Some people food can be toxic to dogs. Many of us dog owners have experienced an accidental dog poisoning when we fed our pets a people food they shouldn’t eat. What a frightening event that is, worrying about the recovery of a beloved pet, not to mention the guilt we may feel if the poisoning could have been avoided. Then we face the concern of what might have caused the poisoning and if more people food toxic to dogs lie waiting in our homes.
Help Your Dog Avoid Toxic People Food
Perhaps it’s time to take stock of your home and belongings, so you can protect your pets. As I researched information for this article, some of the foods surprised me, and I would never have thought to keep them away from my dog.
Good RX posted a full list of people food that can be toxic to dogs. For example, did you know that ice cream is a people food that dogs should not eat? Dogs cannot process the lactose in ice cream and other dairy products. If a dog ingests ice cream, it may react badly with vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain or even pancreatitis.
Murphy’s Toxic People Food Experience
Our dog, Murphy’s most favorite activity is a short car ride with my husband to Culver’s for a “pup cup.” After a few years of these weekly trips, Murphy ate his pup cup ice cream, came home and promptly vomited all over the living room.
The next time Murphy “tossed his cookies” after eating a pup cup, he did so all over our car. That prompted immediate research, we learned that ice cream is a people food toxic to dogs.
Chocolate: This People Food Toxic to Dogs
Theobromine, an ingredient in chocolate, poisons dogs! The worst offenders are dark chocolate and unsweetened, baking chocolate. Ingesting chocolate can cause vomiting, seizures, heart problems and even death. The smaller the dog, the more serious the symptoms.
While it isn’t our normal thought of food, watch out for chocolate mulch used in landscaping yards. Dogs like the fragrance and will try to snack on it.
Xylitol in People Food Can Be Toxic to Dogs
I often refer to Xylitol as a hidden ingredient, because we find it in foods we’d never expect. By now, most of us have read or heard that we should never leave sugar-free gum or mints where a dog could reach it (That includes women’s handbags). If the dog can smell the food inside, a zipper won’t stop him.
Did you know that some of the new flavored bottled waters contain Xylitol as a sweetener? Always read the label before buying! Xylitol may also be included in some peanut butter brands. Watch out for candy and toothpaste, as well. And here’s the secret: Xylitol is now being sold as “birch sugar.” Don’t be fooled!
Reactions in a dog consuming Xylitol include vomiting, lethargy, seizures, liver failure and even death.
Various Fruits Are Toxic to Dogs
While both grapes and raisins are commonly known as people foods that can be toxic to dogs, other fruit varieties also cause issues. For example, apricot, peach and plum pits are toxic to dogs.
The stems, leaves, and pits of cherries contain cyanide. Dogs definitely want to avoid those.
Milk & Other Dairy Products Can Be Toxic to Dogs
Dairy products consumed by dogs may trigger food allergies or cause digestive issues. As mentioned earlier, we learned this the hard way with our Murphy when, after enjoying ice cream pup cups weekly for several years, he began vomiting soon after eating them. Avoid all dairy products and protect your pets.
Alcohol: A Dog Killer
Think back to your youth! Did you ever see some Bozo allowing a dog to drink from a glass of leftover booze? Guys being guys, thought it would be funny to see a dog stumbling around drunk. I never witnessed that, but heard the stories.
Alcohol, a people food that can be toxic to dogs, negatively affects the liver and the brain. It causes vomiting, diarrhea, lack of coordination, coma and even death – depending on the amount of alcohol consumed, as well as the size of the dog.
Members of the Allium Plant Family Product Toxic Results in Dogs
Onions and garlic, both toxic to dogs, are members of the allium plant family. This includes onion flakes, chives and leeks, as well as garlic cloves.
To avoid these ingredients, you must read labels! Both of the plant forms can be found in unexpected foods, even commercial baby foods. I remember feeding my Great Danes baby food meats years ago and never read the ingredients. Instead, I just assumed that baby food wouldn’t include anything dangerous for dogs. Onions and garlic can kill red blood cells in dogs, causing anemia.
Symptoms of poisoning from onions or garlic include vomiting, weakness and breathing problems.
Salt Could Poison Your Dog
Dogs love salt. However, it makes them very thirsty, causing them to drink a lot of water. All that water can lead to sodium ion poisoning.
This type of poison causes vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, tremors and seizures.
Say No to Nuts!
Some varieties of nuts are safe for pets to eat. However, others could be very toxic. Macadamia nuts are one example of a people food that can be toxic to dogs. Consuming just a few macadamia nuts can cause extreme illness in a dog. Almonds also cause toxic reactions in dogs. Don’t risk it! Keep those nuts away from your dog.
Uncooked Yeast Dough, a People Food Toxic to Dogs
Having spent many years of my life with Great Danes as my fur-babies, one of my greatest fears was bloat in such a large dog. Never in a million years did I expect to learn that bread dough rising on a counter could cause the same problem in any dog!
Yet uncooked yeast dough swells in an animal’s abdomen and will kill the dog. When a dog “bloats,” the stomach actually twists and creates a life-threatening situation requiring immediate surgery.
Another problem arises when the uncooked yeast ferments in the dough and produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. A dog eating the dough could experience alcohol poisoning.
Cooked Bones from People Food Can Be Toxic to Dogs
When I was a kid, my Mother would always feed leftovers to our dog, and Suzy gobbled them up. This included pork chop bones and any kind of beef bones. Fortunately, since this could have presented a toxic event for Suzy, she never choked on those bones.
Cooked bones will splinter and break, leaving extremely sharp pieces which could cause major gastro-intestinal injuries in dogs. If you watch a dog chew on a bone, he holds it between his front paws and uses the back sides of his teeth to cut into the bone. This means broken teeth are bound to occur at some point.
It’s much safer to never give cooked bones to dogs!
Protect Your Dog from Dangerous People Foods
While this article includes only a few of the people foods that can be toxic to dogs, it’s enough to make every pet owner aware of such dangers. There are many more such foods – like rhubarb, avocados, coffee and other caffeinated drinks – that it pays to read the ingredients labels on anything you give your dog to eat. Visit the links included in this article to learn more dangerous people food.
Research all foods you give to your pet and do what you can to keep your dog away from people foods that can be toxic to his health.
