There’s dog food and there’s people food — but that line can get pretty blurry in most of our homes.
Our dogs lick our plates, get fed scraps, are given treats from our refrigerators, and when all else fails, are usually pretty resourceful about zeroing in on a dropped crumb or piece of whatever on the floor.
And while there are some foods we all know can be harmful to our pets (think chocolate!), the list below contains a few that may surprise you:
- Onions: They can damage a dog’s red blood cells, which causes the dog to become weak. If large amounts of onions are eaten, the dog may even require a blood transfusion.
- Macadamia Nuts: These are toxic to dogs, causing weakness — especially in the hind legs — along with vomiting, tremors and hypothermia.
- Sugarless Gum: This is one of many products that may contain xylitol, a sweetener (candy, toothpaste and baked goods may also contain it). It can cause a release of insulin, which could ultimately lead to liver failure.
- Salt: Ever heard of sodium poisoning? It’s possible if your dog consumes too many salty foods. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, fever and seizures.
- Yeast dough: Yeast dough can cause the stomach or intestines in your dog to rupture if he eats enough of it. Think of the yeast as rising inside your dog and causing an accumulation of gas. Cooked dough is less dangerous because the yeast has already risen.
- Grapes and raisins: Too many of these fruits can cause kidney failure.
- Avocados: A stomach ache is the least of the problems caused by avocados. They can also lead to difficulty breathing and fluid in the chest. Most dangerous part of the avocado for dogs? The pit.
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Apple Cores: The core of an apple contains cyanide — yes, you read that right. Dogs can develop dizziness, shortness of breath, seizures, and coma from eating the core.
- Alcohol: It’s never a good idea to give your pets alcohol. Ingesting alcohol can cause your dog to have vomiting, diarrhea, depression of the central nervous system, coma and death
- Chocolate and Coffee: These foods contain methylxanthines, found in the cacao seeds. Ingesting this can make your dog extremely sick, including vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures and death.
Has your dog ever gotten sick from eating people food? Let us know in the comments section below.
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