces so they don’t choke. The veterinarians often recommend that treats should make up more than 10% of your dog's daily diet. This means that the number of delicious cucumbers you feed your Chihuahua will be way different from your German Shepherd.

If you are thinking about adding cucumber to your dog's diet, then it’s best to introduce it slowly and to keep an eye out for allergic reactions.

Cucumbers are excellent snacks for dogs that need to lose weight. They are high in water content, tasty, and crunchy.

This makes a unique treat to hydrate your canine companion after a vigorous walk in the summer. If you combine cucumber with exercise, it’s an excellent way for your dog to shed off those excess weights.

Can dogs eat potatoes?

Dogs and potatoes are a dream come true. Potatoes contain an excellent source of carbohydrates and potassium.

However, your dog must not go overboard and consume a significant amount daily. It is highly recommended to give sweet potato because of the low carbohydrate and fat content.

Before you prepare potatoes for your dog, make sure to check the skin. If it’s green, then throw that potato away. The green color on the skin contains a compound called solanine, which can irritate the esophagus and stomach lining.

Fortunately, cooking these potatoes can destroy the toxin, but either way, it’s best to avoid green potatoes and to remove the skin when you cook it.

Keep in mind that you should never feed raw potato to your dog because it can cause an upset stomach and is often very difficult to digest. Your dog may experience abdominal obstruction, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting if they consume raw potato.

Can Dogs Eat Watermelon?

Watermelon contains plenty of nutrients and vitamins, and are made of 92% water so it can rehydrate your dog on any hot sunny day. It contains vitamin A, B6, C, and potassium.

Watermelon is high in fiber, so it can regulate the digestive system. Its fiber content can insulate the sugar to prevent it from getting to the bloodstream. It also contains lycopene, which is a potent antioxidant to help fight off cancer.

Watermelon is also low in sodium, low in calories, cholesterol-free, and fat-free. It’s a healthy and delicious treat that can keep your four-legged friend well-hydrated and healthy throughout the years.

Keep in mind that it’s essential to give watermelon to your dog in moderation. When people ask, "is watermelon bad for dogs?" Well it depends on the amount. If you give them too much watermelon, it can cause upset stomach and diarrhea.

Can Dogs Eat Zucchini?

According to veterinarians, zucchini is the best vegetables to feed your dog. Even though zucchini is safe, but it doesn’t mean that you should supply a significant amount.

Zucchini is filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. A cup of raw zucchini is only 20 cal, and it’s low in fat and cholesterol. It’s an excellent choice for overweight dogs.

When feeding the zucchini, make sure to chop it up into small pieces for your dog. Avoid giving your dog large parts because it can be a choking hazard. You can steam, cook, or leave it plain for your dog to eat.

Avoid marinating the zucchini with salt, pepper, garlic, or onion because it can be harmful to your dog. The best thing to do is to keep it plain and mix it in with their dog food or other healthy meals.

Can Dogs Have CBD?

If your dog is prone to anxiety and stress, then CBD dog treats are an excellent choice to keep them calm.

Make sure to follow the directions and give the amount that the package tells you to. Too much CBD can cause suppress respiratory rate, dizziness, and fatigue. However, the right amount can be healthy and soothing for your pet.

Take Home Message

You love your dog and want to give them the best. The best means doing some research and knowing which food to avoid. It’s vital to know what type of food is healthy and how to prepare it.

With that in mind, your dog can now experience a bountiful mixture of healthy dog food and healthy human food to add a variety to his or her diet.

If you have an anxious canine friend, feel free to try some CBD treats to keep him cool, calm, and collected.

Dog Information

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