A. Some foods which are edible for humans, and even other species
of animals, can pose hazards for dogs because of their different
metabolism. Some may cause only mild digestive upsets, whereas,
others can cause severe illness, and even death. The following
common food items should not be fed (intentionally or unintentionally)
to dogs. This list is, of course, incomplete because we can
not possibly list everything your dog should not eat.
Items to avoid
Reasons to avoid
Alcoholic beverages
Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.
Baby food
Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. (Please see onion below.) Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.
Cat food
Generally too high in protein and fats.
Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine
Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems.
Citrus oil extracts
Can cause vomiting.
Fat trimmings
Can cause pancreatitis.
Grapes and raisins
Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys. There have been no problems associated with grape seed extract.
Can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to the other organs including the liver and kidneys.
Large amounts of liver
Can cause Vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones.
Macadamia nuts
Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle.
Marijuana
Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate.
Milk and other dairy products
Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in diarrhea. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets.
Moldy or spoiled food, garbage
Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting and diarrhea and can also affect other organs.
Mushrooms
Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death.
Onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder)
Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs. Garlic is less toxic than onions.
Persimmons
Seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis.
Pits from peaches and plums
Can cause obstruction of the digestive tract.
Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems
Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. This is more of a problem in livestock.
Raw eggs
Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.
Raw fish
Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly.
Salt
If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances.
String
Can become trapped in the digestive system; called a "string foreign body."
Sugary foods
Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus.
Table scraps (in large amounts)
Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat; bones should not be fed.
Tobacco
Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.
Yeast dough
Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.
Live turtle retrieved from retriever's tummy
A palm-sized pet turtle and the golden retriever that gobbled it up
survived the misadventure thanks to the quick actions of a 12-year-old
girl, a veterinarian said.
The saga of Pepper the red-eared slider turtle and Bella the golden
retriever started last week. Shelby Terihay, 12, moved her pet pond
turtles indoors to protect them from a cold snap — a plan that
worked well until Bella found some of the turtles in a bathtub, The
Tampa Tribune reported.
A quick head count confirmed Bella had swallowed
one of the turtles. Shelby insisted on a rescue mission, and on the
advice of a vet, her parents made Bella vomit. Out came Pepper, still
alive despite a shattered shell and an estimated 10 minutes inside
Bella's belly.
"This was definitely a first for me," veterinarian David Thomassy
said.
Thomassy patched up Pepper's shell and credited Shelby with saving
Bella too.
"The turtle would definitely have caused an obstruction,"
Thomassy said. "Without cutting it out directly, it eventually
would have killed the dog."
Who says cats and dogs don’t get along?
Workers at the Meriden Humane Society are marveling at a short-haired
mother cat that has adopted a 6-day-old Rottweiler puppy that was
rejected by its mother.
The tiny pup, named Charlie by Humane Society volunteers, nurses
alongside a jumble of black and gray kittens recently born to Satin,
who was taken to the shelter by an owner unable to care for her.
Charlie’s mother was found by the side of the road in Meriden
a couple of months ago. She gave birth to two puppies, but one was stillborn.
As sometimes happens with a stillborn in the litter, the mother refused
to accept Charlie.
Volunteers bottle-fed him every two hours, but the effort was exhausting
for them and insufficient for the puppy, volunteer Chris Chorney said.
Research indicated that a suitable substitute could be Satin, who
had given birth to four kittens that have quickly warmed to Charlie.
“The kittens scrum up with him and the kittens treat him like
one of their own,” Chorney said. “There’s a certain
social benefit of small animals being with each other.”
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