Keeping Your Furry Friend Safe

By: Alexis Weppner | Writer

November 22, 2015

Admit it: We’re all guilty of feeding our furry little friends table scraps! And while it’s quite obvious that they enjoy it — some, so much so, that they sneak it off the table when you’re not looking–there are many foods that are actually dangerous to feed them. Here are twelve foods that could be deadly for your dog:.

1. Avocado:  Some of you have heard of or seen people feeding their dogs avocado in order to promote a healthier coat–what they don’t know is that avocado leaves, pit, and fruit is toxic to dogs in larger amount!
2. Chocolate: This delicious food can lead to illness or even death in dogs and is known as one of the most common causes of “dog-poisoning”. The compound that causes the toxic reaction in dogs is called theobromine.
3. Cooked Bones:  While it is perfectly acceptable to feed your dogs raw bones or boiled bones, it can be quite dangerous to fee dogs COOKED bones–this is because the way that the heat affects the bones caused the bones to splinter easier which can lead to punctures in the bowels or bleeding in the mouth.
4. Raw Eggs: Feeding a dog raw eggs can lead them to obtain Salmonella and E. coli. Another effect of feeding dogs raw eggs is that an enzyme in raw eggs can interfere in the absorption of vitamin B into the body. Keeping all this in mind–cooked eggs are personally alright to feed your furry friend.
5. Macadamia Nuts: These nuts can cause fatality in dogs that eat as little as 6 nuts roasted or raw. Some symptoms of poisoning can be muscle tremors, weakness or paralysis of hindquarters, vomiting, elevated temperature, and rapid heart rate.
6. Grapes/Raisins: These fruity treats can actually damage the kidneys in dogs! This can eventually lead to liver failure. Some immediate effects of dogs eating grapes/raisin can be increased thirst, increased urination, lethargy, and vomiting.
7. Onions/Garlic: Garlic and onions can wind up causing a lessening in red blood cells–leading to anemia in your furry friend. A few immediate effects could be vomiting, red colored urine, and weakness.
8. Caffeine: This substance has many of the same effects that chocolate could give to your pet.
9. Ice Cream/Dairy: The main majority of dogs actually have a lactose intolerance just as some humans do–if they are fed dairy of any sort they have the same response as a lactose intolerant human would (not to mention terrible gas!).
10. Green Potatoes: Green potatoes contain a substance called Solanine. From previous studies done, Solanine should avoid being eaten at all cost. The two main reactions from eating it is vomiting and diarrhea. (Cooked potatoes are okay)
11. Fat Trimmings: Fat trimmings from meat both cooked and uncooked can cause your furry friend to  develop pancreatitis–and extremely painful stomach disease that humans can develop as well.
12. Apple Cores:  Now feeding your furry friend apple pieces (avoiding the core) is perfectly acceptable but avoid the core! This is because the seeds of an apple are actually quite toxic to your dog and could possible cause death.

It’s hard not to surrender to those eyes pleading for a taste of your leftovers. However, it is vital to your dog’s health that you know which “human foods” are safe and which ones are harmful.