There are few things in the world that are more difficult to resist than your beloved dog giving you the “sad eyes,” and begging for whatever it is you might be cooking or eating. While it might seem ok to share a scrap of food, here and there, when your dog gives you this guilt trip, it is imperative that you know which foods are ok to share, and which ones can be very harmful to them. After all, they won’t know the difference; they just love begging for food. As a responsible dog owner, here are the things you absolutely must not let them eat:
10. Lemons & Limes — To start off, good luck with getting your furry friend to even get near a lemon; there are plenty of hilarious videos on the internet about dogs showing their disgust for them. Regardless, consuming any part of a lemon or lime — from the rind to the flesh to the juice — is very toxic for dogs. The psoralen compounds and the aromatic oils contained in both of these citrus-heavy fruits are poisonous to canines. If your dog happens to consume either of these fruits, he or she might experience side effects like diarrhea, throwing up and even unusual light sensitivity. It’s better to keep your dog away from consuming any citrus-rich fruits (including oranges), but especially these two.
9. Mushrooms — Many people find mushrooms delicious because of their combination of “meaty” textures and earthy tastes, while still being vegetarian. If you happen to be one of them, keep your enjoyment to yourself, and don’t share them with your four-legged friend. Depending on the type of mushroom and/or the amount consume, they can cause a toxic reaction in dogs, to sometimes even fatal ones. Many mushrooms contain multiple compounds that react adversely when consumed by dogs. If your dog happens to consume one of them, you might figure it out because of the abdominal pain, seizures, hallucinations, depression, vomiting, and diarrhea they might endure.
8. Bacon — To many people, bacon may be one of the greatest foods on Earth. So, naturally, if they have a canine best friend, they often feel the need to share this delicious treat. But even though bacon is a cut of pork, it’s one meat item you should entirely avoid giving your dog. The saturated fat content of pork belly — which bacon is made from — is too rich and dense. Consuming fats of this type can lead to pancreatitis in dogs. Further, most cheap cuts of bacon from the supermarket are filled with preservatives, which can cause damage to a dog’s intestines.
7. Salty Snacks — Even though it might be a favorite pastime for you and the dog to sit down on the couch and watch the game on television, if you happen to be indulging on a few salty snacks while watching the game, make sure there isn’t any “one for me, one for the dog” taking place. Snacks like chips and pretzels are loaded with salt, which will make them very thirsty. While that might not sound like a big deal, if they drink too much water to offset the salt, that’ll result in excess urination, which could lead to imbalances in their sodium ion levels. Believe it or not, an imbalance in their internal sodium levels can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, high temperature, and even seizures.
6. Peaches and Plums — These two “offspring” of the Prunus family of fruit trees. The most important thing to know, in relation to dogs, is that the pit for these fruits can be very harmful. As humans, we obviously know that you’re supposed to eat the delicious frut and avoid the pit. But, our canine friends don’t know that. The pits of these fruits can be rough and tough, doing a number on the intestines of a dog. Further, these pits do have traces of cyanide, which as you might guess, can be lethal to dogs (as well as humans). Keep these two summer fruits away from your furry friends at all costs.
5. Macadamia Nuts — These delicious tropical nuts are a big-time no-no, as far as sharing with your canine buddy. It’s not 100% clear why Macadamia nuts are poisonous for dogs, but it’s unquestionably one of the worst things they can consume. Even consuming just one gram’s worth of Macadamia nuts can lead to vomiting, stomach pain, fever, joint pain, ataxia (loss of coordination), or tremors. Point being, they’re just not worth giving to your dog.
4. Chicken Bones — If you’ve just enjoyed a mouth-watering roast chicken or fried chicken dinner, and feel like you want your dog buddy to savor some of what you got to enjoy, please make sure you do not give them the chicken bones. While most people think that Most people think that, because dogs love chewing on bones, why not let them enjoy chicken bones, they are extremely dangerous for dogs. When dogs chew on bones, they often consume the byproducts they rip off the bones. Chicken bones are more brittle and easy to break, and the shards broken off by a dog’s teeth can severely damage, if not puncture their mouths or internal organs. Do everyone a favor and just throw away these bones.
3. Grapes and Raisins — Many parenting blogs suggest feeding children frozen grapes, in lieu of candy or other sugary treats. But this advice should definitely be not applied to your dog. Grapes and raisins are highly toxic for dogs, and could lead to severe kidney damage for them. There’s something about the flesh of this fruit that leads to bad things for dogs. So, while we don’t know what exactly causes these issues, we know for a fact that they should be totally off limits for our dogs.
2. Caffeinated Beverages — While most people can’t make it through the day without their morning cup of joe or their afternoon carbonated beverage or energy drink, there is absolutely no reason to extend any of these “pick me ups” to your dog. The increased heart rate that caffeine causes can be fatal for dogs; it just causes a massive “system overload? for them. If you believe that they might have consumed something caffeinated, watch for restlessness, or excessive breathing or muscle twitches.
1. Alcohol — Many pet owners share humorous anecdotes of leaving their beer or cocktail on the table, only to result in the dog consuming said beverage. While this might seem funny in theory, the effects of alcohol on a dog’s brain are only compounded, when compared to the effects on your human brain. A little alcohol shouldn’t cause too many problems, but depending on the volume they consume, they can have many of the same issues we have when we drink too much — like vomiting and coordination issues — but dogs can also suffer from breathing problems, and possibly even slip into a coma. So, no booze for Fido!
