10 Foods You Should Never Feed Your Dog

Sometimes it’s really difficult to say no to your dog – especially when he pins his bottomless brown eyes on you as you eat dinner. How can you deny that face? Well, in some cases you absolutely must turn your dog down. There are some foods that you should never feed your dog. Keep this list in mind the next time your pup points his puppy dog eyes at you. Now, you’ll know what is most dangerous to him. Keep in mind – these are only some of the foods your dog should never eat.

The Food You Should Never Feed Your Dog

1. Alcohol. You probably know not to give your pup alcoholic beverages, but we want to reiterate how harmful it can be for your dog. Alcohol has the same impact on a dog’s liver and brain that it does a human. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma, and even death.
2. Avocados. Some fruits and vegetables are completely okay for your dog to consume. Others are not so safe. Some say avocados are safe. Others say avocados are not. Some say just a little is fine. Bottom line, keep your pup away from avocados. This fruit has persin, a fungicidal toxin, which can cause serious health problems in many animals. The Merck Veterinary Manual says dogs are more resistant to persin than other animals, but it could still cause harm. Keep your pup away from avocados.
3. Candy, Chewing Gum, Toothpaste, and Mouthwash. Many of these foods contain xylitol, a sweetener that can cause insulin release in many species. An increase in insulin leads to hypoglycemia (lowered sugar levels). What this means practically for your pup: vomiting, lethargy, loss of coordination, and even seizures. These items are a no go for dog consumption. Some sweet treats also contain Xylitol, which can be deadly to dogs. One family had to suffer a tragic loss before learning this.
4. Chocolate, Coffee, and Caffeine. These three things speed your dog’s heart rate and stimulate the nervous system.  They contain methylxanthines which can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, seizures, and even death. Note: dark chocolate is more harmful than milk chocolate. The amount your dog ingested and your dog’s weight and these other factors determine how sick your dog may become.
   
5. Cooked Bones. We’ve told you about the potential dangers of consuming cooked meat bones. Bones are not as easily digestible. It’s not difficult to snap or splinter the bone into smaller pieces and/or jagged edges. This makes for a choking hazard for your dog. The bone could get stuck in your dog’s throat or even damage the gastrointestinal tract.
   
6. Onions and Leeks. These foods are particularly harmful to your pup. It doesn’t matter if they are cooked, raw, powdered or within other foods. They can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage. Cats are more susceptible to illness, but if a dog consumes enough of any of these foods, it can lead to negative consequences. As these are often an ingredient in a recipe, it’s important to keep an eye out for them.
   
7. Grapes and Raisins. These foods can be highly toxic to dogs. And for some reason, dogs are extremely attracted to the sweet fruit. In 2016, the Animal Poison Control Center received more than 3,700 calls involving grapes and raisins. Research has yet to prove why grapes and raisins are so potentially harmful to dogs. But we know this for certain: it is critical to get your dog treatment if you find that he consumed grapes or raisins.
8. Macadamia Nuts. Like grapes, there is no research to indicate why these nuts are so harmful to dogs. However, you must be vigilant if you have macadamia nuts near your pooch. They can be extremely toxic to your pup, causing weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors, and hyperthermia. These symptoms typically appear within 12 hours of ingestion and can last between 12 and 48 hours.
   
9. Raw/Uncooked Meat and Eggs. While raw diets are very popular and can be very healthy for your dogs, extreme care should be exercised, as these uncooked foods can have bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli which causes food poisoning. Have you ever had food poisoning? It’s not pleasant, and your dog can have similar uncomfortable symptoms like vomiting, fever and enlarged lymph nodes.
10. Salt and Salty Snack Foods. Large amounts of salt aren’t good for a human or dog diet. However, loads of salt is even more concerning for dogs. Eating lots of this mineral can lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of the disease include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, increased temperature, seizures, and even death. That means don’t share your potato chips or salted popcorn with your pup.

What To Do In Case Of An Emergency

If your dog consumes some of these unhealthy-for-dogs human foods, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center right away. There are risks with eating food that doesn’t mesh well with a dog’s biology, and you can’t treat the harmful effects at home.

Treatment varies depending on what your pup consumed, but oftentimes your vet will induce vomiting. 1800PetMeds explains some forms of treatment, “For pets that shouldn’t or can’t vomit, your veterinarian may give your pet an anesthetic to flush the stomach. Gastric flushing removes a large amount of material and removes materials that are slow to exit the stomach. Veterinarians will not use this technique with convulsing pets, or with pets that swallowed caustic materials such as bleach or petroleum products.”

You can’t be around your pup at all times, so you may not catch your dog in the act of eating something she shouldn’t. Your job is to notice any changes in your dog’s behavior. If she begins to show signs of lethargy, start vomiting, have loss of coordination, or the other symptoms we mentioned, take your dog to visit her doctor.