12 foods you didn't know could kill your dog
1. Grapes
Grapes are a simple healthy snack for humans, but they are toxic to dogs. Eating them can make your pooch vomit or lose his appetite. If your dog shows signs of diarrhea, abdominal pain, depression, or tremors, his kidneys could be failing. And yes, raisins are just as bad.
2. Onions
Cooked or raw, onions contain thiosulphate, a substance that causes your dog’s red blood cells to burst in a condition called hemolytic anemia. Symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, breathlessness, and lethargy; it could take two to four days for them to become noticeable. You also put your dog at risk if you give her certain foods that are made with onions, like pizza or tomato sauce, which could trigger the same reaction.
3. Coffee and tea
These drinks—and really any form of caffeine—can give animals hypertension, abnormal heart rhythms, hyperthermia (increased body temperature), and seizures. A few laps of spilled coffee won’t poison your dog, but ingesting moderate amounts of coffee grounds and tea bags can kill small dogs.
4. Lollies
Keep the candy bowl far away from your dog. Eating significant amounts of sugary, high-fat sweets can give dogs pancreatitis, even though symptoms may not show for two to four days. Look out for decreased appetite, diarrhoea, lethargy, and abdominal pain.
5. Any kind of chocolate
Chocolate is the worst kind of candy your dog can eat because it contains theobromine, a substance similar to caffeine. Baking and dark chocolates have the highest levels of theobromine, but milk and white chocolate are also harmful to dogs. As with caffeine, symptoms of chocolate poisoning include high blood pressure, tremors, and seizures.
6. Fatty trimmings and cooked bones
Don’t scrape leftovers from your steak dinner into the dog bowl. Not only can fat trimmings lead to obesity – it doesn’t take many extra calories for small dogs to become obese – but they also contribute to pancreatitis. Severe cases can result in a blood infection and internal bleeding. Small bones, like those found in meat, are a choking hazard, and they can splinter and tear into a dog’s throat or intestines. If your dog wants a bone, make sure it’s a raw one.
7. Peaches
The flesh of a peach is a great source of fiber and vitamin A, but the pit contains cyanide. Cyanide interferes with cellular oxygen transport, preventing your dog’s blood cells from getting the right amount of oxygen. Signs of cyanide poisoning include dilated pupils, red gums, and difficulty breathing. Other pitted fruits like cherries and plums pose the same problem. Be sure to cut the fruit into small pieces before feeding your dog.
8. Raw fish
Eating raw fish regularly can cause a vitamin B deficiency, which could be accompanied by seizures. The most toxic fish for dogs are salmon and trout. Raw salmon can host parasites infected with a bacteria called Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which can be fatal if not treated properly.
9. Raw meat
Raw meat is a controversial topic for pet owners. It’s a great source of protein, but it does carry the risk of microbes and parasites like E. coli or, in raw poultry, salmonella. If you do give raw meat to your dog, buy the highest quality possible and keep all ingredients fresh.
10. Salt
Your dog could experience vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst or urination, potential injury to the kidneys, and even death as a result of salt poisoning. Be on the lookout for sources of salt in places other than your kitchen, like rock salt for de-icing products, table salt, paint balls, and sea water.
11. Dairy products
Just like their owners, some dogs can be lactose intolerant. They happily drink their mothers’ milk as pups, but most dogs can’t produce enough enzymes to digest the lactose in milk once they become adults. Too much milk can mean diarrhoea and vomiting. Cheese contains less lactose than milk, so small nibbles are safe for many dogs to eat as long as the cheese is low in fat and sodium.
12. Bacon
We’re as surprised as you are about this one. The high fat and sodium content put your dog at risk for pancreatitis, high blood pressure, obesity, and bowel cancer. But if you pet is begging for some of your breakfast, it’s safe to slip it small bits of low-fat, low-sodium bacon. This is the kind dog food manufacturers use in their products.
This article originally appeared on Reader's Digest.
Image: Getty