3 things you should never feed your dog
As much as you love your dog and want to share your food with him, you need to be careful as to what you are giving him. Many human foods are dangerous or even toxic to dogs, which is why you should know what you can and cannot share with him. There is a long list of things that should not be fed to your dog; however, there are a few items that are more risky than others. These three things are important for dog owners to know about to avoid their dog from getting extremely ill or even dying.
1. Chocolate, coffee, tea, or other caffeine products. Most people have heard that chocolate is extremely dangerous to dogs, and the rumor is true. Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise. If your dog gets a hold of some chocolate, take him to your vet immediately.
2. Onions or garlic. Onions and garlic are another dangerous food ingredients that cause sickness in dogs, cats and also livestock. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger. Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the pet’s red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness. While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness. It is important to keep your dog out of the kitchen while you are cooking with onions or garlic, or at least keep a close eye on him.
3. Grapes and raisins. You may think that fruit is not toxic to your animal because it is good for you. In this case, that is incorrect. Grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs and can cause kidney failure. If your dog has ingested a large amount of grapes or raisins, he will show signs such as vomiting repeatedly, and will become extremely hyperactive and jittery. After about 24 hours, the dog will become lethargic and depressed. He may experience abdominal pain and may stop urinating, drinking, and/or eating. He will also become dehydrated. His breathing may become irregular, and he will also become hypercalcemic (high calcium concentrations) and hyperphosphosphatemic. If your dog has ingested grapes or raisins, be safe and take him to the vet.
