Dangerous Foods That Dogs Should Never Eat

Dangerous Foods for Dogs

Who can resist those big brown eyes and cute doggie grin? Can a little reward from the table really hurt your dog? Well, that depends on what it is and what's in it. A chip with guacamole can cause your dog some real problems. In fact, there's a lot of people food your dog should never eat. And, it's not just because of weight. Some foods are downright dangerous for dogs - and some of these common foods may surprise you.

Avocado

No matter how good you think the guacamole is, you shouldn't give it to your dog. Avocados contain a substance called persin. It's harmless for humans who aren't allergic. But it's highly toxic in most animals, including dogs. Just a little can cause your dog to vomit and have diarrhoea. And, if you happen to be growing avocados at home, keep your dog away from the plants. Persin is in the leaves, seed, and bark, as well as in the fruit.

Alcohol

Beer, liquor, wine, and foods containing alcohol - none of it are good for your dog. That's because alcohol has the same effect on a dog's liver and brain that it has on humans. But it takes far less to do its damage. Just a little can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, central nervous system depression, problems with coordination, difficulty breathing, coma, even death. And, the smaller the dog, the greater the effect.

Onions

Onion in all forms - powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated - can destroy a dog's red blood cells, leading to anaemia. That can happen even with the onion powder found in some baby food. An occasional small dose is probably OK. But just eating a large quantity once or eating smaller amounts regularly can cause onion poisoning. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and little interest in food, dullness, and breathlessness.

Coffee, Tea and Other Caffeine

Caffeine in large enough quantities can be fatal for a dog. And, there is no antidote. Symptoms of caffeine poisoning include restlessness, rapid breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tremors, fits, and bleeding. In addition to tea and coffee - including beans and grounds - caffeine can be found in cocoa, chocolate, colas, and stimulant drinks such as Red Bull. It's also in some cold medicines and pain killers.

Grapes and Raisins

Grapes and raisins have often been used as treats for dogs. But it's not a good idea. Although it isn't clear why, grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. And, just a small amount can make a dog ill. Repeated vomiting and being hyperactive are early signs. Within a day, the dog will become lethargic and depressed. The best prevention is to keep grapes and raisins off counters and other places your dog can reach.

Milk and Other Dairy Products

On a hot day, it may be tempting to share your ice cream cone with your dog. But if your dog could, it would thank you for not doing so. Milk and milk-based products can cause diarrhoea and other digestive upset as well as set up food allergies (which often manifest as itchiness).

Macadamia Nuts

Dogs should not eat nuts or foods containing nuts because nuts can be fatal. As few as 6 raw or roasted macadamia nuts can make a dog ill. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle tremors, weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters, vomiting, elevated body temperature, and rapid heart rate. Eating chocolate with the nuts will make symptoms worse, leading to possible kidney failure and death.

Candy and Gum

Candy, gum, toothpaste, baked goods, and some diet foods are sweetened with xylitol. Xylitol can cause an increase in the insulin circulating through your dog's body. That can cause your dog's blood sugar to drop and lead to liver failure. Initial symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, and loss of coordination. Eventually, the dog may have seizures, and liver failure can occur within just a few days.

Chocolate

Most people know that chocolate is bad for dogs. The toxic agent in chocolate is theobromine. It's in all kinds of chocolate, even white chocolate. The most dangerous kinds, though, are dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Eating chocolate, even just licking out the icing bowl, can cause a dog to vomit, have diarrhoea, and be excessively thirsty. It can also cause abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and death.

Fat Trimmings and Bones

Table scraps often contain meat fat that a human didn't eat and bones. Both are dangerous for dogs. Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked, can cause pancreatitis in dogs. And, although it seems natural to give a dog a bone, a dog can choke on it. Bones can also splinter and cause an obstruction or lacerations of your dog's digestive system. It's best to just forget about the doggie bag.

Persimmons, Peaches and Plums

The problem with these fruits is the seeds or pits. The seeds from persimmons can cause inflammation of the small intestine in dogs. They can also cause intestinal obstruction. Obstruction is also a possibility if a dog eats the pit from a peach or plum. Plus, peach and plum pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to both humans and dogs. The difference is humans know not to eat them. Dogs don't.

Raw Eggs

There are two problems with giving your dog raw eggs. The first is the possibility of food poisoning from bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. The second is that an enzyme in raw eggs interferes with the absorption of a particular B vitamin. This can cause skin problems as well as problems with your dog's coat.

Raw Meat and Fish

Raw meat and raw fish, like raw eggs, can contain bacteria that causes food poisoning. In addition, certain kinds of fish such as salmon, trout, shad, or sturgeon can contain a parasite that causes "fish disease." If not treated, the disease can be fatal within 2 weeks. The first signs of illness are vomiting, fever, and big lymph nodes. Thoroughly cooking the fish will kill the parasite and protect your dog.

Salt

It's not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Eating too much salt can cause excessive thirst and urination and lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, and seizures. It may even cause death.

Sugary Foods and Drinks

Too much sugar can do the same thing to dogs that it does to humans. It can lead to obesity, dental problems, and even diabetes.

Yeast Dough

Before it's baked, bread dough needs to rise. And, that's exactly what it would do in your dog's stomach if your dog ate it. As it swells inside, the dough can stretch the dog's abdomen and cause severe pain. In addition, when the yeast ferments the dough to make it rise, it produces alcohol that can lead to alcohol poisoning.

Your Medicine

Reaction to a drug commonly prescribed for humans is the most common cause of poisoning in dogs. Just as you would do for your children, keep all medicines out of your dog's reach. And, never give your dog any over-the-counter medicine unless told to do so by your vet. Ingredients such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen are common in pain relievers and cold medicine. And, they can be deadly for your dog.

Kitchen Pantry: No Dogs Allowed

Many other items commonly found on kitchen shelves can harm your dog. For instance, baking powder and baking soda are both highly toxic. So are nutmeg and other spices. Keeping food items high enough to be out of your dog's reach and keeping pantry doors closed will help protect your dog from serious food-related illness.

If Your Dog Eats What It Shouldn't

Dogs explore with their mouth. And, no matter how cautious you are, it's possible your dog can find and swallow what it shouldn't. It's a smart idea to always keep the number of your local vet, the closest emergency clinic, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center - (888) 426-4435 - where you know you can find it in an emergency. And, if you think your dog has consumed something that's toxic, call for emergency help at once.

What Dogs Can Eat

You can ensure your dog has a healthy, well-balanced diet by asking your vet to recommend a quality dog food. A well-designed dog food gives your pet all the nutrients it needs for an active and healthy life. But that doesn't mean you can't sometimes give your dog human food as a special treat - as long as portions are limited, and the foods are cooked, pure, and not fatty or heavily seasoned. See the next few slides for some tasty suggestions. But if you're looking to human food as a meal replacement, talk to your vet about amounts and frequency.

Safe: Lean Meats

Most dogs are fine eating lean cuts of meat that have been thoroughly cooked. Be sure to remove all visible fat - including the skin on poultry. Also be sure that there are no bones in the meat before you give it to your dog.

Safe: Some Fresh Fruits

Slices of apples, oranges, bananas, and watermelon make tasty treats for your dog. Be sure to remove any seeds first, though. Seeds, stems, and leaves can cause serious problems.

Safe: Some Vegetables

Your dog can have a healthy snack of carrot sticks, green beans, cucumber slices, or zucchini slices. Even a plain baked potato is OK. Be sure, though, not to let your dog eat any raw potatoes or any potato plants it might have access to in your garden.

Safe: Cooked White Rice and Pasta

Dogs may enjoy plain white rice or pasta after it's cooked. And, a serving of plain white rice with some boiled chicken can sometimes provide welcome relief from gastrointestinal upset.

Most of us have heard that chocolate can make dogs sick.

But how serious is the risk? By Salynn Boyles WebMD Pet Health Feature Reviewed by Katherine Snyder, DVM

If your canine companion is more family member than pet, you may be in the habit of sharing the foods your family loves with him.

Although some people foods are fine in moderation, this is definitely not the case with chocolate.

Chocolate can sicken and even kill dogs, and it is one of the most common causes of canine poisoning, say veterinarians who spoke to WebMD.

Veterinarian Michelle DeHaven says the worst case of chocolate poisoning she ever saw happened when some owners fed their eight-pound poodle a pound of chocolate on his birthday.

“We had to treat the dog with fluids and anti-seizure medication for five days," says DeHaven, who practices in Smyrna, Ga. "Every time we stopped the meds he would start seizuring again. You wouldn't feed a kid a pound of chocolate, but they fed it to a small dog.”

Most experts say that although no amount of chocolate is OK for your dog to consume, it would take a large quantity to kill him. Furthermore, the real risk lies with dark and baker's chocolate; milk and white chocolate pose a much less serious risk.

What Makes Chocolate Poisonous to Dogs?

Chocolate is made from cocoa, and cocoa beans contain both caffeine and a related chemical compound called theobromine, which is the real danger.

The problem is that dogs metabolize theobromine much more slowly than humans, Denver veterinarian Kevin Fitzgerald, PhD, tells WebMD.

“The buzz we get from eating chocolate may last 20 to 40 minutes, but for dogs it lasts many hours,” he says. “After 17 hours, half of the theobromine a dog has ingested is still in the system.”

Theobromine is also toxic to cats, but there are very few reported cases of theobromine poisoning in felines because they rarely eat chocolate.

Dogs, on the other hand, will eat just about anything.

Even small amounts of chocolate can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Truly toxic amounts can induce hyperactivity, tremors, high blood pressure, a rapid heart rate, seizures, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest.

Dogs and Chocolate: How Much is Too Much?

The more theobromine a cocoa product contains, the more poisonous it is to your dog.

Unsweetened bakers chocolate contains about 390 milligrams of theobromine per ounce -- about 10 times more than milk chocolate and more than twice as much as semi-sweet chocolate. White chocolate contains very little theobromine.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, once ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is potentially lethal.

But the real danger lies with dark chocolate. Merck warns that deaths have been reported with theobromine doses as low as 115 milligrams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight.

So 20 ounces of milk chocolate, 10 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, and just 2.25 ounces of baking chocolate could potentially kill a 22-pound dog, Fitzgerald says.

Serious toxic reactions can occur with ingestion of about 100 to 150 milligrams of theobromine per kilogram of body weight.

That means:

• A 9-pound dog could be expected to exhibit symptoms of chocolate toxicity after eating 1 ounce of baking chocolate, 3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, or 9 ounces of milk chocolate.

• A 27-pound dog might have such symptoms after eating 3 ounces of baking chocolate, 9 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, and 27 ounces of milk chocolate.

• A 63-pound dog might exhibit symptoms after eating 7 ounces of baking chocolate, 21 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, or 63 ounces of milk chocolate.

“In 27 years of practice, I've seen two dogs die from eating chocolate,” says Fitzgerald, who appears regularly on Animal Planet's hit show Emergency Vets. “Both were under 20 pounds, both were elderly and both ate baking chocolate in very large amounts.”

Although most people would not eat a 4-ounce bar of bitter-tasting baking chocolate, this is not true of dogs, he says.

“Dogs experience the world through tasting it, and they are gorgers,” he says. “Baking chocolate tastes good to them.”

Your Dog Ate Chocolate: Now What?

DeHaven, who owns Cumberland Animal Clinic in Smyrna, says she typically gets two to three calls a month from owners whose dogs have eaten chocolate.

When an owner calls, she asks how much and what kind of chocolate the dog has eaten and the dog's weight.

“If a 60-pound golden retriever eats a bag of Hershey's kisses, there isn't too much to worry about,” she says. “The dog will probably have a stomachache, but not much else.”

After eating a potentially toxic dose of chocolate, dogs will typically develop diarrhea and start vomiting.

If the dog is not vomiting on its own, the vet may advise inducing vomiting immediately to keep as much theobromine as possible from entering the system.

One way of doing this is by giving the dog a one to one solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. But DeHaven says the treatment is now discouraged because it can cause esophageal ulcers.

She recommends syrup of ipecac, which induces vomiting.

“If you have kids, you really need to have it in the house anyway,” she says.

When a dog shows signs of hyperactivity and agitation or is having seizures, the faster you get it to the vet the better. But there is no specific antidote for chocolate poisoning.

Fluids are typically given along with intravenous drugs to limit seizures and protect the heart.

Symptoms of theobromine poisoning generally occur within four to 24 hours after chocolate is consumed.

Cocoa Shell Mulch: A Little-Known Danger

Most people don't realize it, but those increasingly popular cocoa shell mulches used for landscaping can also pose a serious risk to dogs in the same way that chocolate does.

Terry and Dawn Hall found out the hard way several years ago when their beloved 105-pound chocolate lab ‘Moose' died after eating just eight ounces of cocoa shell mulch used to landscape their Minneapolis yard.

The death prompted the couple to contact Minnesota state senator Scott Dibble, D-Minneapolis, who sponsored a bill to require cocoa mulch sellers to warn customers of the potential danger to dogs.

His bill was approved by the Legislature last spring, but vetoed by the governor.

“It is my understanding that theobromine can be removed from cocoa mulch pretty easily, and that some manufacturers do this and others do not,” Dibble tells WebMD. “But right now there is no way for the consumer to know if the mulch they are buying has been treated.”

SOURCES:

Merck Veterinary Manual, 8th Edition Online. Michelle DeHaven, DVM, owner, Cumberland Animal Clinic,

Smyrna, Ga. Kevin Fitzgerald, DVM, PhD, Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, Denver. Scott Dibble, state senator, Minneapolis. Saint Paul Ledger Capitol Report “Death by Chocolate: Couple Fights for Warning Labels on Cocoa Bean Mulch,” March 24, 2009. © 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. Source: WebMD.com http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dogs-and-chocolate-get-the-facts

Caring for a Dog with Food Allergies

WebMD reveals the signs, symptoms, and triggers for food allergies in dogs.

By Sandy Eckstein WebMD Pet Health Feature Reviewed by Audrey Cook, BVM&S

Your dog is itching like crazy and shaking his head constantly. Your vet just told you it could be a food allergy. What does that mean? To find out, we talked to Susan Wynn, an internationally known expert on holistic pet care. Wynn is former president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, a clinical resident in nutrition at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and author of four textbooks on integrative practice, focusing on dietary supplements such as nutraceuticals and herbs.

Q: How common are food allergies in dogs?

A: Ten percent of all allergy cases in dogs are food allergies. Dogs also can suffer from food intolerance, which is different from a food allergy.

Q: What are the signs of a food allergy?

A: Anything from chronic ear inflammation, gastrointestinal problems, and chronic diarrhea to chronic gas, licking their feet, or an itchy rear end. More uncommon, and probably not agreed upon, symptoms might include seizures, asthma, and chronic sinusitis/rhinitis.

Q: What are the most common things that could trigger a food allergy in my dog?

A: It's a genetic problem, and when it's triggered, it's by exposure to whatever they're allergic to. The most common allergens are beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish. And, most dogs are usually allergic to more than one thing.

Q: What causes these allergies?

A: It's a multi-factorial thing, but certainly you have to have a genetic predisposition to develop allergies. The environment can affect it, too.

There's a lot of research going on right now to determine what, in early puppyhood or early kittenhood, makes the immune system more likely to express that trait. There's an immune education process happening in the first few weeks of life. Young animals treated with antibiotics could potentially be predisposed to problems later in life because antibiotics change the environment inside the gut, which is the largest immune organ in the body. That could be a predisposing cause, but then the trigger would be being exposed to the allergen.

Q: Are some breeds more prone to food allergies?

A: There are some, but I think it depends on whom you talk to. It also can vary by country or part of the country. It may be as simple as what breeders, with their line-bred family of animals, are in your area. So if you have a very prominent breeder who is breeding a line known for their allergies, you're going to think that breed commonly has food allergies. In

my experience, retrievers, German shepherds. Dachshunds, cocker spaniels, and rex cats are the most commonly affected breeds.

Q: How do I determine if my dog has food allergies, or something else is causing the problem?

A: There's only one way to diagnose food allergies accurately, and that is an elimination diet and challenge. So what we do is take the dog off all the foods it's eating and we put him on a food that he's never had before. With all the exotic diets out there now, this can be pretty difficult. I've sent people out for alligator and yak. Once the dog has improved, we start reintroducing the old foods that we think caused the problems in the first place. If he has a reaction, which usually takes a few days to a few weeks, then we know he has a food allergy.

There's specific testing to rule out other problems as well. For instance, you might take a sample of discharge from the ears to see if there's a problem there, or do skin testing for environmental allergies. Blood testing is not an accurate test for any allergy.

Q: Will changing my dog's diet trigger a food allergy?

A: If the dog has been sensitized to something in that diet it could. There's no way of knowing if your dog has been sensitized to an ingredient, though.

Q: Can my dog suddenly develop a food allergy to something that he's eaten for years with no problems? Will this keep happening?

A: That's common in food-allergic dogs. They have to be sensitized; they have to have been exposed for some period of time. So, in general, they're not going to react really dramatically the first time they eat it but a dog that has eaten a food for years could suddenly become allergic to that food.

If an elimination diet improves the pet's clinical signs and the owner is able to find two to three diets the dog can tolerate, I recommend rotating through them every two to three months. The whole point is to keep them stable for a period of months to years so you can eventually do their challenge testing to identify what the dog is really allergic to. If you're really lucky, then you can go back to a more normal diet and not these expensive, exotic diets.

And if they're young enough, food allergies sometimes do resolve themselves.

Q: How do I treat a dog with food allergies?

A: You can try to cover up the signs, but if you've got a disease that's caused by what you put in your mouth every day, the best treatment is to stop putting that in your mouth every day. I use herbs all the time, and I do think they can help, but not as much as avoiding what's causing the problem.

Q: Should I cook for my dog, rather than buy her food? What about a raw diet, will that help?

A: The upside of a cooked diet is you know exactly what's going in it and you can control that. The disadvantage is it's more trouble and, unfortunately, most people won't do it

right. They will leave off supplements, they won't follow instructions, and they'll end up giving their dog or cat an unbalanced diet.

There's nothing magical about raw diets. Some dogs do very well on them and some dogs do not do very well on them. The protein structure might be different from that in a cooked or processed diet and that does make a difference for some dogs. But it's not common enough that we need to tell everybody they should try a raw diet.

Q: Is there anything I can do to keep my puppy from developing food allergies?

A: I don't think anyone is going to tell you that you can prevent food allergies if your puppy is predisposed. My opinion is that if you provide a diet that has some variety in it, so they're getting a natural rotation, you're maintaining gut health by doing that.

I do recommend for young puppies and kittens that people put them on probiotics. I'm very concerned about the use of antibiotics in growing animals. I think it messes up their gut balance and I think it may make them more likely to become allergic over time. So for puppies, I try to avoid antibiotics and use probiotics up to six months to one year of age and give them a diet that's fairly high in variety.

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. Source: WebMD.com http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/caring-for-a-dog-that-has-food-allergies