Harmful Foods to Keep Away from our Dogs
Good tidings for a fresh new year! As we embark on 2011, let’s keep an eye on our loved ones and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on more fun tips, places to go, the latest and greatest for our dear doggies.
As we return from the holidays, there was probably a little more foot traffic than usual. Just think of all the gifts and snacks left laying around the house! There is no way we can keep our dogs in protective little bubbles (nor should we! dogs deserve to roam freeeeee!) but there are always simple safety measures we can take to make sure our mischievous pups don’t get themselves into trouble.
Here is a list of things you should be sure to keep AWAY from your dogs. Dangerous foods can cause more harm than good. You can eat, drink, and be merry together as long as you don’t let your pup get into things he shouldn’t.
The No-No’s:
- Chocolate. Chocolate IS toxic. Everyone seems to already be aware of this one. But it’s quite common for dogs to mistakenly get excited and get into bags of chocolate by mistake. Leftover from the holidays, you might have some chocolate laying out, be sure to keep it out of your dog’s reach. Store extra snacks and junk goodies in your cabinets, out of sight, out of dog’s mind.
- Bones. Not bones that are actually MEANT for dogs, we’re talking bones from leftover meals. Whether you just had a plate of fish or chicken, these are the bones that can become choking hazards for your dog, so keep away! Just one little bone mistakenly lodged in your dog’s throat can be threatening. Even the dog chews and bones that are actually meant for your dogs can on extreme rare occasions become potential choking hazards, in this case keep them supervised as they get their gnaw on.
- Grapes. A lot of people I tell this casually to usually look at me like I’m crazy. Grapes? Yes. Grapes can cause kidney failure, and should be avoided at all costs. Some things that are perfectly safe for humans are just plain no-no’s for our four-footed friends. This includes raisins.
- Macadamia Nuts. These have been proven to be fatal or cause paralysis. If you can avoid nuts all together, don’t give them raw nuts. Peanut butter as we know is a common treat however, and is fine. But no on the macadamias, for sure.
- Marijuana. One day when I was at the emergency clinic, a distraught couple brought in a poor little terrier that had gotten into their share of marijuana. The symptoms from marijuana intoxication are severe ranging from damaging the nervous system, pupil dilation, coma, and in some cases death.
- Alcohol. Blame it on the alcohol. Dogs are smaller than humans and their tolerance to alcohol is minimal compared to ours. A little alcohol can do far more damage than you think, such as coma, nervous system damage, breathing trouble, vomiting, and diarrhea. I don’t see why you can’t train a dog to fetch you a beer, but don’t let him drink it.
- Pesticides, Fertilizers, Traps. This includes snail bait. Perhaps you have a green thumb, or you choose to use certain tools outdoors to maintain your turf. I recently sat at an emergency animal hospital and met a beautiful 5-year old black labrador who happened to get himself into some snail bait by accident. Symptoms are devastating – uncontrollable seizures take over, and my heart broke because you just want the uncontrollable pain to pass and you can’t do anything about it. Just be sure to fence off areas you wouldn’t want your dog getting into by mistake.
- Guacamole and Avocado.Sure, you and your friends might like to bust out the guac for your chips but don’t sneak any to your dog. Avocados contain persin which in large amounts can be toxic to your dog.
- Garlic and Onions.While delicious for human consumption, it is highly discouraged to give dogs any type of garlic and onion especially in large amounts because they contain sulfoxides which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia.
- Fruit Pits. Peaches and plum pits when swallowed can obstruct your dog’s esophagus/digestive tract.
- Tobacco. If he gets a hold of your cigarettes, nicotine can cause symptoms such as coma, rapid heart beat, and in severe cases, death.
- Gum, Candy, Sugary Junk. This is bad for you and me already, but for dogs “xylitol” which is found in many gums and candy can cause low blood sugar resulting in vomiting, collapsing, and liver failure in severe cases. Keep away!
- Decorations, Trinkets, Gifts. Though your dog may be used to his surroundings, there’s no telling why they may get into certain things in a random spur of the moment. Now that the holidays are over, you’ve probably put away all the holiday decorations already. Just make sure everything gets put away.. this includes ribbons, lights, etc.
- Table Scraps. I’m not going to point fingers or anything, but we all know we’ve been there, done that. As tempting as those puppy-dog eyes of his are, don’t give in. The food we eat, is meant to be food we eat (though even sometimes that isn’t even the best for us either), but it certainly isn’t meant for your dogs.
Watch out for friends, roomies, family members, or just someone you invited over for dinner, too.. they may think it’s all cute to save a scrap of whatever they have for them, but deter them afterall, you are looking out for your dog. Dogs just have more sensitive stomachs than humans do, and it’s best to keep them on their own food. Check out some of the food and treats we offer at Healthy Spot to see if your little (or big) guy could use some good food for his tummy.
Mischievous Kids
These are just some of the major items that can affect your dog’s well-being. There are plenty of things in the world that can be unsafe, especially in large amounts, just try to at least keep these in mind as a general guideline of keep-away’s. Don’t forget dogs are pretty resourceful. They know how to jump and leap any bounds to get to what they want. Your dog may be smart enough to jump on tables or chairs and still get into these off-limit items and foods. Be sure to keep food items sealed and locked down tight, and if possible up and away in cabinets or inside refrigerators rather than readily accessible.
Pay Attention
If you start noticing anything strange about your dog’s behavior, remember dogs can’t tell us if something is wrong but you’d be able to tell immediately if something is out of the ordinary. Is he more lethargic than usual? Vomiting or diarrhea? Shaking? Whimpering? There are telltale signs, and better to be safe than sorry. If there are any severe warnings, don’t hesitate to take your dog into your vet. As an added precaution, make sure you have jotted down the address and phone number to the closest animal emergency hospital, in case something should happen to your dog in the middle of the night when your vet isn’t available. Chance favors the prepared mind. Keep our loved ones safe and sound throughout the year.
Thanks for posting guys!
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Great information on pet food–keep it coming!
I’ve been giving my dogs large doses of Bug-Off garlic tablets, made by Springtime.inc, for flea & tick control. Are you sure about the toxicity of garlic in dogs? Our guys are on a limited vaccine protocol and are raw fed. Needless to say, we’ve done extensive research and this is the very first time I’ve ever seen garlic on a list of “no-no’s”
Please reply, Ro Surman / rosurman@yahoo.com