That face, that whine, those eyes – those puppy dog eyes are hard to resist when your dog starts begging for just one little piece of your human food. As much as you love to spoil your dog, and he is tough to resist – you must take great care not to feed him any foods that could cause him harm. You might think that if human foods are safe for us, they are safe for our pets, but that isn’t always true. Some foods will make them feel ill, but others can cause injury and even death.
This is the season of cookouts, barbecues, and parties, so we must reiterate the five most dangerous foods for your puppy.
Chocolate: Ask any dog owner the most dangerous food to give to their dog, and they are likely to respond, “chocolate!” While many people don’t know the reason behind it, they do understand that this popular human treat is taboo for canines. From a scientific standpoint, chocolate contains a bitter alkaloid (theobromine) that originates from the cacao plant. For a dog, chocolate can cause diarrhea, vomiting, heart problems, seizures, and tremors. Store chocolate away on a high shelf and behind a door so your dog won’t mistakenly eat some without your knowledge.
Peanut Butter: Wait a minute – peanut butter? Haven’t all of us given peanut butter to our dogs? The problem with peanut butter, though, is not the actual nut butter – it is the sugar substitute, xylitol, found in most peanut butters that can be very toxic to canines. Raw, unsalted peanut butter is perfectly fine for dogs, so check to ensure that your peanut butter has no artificial sweeteners.
Raw Eggs: Another surprising one of the human foods on the list is raw eggs. While eggs are one of the most complete sources of protein available, consuming raw eggs will give canines a biotin deficiency. Biotin is necessary for a healthy coat, and too many raw eggs can cause excessive shedding and rob your dog of his soft, fluffy fur. Like peanut butter, eggs are not entirely taboo – you just need to prepare them carefully. Fully cooked eggs are great for dogs nutritionally.
Garlic: Garlic is one of the most aromatic and tasty human foods and is part of the same family as onions, leeks, and chives. But for dogs, garlic is exceptionally poisonous. It can cause pale gums, increased heart rate, fatigue, and fainting. Worse than that, symptoms can be delayed, so you may not realize that they have eaten it. Like chocolate, keep garlic well out of reach.
Avocado: Avocado is one of our favorite, delicious human foods. It is loaded with heart-healthy fats that provide us with great nutritional benefits. But not for dogs, who can experience upset stomach, labored breathing, and fluid build-up in dogs. But the most dangerous part of the avocado is the pit, which is slippery and can slide down the throat and block the digestive tract.
There are only five foods you should refrain from feeding your dog to keep them healthy. However, as a responsible dog owner, you should research all the foods that are harmful to your dogs. In our next article, we’ll give you a quick refresher on the human foods that are healthy for your dog.
Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training is a professional dog training and obedience school in Bradenton, Florida.
