Toxic Foods For Dogs

With so many different toxic foods for dogs it can be hard for you to track and take note of every one. It is especially difficult when it is everyday foods you may eat and you see those big puppy eyes starring up at you whilst sitting at the dinner table or simply having a snack on the couch. So to help you out, there is a list below of the many foods that you and I eat which can be toxic to our little four legged friends.

Chocolate, Cocoa

One of the most well known toxic foods for dogs is Chocolate. However when it comes to chocolate, some forms are worse than others for your little adorable friend. Dark chocolate is the most harmful to your dog followed by milk chocolate and finally white chocolate. Chocolate can cause your dog to suffer from symptoms such as:

vomiting
diarrhea
muscle twitches
hyperactive behaviour
frequent urinating
seizures (extreme cases)

Obviously not many of those should be taken lightly and does not make it ok to give your pup white chocolate because it is the least harmful.

Of course the effects of chocolate are different as it depends on how much your dog has eaten and how much they weigh. The reasoning for this is that chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine. These two ingredients can have a harmful effect on your dog’s heart and central nervous system so it is best to avoid giving your dog chocolate all together.

Caffeine

Caffeine poisoning in dogs usually relates to chocolate products, however caffeine is included in many other products that your dog should not consume. These can include:

coffee
cola drinks
sports drinks
energy drinks
cold treatments
tea
some pain killers
cocoa
chocolate

Onions

Onions is one of the toxic foods for dogs you definitely want to avoid. Yes that means no more left over spaghetti if it contains onions! Onions can cause your dog to suffer from Haemolytic Anaemia. This is where your pooch’s red blood cells breakdown within their body. This is due to onions containing an ingredient called Thiosulphate.

If your dog does consume onions it is likely that they will suffer from:

vomiting
diarrhea
appear weak
inappetence (diminished appetite)
appear dull and not themselves

Red blood cells have the job of carrying oxygen throughout their body so when these have been damaged, your dog may have labored breathing and suffer from breathlessness. Also the burst blood cells within your dog’s body are likely to appear as staining (the appearance of blood) in their urine. Obviously feeding onions to your dog is definitely not worth the consequences so be careful with foods that may contain onions such as pizza, some pasta meals, Asian dishes etc...

Garlic

Similar to onions, garlic also contains the toxic ingredient of Thiosulphate which causes Haemolytic Anaemia in dogs. The difference between the two foods is that your dog would have to eat a lot more garlic to have it be toxic and cause problems. But in saying this it is also best to avoid giving your dog any amount of garlic.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts have been found in some cases to cause tremors in the muscles of dogs, general weakness and even paralysis in their hindquarters (back legs). The exact ingredient within the nuts that causes this in dogs is unknown to date.

Again it's best to be safe and avoid giving your pooch macadamia nuts as well as making sure they don't have any access to them.

Raisins & Grapes

These toxic foods for dogs may be a surprise as they are generally not well known to cause illness in dogs. If your dog does consume even just a handful of raisins or grapes, it can make them very sick. Symptoms of Raisin and Grape toxicity in your dog can include:

vomiting
diarrhea
hyperactive behaviour
lethargy
inappetence (diminished appetite)
abdominal pain

In severe cases your dog can develop acute renal (kidney) failure with the body not being able to produce urine effectively. It isn't understood yet why some dogs develop such severe symptoms but it is recommended that you don't let your dog eat these foods or have access to them.

Avocado

Avocado contains an ingredient called Persin which can be toxic to your dog. This is another food that can cause gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting and diarrhea. This usually occurs when your dog ingests a large amount of the plant whether it's the branches or the fruit of this plant.

Some Chewing Gums and Candies

In recent studies it has been found that some sugar free chewing gum, candy and other such products contain an ingredient called Xylitol, which is a sweetener that can be quite harmful to your dog.

If you pooch digests enough of this ingredient it has been known to drop their blood glucose levels causing lethargy, loss of consciousness and seizures.

It is important that if any of the toxic foods for dogs are consumed, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Effects of some of these foods can occur rapidly in many dogs (especially the smaller dogs and puppies). In our experience it is best to avoid giving your dog anything you’re not sure about, especially foods that contain any of the ingredients listed above.