Foods That You Probably Didn’t Know are Harmful to Dogs

Dogs are said to be a man’s best friend, and no one wants to harm their best friend. This is why you need to be extremely careful when giving food to your dog. You might be giving your dog food that is extremely bad for its health and you might not know it.

This is why it’s important to do your research so that you are well aware of what your dog can eat and what can cause your dog health issues ranging from vomiting to destroying body functions.

Chocolate

Chocolate is commonly known as being a type of food that your pet should not be ingesting. However, there are still people out there that are unaware of the risk chocolate poses on their canine friend. This is because chocolate has a substance that dogs cannot metabolize. A small amount of this substance can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, while excess amounts can lead to vicious symptoms including seizures, internal bleeding, and an irregular heartbeat to name a few.

Potatoes

Various dog food brands contain potatoes, however, eating them can harm your dog’s health. Potatoes are not good for your dog to eat because they are part of the nightshade family of plants, which are not good for your dog’s health. To avoid health issues caused by potatoes in your dog’s diet, you need to remove potatoes from your dog food completely. You can do so by looking for different dog food brands that do not contain potatoes in the ingredients listed.

Gum

Gum and other types of candy for that matter contain a substance called xylitol which is used as a sweetener. While xylitol is not harmful to humans, it can prove to be fatal for your dog. Eating gum or sweets can result in liver failure and seizures, which is an experience you do not want your dog to go through at any point.

Avocado

Avocado is not as lethal as other foods listed here, but it can give your dog an upset stomach or cause diarrhea, and vomiting. Although many people love avocados, it might be a good idea to keep this food away from your pet.

Caffeine

Just like when humans have caffeine, a dog’s heart starts beating faster. However, unlike the positive effect that caffeine can have on humans, the effect of caffeine on dogs is decidedly negative. Consuming caffeine can be a cause of death if ingested by a dog.

Onions

Onions have a toxin that affects a dog’s red blood cells and it can lead to these cells being ruptured. This toxin can also be the cause of poisoning with symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and oral irritation. Recently, studies have shown that even cooking an onion does not lessen the horrible effect it has on a dog, so it is best to avoid it.

Grapes

This food is quite toxic to your pet. Any ingestion of grapes, or raisins, can cause acute kidney failure. It is best to keep grapes as far away from your canine friend as possible if you do not want it to deal with painful health complications.

Now that you know some of the foods that can be very harmful to your dog, you can take the necessary precautions to keep it away from them. If you are unsure of how the food you have is going to affect your dog, then it is better to conduct your research first. This will help you avoid being the cause of your dog getting poisoned or developing various health issues.