Dangerous Foods For Dogs

feature 1, almonds, Aujeszky’s Disease, avacado, bones, caffeine, candy, chocolate, garlic, grapes, hemolytic anemia, macadamia nuts, nuts, onions, persin, poison, Pseudorabies, raisins, raw pork, solanine, tomatoes, toxic, wine, xylitol - By Staff Writer on Thursday, June 24, 2010 - 11:27

Just about everyone knows chocolate can be lethal to dogs (if you want to know why read Why Chocolate is Toxic to Dogs) but do you know all the other people food that could potentially be dangerous to your pup?  Below is a list of dangerous people foods for dogs and how they could harm or even kill your pup. 

1.  Alcohol - It does not take a rocket scientist to know that alcohol is bad for dogs.  The ingestion of alcohol can lead to aggression and attacks and an overdose could lead to potentially lethal alcohol poisoning.  With the two main ingredients for wine and beer, hops and grapes, both poisonous to dogs, both forms of alcohol should be kept from dogs at all times.  Your dog drinking beer might seem funny at the time to your friends until you have to rush them to the hospital for liver failure.

2.  Avocados - The high fat content in avocados is just a minor problem for dogs, its the Persin that can kill.  Persin is a fungicidal toxin that can cause damage to your dogs heart and lungs.  A build up of the toxin will cause vomiting, diarrhea, fluid build up and could potentially kill your dog.  It is unknown the amounts that cause harm to dogs so it is best to avoid giving your dog avocados all together.

3. Caffeine - Like with humans caffeine affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems, only with dogs they are unable to metabolize the compound as easily as humans which can lead to serious illness and death.  If a dog ingests enough caffeine it could lead to caffeine poisoning and be potentially fatal if not addressed.  Dogs that have caffeine poisoning experience vomiting, increased urination, elevated heart rate, erratic behavior, fast breathing and seizures.   Any dog that ingests caffeine should be taken immediately to the vet.

4. Chocolate - Chocolate contains theobromine a compound that acts upon the cardiovascular system and the nervous system and when taken in sufficient amounts could cause chocolate poisoning or death.  Symptoms of chocolate poisoning are similar to caffeine poisoning,vomiting, elevated heart rate, erratic behavior, increased urination,  fast breathing and seizures.  While one M&M will likely not hurt a large dog, any chocolate is bad for dogs and should always be avoided.

5.  Cooked Bones - Bones can be a great source of vitamins and minerals for your dogs and a wonderful way to keep their teeth healthy as long as they are RAW.  Once bones are cooked their chemical structure breaks down and causes them to be come brittle and splinter. Any type of bone that is cooked can potentially be dangerous for dogs as the small pieces break and are ingested causing sharp objects in their intestinal tract which could puncture soft tissues.  If you want to give your dog a bone give them a raw bone and stick to beef bones that are not weight bearing bones as they are too hard and could break their teeth.

6.  Garlic and Onions - Both garlic and onions contain an enzyme thiosulphate which when ingested enters the blood stream and causes the oxidation of the hemoglobin in the blood.  This breaks down the red blood cells prematurely and can cause hemolytic anemia.  As your dog loses red blood cells it is not able to transport oxygen through its body and if serious enough and left untreated will likely die.  It is not certain what amount of onions and garlic can cause toxicity so any amount should be avoided if possible.  Giving dogs meat cooked in broth with onion would likely be ok for most dogs but the broth should be avoided and your vet should be consulted for any amount ingested over a seasoning amount.

7. Nuts - It is unclear exactly why nuts are harmful to dogs but beyond being simply difficult for a dog to digest nuts, many nuts contain chemicals that can cause serious damage to a dogs system.  Macadamia nuts are by far the most toxic with toxicity coming potentially from anaphylactic shock or potentially from a reaction to a protein in the nut either way dogs should avoid macadamia nuts at all costs.  Almonds are also highly toxic containing cyanide.  Because it is unclear as to the cause of the reaction to nuts in dogs, all nuts should be avoided.

8. Raisins and Grapes - Typically raisin and grape toxicity comes from large quantities of the fruit being ingested so one raisin or grape will likely not harm your dog.  However, ingestion of the fruits can cause kidney failure in dogs.  It is still unknown as to what compound causes renal failure but it has been found that it does not matter what type of grape or raisin the dog eats or what form they are in.  Grape and raisin toxicity will display as vomiting, weakness, increased drinking and abdominal pain. If a dog is suspected to have eaten grapes or raisins they should be taken to the vet immediately for a blood test before they go into renal or kidney failure.

9. Raw Pork/Un-frozen - Pigs are natural hosts for Aujeszky’s Disease or Pseudorabies.  While it is most often seen in farm dogs with direct contact with swine, the disease can be transmitted through raw pork. Both freezing and cooking can kill the disease and meat should be frozen at least 3 weeks prior to raw feeding.  If it is unknown if the pork was frozen you should freeze it yourself or avoid feeding it raw.  Pesudorabies causes symptoms much like real rabies, vomiting, self mutilation, itching, difficulty walking, behavioral changes, increased excessive salivation, coma and often death.

10. Tomato Plants - While the actual tomato is not dangerous to dogs, the plant can be lethal.  Tomato plants contain Solanine which in large doses can be toxic.  Solanine is part of the tomato plants natural defense mechanism and is present in vines, leaves and stems.  Solanine toxicity will cause hypersalivation, stomach pain, vomiting, slowed heart rate and dilated pupils. 

11. Xylitol - This product is present in many sugar free candies and gum and is extremely toxic to dogs.  The compound works quickly after ingestion and causes depression, loss of coordination and seizures which could lead to liver failure and death.  Dogs should avoid all candy and gum.

If you think your dog has eaten any of these you should call the ASPCA Poison Control Immediately (888) 426-4435 or rush your dog to the closest vet.