21 Human ­Foods That Can Kill Your Dog

You are sitting in front of the TV with all your favourite yumminess on one plate. Your best buddy, your fluffiest darling fur-friend runs in panting and places his head on the couch.  There is something irresistible when your pup gives you the eye when you are eating, and you say– “Aaaaaaa are you hungry boy/girl?”
And proceed to share your plate because that’s what best buds do, right? Well, perhaps not. Here are 21 Human Foods That Can Kill your Dog:

 

 

1) XYLITOL

 

 

Sweets, chewing-gum, toothpaste, baked goods, and some diet foods are sweetened with xylitol.

 

The Problem

 

Xylitol can cause your dog’s blood sugar to dip, as well as cause liver failure. Some symptoms can include vomiting, stupor, and coordination problems. In due course, your dog may have seizures and liver failure can happen within just a few days.

 

 

2)    AVOCADO

 

 

Whether you have an avo tree in your garden or you feed your pup from your plate. Avo is no-no.

 

The Problem

 

Avocados, contain persin. Too much persin can be poisonous to dogs. Persin is in the leaves, seeds, bark, and traces can be found in the fruit itself.

 

3)    ALCOHOL

 

 

 

No brainer, right? Well, apparently people think it is funny to feed their dogs alcohol or “just a few sips of beer”.

 

The Problem

 

Alcohol affects a dog’s liver and brain the same way it does humans. But it takes a lot less to harm your dog. Just a few licks of beer, liquor, wine, or food cooked in alcohol can be detrimental to your dog. Symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, coordination difficulties, breathing complications and even coma or death have been associated with alcohol poisoning.

 

 

4)    ONION AND GARLIC

 

 

Onion and garlic in any form, whether powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated, must be kept well out of you fur-bud’s paws. And not just because it hampers fresh breath…

 

The Problem

 

Onion and garlic in whatever form kill red blood cells. In mild cases it causes anaemia. Worst case scenario it can cause poisoning. Symptoms of which may include weakness, vomiting and strained breathing. Look for signs like weakness, vomiting, and breathing complications. Even a little bit of onion powder in baby/toddler purees can be harmful to your pup. Rather avoid it – even if some say it is okay in small doses.

 

 

5)    COFFEE, TEA, CAFFEINE

 

Coffee (beans or ground), tea, cocoa, colas, energy drinks, cold medicine and even painkillers may contain caffeine and must NEVER be given to your dogs or be accessible for your dog to pinch out of the pantry.

 

The Problem

 

Caffeine can be fatal to your pooch. Signs like unexplained restlessness, fast breathing or unexplained panting, and muscle twitches can indicate caffeine poisoning. And certainly, warrants immediate veterinary attention. Keep your dog’s favourite cuppa – a cuppa pellets instead.

 

 

6)    GRAPES AND RAISINS

 

Now, surprisingly dogs are the worst enablers – they love grapes and raisins. But there are better treats for dogs. You wouldn’t light a cigarette and place it in a baby’s mouth, would you? Even if they “loved” it.

 

The Problem

 

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. And even a tiny amount can make a dog sick. Continuous vomiting is an early warning sign. Within several hours to a day, your dog will get lethargic and depressed.

 

 

7)    MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS

 

It’s another scorcher in sunny South Africa and you think ice-cream is in order. Great for you (unless you are lactose intolerant – sorry neh – ice-lolly for you). You enjoy this yumminess and then Lassie comes and begs a lick. DON’T; it’s a trap. Rather give your pooch an ice-cube to suck.

 

The Problem

 

Milk and milk-based products can cause diarrhoea and other digestive complications for your fur-kid and it can trigger skin irritations. So, for the comfort of your pup and your carpets, stick to those ice-cubes.

 

 

8)    MACADAMIA NUTS

 

 

Most people go nuts for nuts (even if they are allergic). But nuts, particularly macadamia nuts are
super bad for your pooch.

The Problem

 

Whether its raw, roasted or in food, macadamia nuts can make your dog extremely ill. Seizures, vomiting, weakened hind legs, heightened temperature and muscle shakes can occur. So nut a good idea.

 

 

9)    CHOCOLATE

 

YOU KNEW IT! When you saw the title of the blog, chocolate was on your mind. Oreos’ most educational advert ever includes the “Chocolate, isn’t good for dogs; but you can have the rest of my milk” phrase. But still people feed their pups chocolates. As in seriously!

 

The Problem

 

So, chocolate’s evil ingredient is theobromine. An evilness that is present in all chocolate – even white (which some people say isn’t chocolate at all). The darker the chocolate, however the more dangerous it is for dogs. Some of the symptoms from chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, heart problems, tremors, seizures and death.

 

 

10)  FAT TRIMMINGS AND BONES

 

Picking off the bacon or biltong fat for your Beethoven? Giving your Pluto or Bella… rib, chicken or soup bones? It’s tempting when you see those glossy eyes, and continuous licking of their chops. But fat trimmings and/or bones are terrible treats for your dogs.

 

The Problem

 

Excessive fat => obesity, pancreatic deterioration, insulin resistance, hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, increased inflammatory mediators, cardiovascular changes, reduced longevity and renal pathology.

And even if there or so many sayings about dogs and bones and how they love it, vets see way too many doggies for surgery etc. because of bones. They splinter and cut, block and obstruct, cause choking and perforations in their digestive system and are just not a good idea.

 

 

11)  PEACHES, NECTARINES AND PLUMS

 

Sweets-as-peaches? Not the pips.

 

The Problem

 

The seeds or pips can wreak havoc with your dog’s small intestine. Blockages are a concern but even more dangerous is the fact that the pips contain cyanide. Humans know not to eat pips, but doggies don’t.

 

 

12)  RAW EGGS

 

Some people feed their dogs a “raw diet” that includes unprepared eggs. According to many acclaimed vets and associations raw eggs shouldn’t be fed to dogs.

The Problem

 

Like raw meat and fish, eggs can have bacteria that causes food poisoning. It’s curable, if you consult your vet asap. Early symptoms may include vomiting, fever, and enlarged lymph nodes. Not feeding your dogs raw eggs, is an egg-cellent idea.

 

 

13)  SALT

 

 

Nobody would chuck a handful of salt in their hands and make their pooch lick it up. But maybe a bit of chips here, some pretzels there and so the story goes.

The Problem

 

It’s not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, tremors, high temperature, and seizures. It may even cause death (like all the other of the items mentioned in this blog).

 

14)  HIGH SUGAR ITEMS AND DRINKS

 

Just like humans, too much sugar in a dog’s diet is a big no-no. No sugar lumps. No high sugar drinks. Just keep it strictly dog friendly.

 

The Problem

 

Sugar can cause your pup to be overweight; under 10) – all the complications of obesity are listed. But on top of it all, sugar can harm your doggie’s teeth (eeeew – serious puppy halitosis). And there’s nothing sweet about that.

 

15)  YEAST DOUGH

Have you ever bought dough from the Supermarket and it is all puffy? Or maybe you make your own. The point is – it starts off little and then puffs up like a blow fish on steroids.

 

The Problem

 

The blowfish action is exactly the problem for your dog. As it swells inside the belly, the dough can stretch your dog’s abdomen and cause a lot of discomfort. Likewise, when the yeast ferments, the dough to make it rise, “makes” alcohol. This can lead to alcohol poisoning. You read the booze issues in 3).

 

16)  YOUR MEDICINE

 

 

Your pooch hurt his/her foot. So, you think I’ll give him a painkiller in a “worsie”. Don’t do it. Unless your vet gives you the go ahead – DON’T GIVE YOUR DOGS YOUR MEDICATION. Also, don’t have the medication in their reach.

The Problem

 

Your meds can make your fur-baby very sick. Never give your dog any over-the-counter medicine (unless it is a specific instruction from a TRUSTED local vet) or anything chronically prescribed either – even if it is “herbal”!

Ingredients like acetaminophen or ibuprofen are common in pain relievers etc. And, are a deadly cocktail for your dog.

 

 

 

17) ITEMS COMMONLY FOUND IN YOUR KITCHEN PANTRY

 

 

Common items found in a kitchen or pantry can be harmful to your dog. Baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and other spices are highly toxic for doggies.

 

The Problem

 

Death of your loved one.

 

 

18) MIELIES

 

 

Mielies or Corn-on-the-cob to the rest of the world. A yummy sweet treat for your buddy after a lekker braai? Perhaps not.

The Problem

 

Unlike most vegetables mielies don’t digest well in your doggy’s stomach. Soooo – large chunks usually move towards the intestines and due to the shape and size are the perfect obstruction vehicle => hello, intestinal blockage. Signs to look out for: vomiting, loss of appetite or reduced appetite, absence of faeces or diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort.

 

 

19) BLUE CHEESE

 

 

If your Winston, George or Churchill is a cheese connoisseur, send him/her to rehab. Blue cheese, particularly Stilton and Roquefort are toxic to dogs.

 

The Problem

 

In general, like milk, cheeses contain enzymes that your pampered pooch struggle to breakdown and digest; and consuming large amounts of higher fat varieties can cause sickness and diarrhoea.

BUT, blue cheeses, such as Stilton and Roquefort, are particularly perilous. They contain a substance called “Roquefortine C”, which pups are especially sensitive to. This evil ingredient may cause vomiting, diarrhoea and possibly tremors, involuntary twitching, seizures and high temperature, if eaten in large enough quantities.

 

 

19) APPLE CORES

 

 

When last did you eat an apple core? Never? Well, your dog shouldn’t either because it is even more detrimental to his/health than yours. So, don’t leave your apple core lying around.

 

The Problem

 

The seeds in the apple core contain cyanide. Some of the symptoms that come from ingesting cyanide, includes faintness, troubled breathing, seizures, collapsing, hyperventilation, shock and even coma and death.

 

 

 

21) BACON

 

 

“COME ON!  Bacon fat – yes. Now poor old bacon too! Ruff will think I hate his soul.”

 

The Problem

 

It’s absolutely tragic; still a no-no though – sorry. Bacon is naturally high in fat, which can lead to pancreatitis, which basically means the dog’s pancreas inflames and stops functioning. This means digestive problems for your pup and the serious inability to absorb nutrients. I know it’s baconing your heart… but more deliciousness for you.

 

 

Now you know at least 21 things that your fur-half shouldn’t be eating, 21 Human Foods That Can Kill Your Dog. Now you can make sure that your best bud truly lives the life he or she deserves.

 

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