Many dog breeds are driven by their appetites, and there are many tasty foods that they enjoy. From begging at the dinner table to sharing your favorite snacks, it is tempting to share your food with your beloved canine companion.
However, there are a range of foods that can have harmful effects on a dog if they eat them. Here are three of the main foods harmful to dogs, that can even have fatal consequences in some cases. Check out Petdt for more detail.
Onions
Firstly, onions can cause anemia in all dog breeds. This is due to onions, garlic, and chives killing their red blood cells if eaten. In turn, this can lead to significant gastrointestinal illnesses. Onion powder is present in a range of food items, and it is important to avoid giving any of these to your dog.
Eating onions even once can lead to severe poisoning, especially if your dog has a sensitive stomach. In the long run, your dog can develop breathing problems, vomiting, and weakness as a result of eating onions, garlic, or chives in any form.
The signs of illness have been known to take several days to develop, and it is worth keeping a close eye on your dog if you suspect that they have eaten onions. Consider contacting your vet if you are concerned about your dog’s wellbeing.
As a general rule, anything within the onion family is toxic to most dogs. Garlic is also considered to be more toxic to dogs, so you should avoid giving your dog any food that has garlic or onions in.
Avocado
Another food that is harmful to dogs is avocado. They are known to contain persin, which is highly toxic if ingested. This is because dogs tend to have an allergic reaction to this. As a result, avocados can lead to vomiting and diarrhea if your dog eats a piece of avocado.
Dogs are also unlikely to know the parts of the avocado that are safe for them to eat, and which parts are not. Because of this, your dog can get the avocado seed stuck in their intestines or stomach. This can become very uncomfortable for them, and lead them to become very unwell.
Make sure you are also keeping your dog away from avocado trees in your backyard. Even if they cannot reach the fruit, the leaves, bark, and seeds can have fatal consequences for your dog. This is because of the presence of persin in all parts of the plant, and the severe reaction which should be avoided as much as possible.
Caffeine
Similarly, your dog can suffer from stomach problems if they eat or drink anything with caffeine in it. It is common knowledge that dogs cannot eat chocolate, because it can poison them. The caffeine and theobromine in dark chocolate has been linked to kidney failure, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, increased thirst, lethargy, and more serious problems.
As well as chocolate, other caffeinated substances should not be consumed by your dog. They may help themselves to your drink on the coffee table, but this should be discouraged as much as possible. This is because of the caffeine in tea, coffee, and other drinks that your dog should not have.
Drinks such as cola and cocoa should also be kept out of reach from your dog. If you think they have become lethargic after consuming something with caffeine, then you should contact your vets as soon as possible. There could be something more serious going on that we cannot easily detect.
Summary
For many of us, our dogs are an extension of our families. They are charming creatures that welcome us home and there is a mutual bond between them and us. It is only natural that you will want to share some of your food and drinks with them. However, this should be avoided as much as possible in order to protect your dog and their health.
Certain foods can be incredibly harmful for dogs, including any member of the onion family. It does not matter what form they are in, garlic, chives, and all onions can have severe consequences if eaten by your dog. Similarly, avocados should not be given to your dog, because they can suffer from stomach problems as a result.
Likewise, any food or drink with caffeine in should not be given to your dog. Make sure you are protecting your canine companion as much as possible, and that you are keeping a close eye on their diet.
