Foods Dogs Should Never Eat

It is tempting to share your food with a dog begging at the table. But many everyday foods can make dogs seriously ill. Here are seven to keep away from your dog.

1. Raw meat, raw eggs, raw bones

Raw meat and eggs can carry harmful bacteria. Raw eggs contain avidin, which reduces vitamin B absorption and can cause skin and coat problems. Raw bones can splinter and injure the digestive tract or damage teeth. Cook meat before feeding it.

2. Onions and garlic

Onions and garlic, in any form, damage red blood cells, reducing their ability to carry oxygen. This leads to weakness, vomiting, and breathing difficulty. It can be fatal. Never share garlic bread or food cooked with onion.

3. Chocolate, coffee, and caffeine

Chocolate contains theobromine; coffee and tea contain caffeine. In dogs, these cause vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, and death. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous.

4. Salty snacks

Large amounts of salt cause excessive thirst and urination, and can lead to sodium ion poisoning. Avoid feeding chips, salted biscuits, or other salty foods. Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors, and seizures.

5. Chewing gum and candy

Gum and candy can cause choking or intestinal blockages. Many sugar-free gums contain xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs and can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver damage.

6. Grapes, raisins, and nuts

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs, even in small amounts. Nuts, especially macadamia nuts, are high in fat and can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and pancreatitis.

7. Alcohol

Alcohol causes vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of coordination, breathing difficulty, tremors, and death in dogs. This includes alcohol in food, rubbing alcohol, and even hand sanitiser.