If you’re like me, you love to pamper your pup with human food from time to time. A lot of people might not know what can be toxic or cause health problems for their dogs. I hope that this blog can prevent these accidents in the future and spread the word. So, here is a list of 5 toxic foods for dogs that you might not know about:
1. Avocados
The avocado fruit, fit, and skin contain a harmful substance called Persin. The substance is also found in the plant and the leaves, however, the it is mainly present in the leaves. If a lot of the fruit is ingested, it can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Another way this fruit is harmful is the high fat in the fruit which can cause them to gain weight. Being that basically the entire fruit itself is harmful, it is best to avoid giving it to them altogether.
2. Onions & Garlic
Onions and garlic are part of a group of vegetables known as the Allium Family. This family also includes foods such shallots, chives, and leeks. These vegetables are toxic because they contain a chemical called N-propyl disulfide. Eating too much of this can cause anemia in dogs. Also, make sure to check your labels if you are giving them some of your food as a lot of foods contain onion or garlic powder which is a lot more potent and therefore toxic for you dog. Symptoms to look out for when your dog does eat these vegetables are vomiting, fast heart rate, and panting.
3. Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts are interesting because scientists have no idea what makes these nuts so toxic to dogs. This is especially puzzling because a lot of other nuts are somewhat safe for dogs to eat besides their high fat count. Even though they don’t know the cause, they do know that this food is so dangerous that the smallest amount could have severe effects on your dog’s health. With this in mind, avoid feeding your dog this at all costs. Some symptoms to look out for are weakness in their hind legs, they appear slowed down, they are struggling to walk, are always shaking and/or have a fever.
4. Grapes
Grapes are another highly toxic food that can create very severe side effects. One grape could kill a dog so it is very important to keep these away from the pups. Similar to macadamia nuts, the cause of why grapes are so toxic is unknown, but they do know how serious it is if one is ingested by a dog. Symptoms to watch for include weakness, loss of appetite, dehydration and difficulty with producing urine, and kidney failure.
5. Xylitol
This toxic food started to become more talked about with pet owners, which is great. Xylitol is an substitute for sugar that is found in a lot of processed human food. A very important label to read, especially when dealing with dogs, is your peanut butter jar. Xylitol is often found in certain peanut butters and since this is something people use to treat their dog, it is important to look at what peanut butter you are buying and the ingredients. It is also found in a lot of sugar-free gums and mints. Symptoms of xylitol toxicity are hypoglycemia, vomiting, diarrhea, and possibly even liver failure.
References:
- https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/dog-care-advice/toxic-food-dogs
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-avocado/
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-grapes/
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-macadamia-nuts/
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-onions/
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dangers-of-xylitol/
March 5, 2022 at 9:52 am
Nice Article. Now Dog is our family member.
March 7, 2022 at 2:31 am
I myself fall for the guilt trip of my dog begging for my food. This is helpful because not everyone knows what can harm their dog. We tend to think that dogs can eat any food we can. This is a helpful reminder. I knew grapes were bad for dogs, however I never knew that macadamia nuts were.
March 7, 2022 at 8:13 pm
I only knew of a few toxic foods that dogs couldn’t have. We try not to give our dog any human food just to be on the safe side, but the Xylitol bit has me thinking more about what’s in our peanut butter. So many people give dogs peanut butter and probably don’t know that this can be found in some. This was especially a good read for that reason. Definitely off to check my pantry asap!
March 8, 2022 at 10:47 pm
This is such a helpful post! We avoid all of these things, but it’s really interesting to read WHY they should be avoided. Also, I knew about xylitol, but I’m now nervous it might be an ingredient in the peanut butter we give our boy. I will be checking into our peanut butter ingredients and buying something more dog-safe if I notice xylitol in the ingredients! Thanks for this!
March 8, 2022 at 11:11 pm
I never knew that foods such as grapes, xylitol, macadamia nuts, onions , garlic and avocados could hurt and worse even kill a dog. These food products are extremely dangerous to animals and I’m glad I understand some of these foods that dogs aren’t allowed to eat otherwise, a dog could have been in real trouble. As someone who loves to give food to dogs, it makes me happy to have the awareness and recognition of dangerous foods in order to prevent a future accident. Thank you for these recommendations and explanations as to why these foods are extremely dangerous for animals and with this knowledge, I will be able to better my awareness around dogs.