8 Foods Your Dog Should Not Eat

Author: Keren Dinkin

Dogs are enthusiastic eaters, gobbling down every morsel of what’s given to them. When you’re having dinner, and your dog looks at you, do you have the power to resist those big sad eyes and wagging tail? Or do you reward your canine with a piece or two of whatever you’re eating?

As a pet owner, you make decisions every day regarding their overall health, including what treats and supplements they consume. This also means knowing what foods are healthy for them and what aren’t. There are lots of foods that are fine for you but can be fatal to your dog. Below, we’ve listed some common foods and ingredients you need to keep your dog away from.

8 Human Foods Your Dog Should Not Eat

#1. Xylitol

Food sweetened with xylitol like gum, candy, baked goods, and a few diet foods are a complete no-no to your dog, as they can cause your dog's blood sugar levels to drop. Be mindful, as there are also some brands of peanut butter that use xylitol as a sweetener.

Regular consumption of xylitol, will eventually lead your dog to experience coordination problems, lethargy, and vomiting. This can eventually lead to seizures and liver failure.

#2. Alcohol

A little alcohol in your dog’s system can cause a haywire effect on its liver and brain. The health consequences can be more severe when you have a smaller dog.

Alcohol can cause your dog to suffer from breathing problems, coordination problems, diarrhea, and vomiting. A large amount of alcohol intake can also put your dog in a coma and lead to death.

#3. Onions and Garlic

Make sure that you keep these two cooking staples away from your dog. Onions and garlic in any form – cooked, dehydrated, fresh, or powdered are red blood cell killers for your dog when ingested in large quantities.

Your dog can experience breathing problems, vomiting, and weakness from ingesting food that has onions or garlic. Consuming a large quantity at one time, meanwhile, can poison your dog.

#4. Chocolate

Chocolate is the ultimate treat – for you, but definitely not for your dog. That’s because chocolates contain methylxanthines, a toxic substance that can interfere with your canine’s metabolic process.

So, be careful when leaving chocolates out on the kitchen table. Even small quantities of chocolate can lead to gastrointestinal problems. Large amounts of chocolate, meanwhile, especially dark chocolate, can lead to irregular heart function, seizures, and death.

#5. Coffee and Tea

Yes, coffee is our best friend in the morning. But keep it away from man’s best friend because any drink that has caffeine in it can be fatal to your dog. Aside from raising their blood pressure, caffeine can also cause cardiac arrhythmias.

All forms of caffeine like coffee beans, used tea bags, cocoa, colas, and energy drinks should be stored and disposed of properly. If you think your dog has ingested some caffeine, bring them immediately to the vet.

#6. Boiled Bones

While it may be tempting to offer your dog a leftover bone from the delectable meal you just cooked, it’s better to avoid this. While your dog might try to steal a nibble, cooked bones are risky for your pup.

Fully cooked bones can actually break easier than raw bones and therefore pose health risks to your dog. Boiled bones splinter and break, which are dangerous for your dog’s digestive system and digestive tract.

As an alternative, skip the cooked bones from your dinner and give your dog some safe slow-cooked rib bones or cow hoove treats instead.

#7. Yeast Dough

Bread dough is left to rise before it is baked. And when your dog consumes yeast dough, it will also grow inside its belly. As it stretches, it will also expand your dog's abdomen, and release toxic levels of ethanol into its system.

If you’re baking, be sure to keep yeast dough away from your dog’s reach.

#8. Grapes & Raisins

Many people know grapes are a no-no for dogs, but often forget about raisins. Raisins are commonly found in many of the foods we eat, like cakes, biscuits, cereals, and other sweets.

While the active ingredient, which is toxic to dogs, is unknown, both grapes and raisins may cause severe liver damage and kidney failure.

Final Thoughts

Keep your dogs out of your pantry. Or, if that's not possible, make sure that you have a reliable dog-proof system to store your food. And if your dog has consumed any of these dangerous foods or exhibiting any of the behaviors related to consumption of these foods, bring them to your vet right away.

Having a dog is one of life’s greatest joys, but it also comes with a lot of responsibilities.

If you’re looking for safe and healthy treats or supplements for your dog Natural Farm sells 100% natural dog chews made with sustainably sourced ingredients from Brazil. Our packaging is eco-friendly, we support non-profit organizations around the nation, and we plant a tree with each purchase!