Are you a first-time dog owner? If you are, you’re probably nervous and unsure of what to feed your dog. Most first-time dog owners make the mistake of feeding their dog anything and the truth is most of these foods we eat are harmful or rather toxic to dogs.
Even if you are a veteran in dog ownership, you might just have been feeding your dog the wrong foods. In this guide, whether newbie or veteran, you’ll learn of some foods not to feed your dog or to stop feeding your dogs if you’ve ignorantly given them. Let’s get started:
Chocolate
As yummy as this taste, you may be tempted to give your dog a treat of chocolate bar but I must tell you, this food is a no.
Chocolate contain various level of fat, caffeine and methylxanthines and this depends on the chocolate type. The richer the chocolate, the higher the toxicity for the dog. If fed to your dog, your dog might experience vomiting, diarrhea, urination, heart arrhythmias, seizures and hyper activity.
No matter how much your dog tries to fight you for that chocolate bar, don’t give in.
Chewing Gum
Chewing gums along with toothpastes, cough medicines and chewable multivitamins all contain a sugar substitutes called Xylitol. This substance is very toxic to dogs. It is also used in baking and present in candies.
Once when dogs eat gums or foods containing xylitol, there will be a rapid insulin surge which could result to hypoglycemia. This condition causes vomiting, weakness and in some cases, seizures. In rare cases, it could lead to liver failure.
Don’t underestimate a tablet of gum as it could affect a 20-pound dog.
Meat and Bones
I know how familiar the story of bones and dog is, but it might hurt to know that bones could also be toxic to your dog. Most dog owners give their dog eaten out bones to numb on but your dog could choke on it and you may not know. Bones could cause laceration within the stomach walls or in the case of a choke, can cause breathing difficulty and possible death. See how dangerous a bone is?
Fat trimmed meat, either cooked or uncooked can also cause pancreatitis in dogs.
Nuts
You possibly may not give these nuts directly to your dogs but they are present in cookies and candies. Certain nuts are not pet friendly i.e. Almond nuts, pistachios, moldy and non-moldy walnuts, etc.
These nuts can cause stomach upset and obstructions in your dog’s throat or intestinal tract. Moldy walnuts contain toxins produced by fungi and can lead to seizures and other neurological signs.
Excessive ingestion of nuts could cause lethargy, vomiting, and loss of muscle control in dogs.
Salt
If you must give your dog human cooked food, make sure it’s salt free. Common table salt is poisonous to your dog. Dogs experience salt toxicity when the eat salt, or drink excess salt water when swimming and also eating household play dough.
Severe cases of salt toxicity could lead to neurologic signs like seizures, brain swelling, and poor coordination.
Final Note
Newbie or veteran, you now know toxic foods that you shouldn’t give your dogs. Keep these foods away from your dog if you really care about your dog’s health.