What should dogs not eat? 20 foods you should not give your four-legged friend

What foods should dogs not eat because they are toxic or just basically life threatening? If you want to be on the safe side when it comes to your dog's diet and general attitude, you've come to the right place! Many a food that is good for you or really tasty can be harmful or, in the worst case, even deadly for your dog. 

That's why in this post I'm going to explain to you exactly what is dangerous for dogs. With the following foods you must exercise extreme caution and remain iron when your dog begs.

Here you can find a short overview in advance:

1. Chocolate
2. Xylitol or birch sugar
3. Pork fat and pork meat
4. Raw eggs
5. Grapes and raisins or raisins
6. Almonds and macadamia nuts
7. Avocados
8. Bones
9. Solanaceous plants such as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants
10. Onion and garlic
11. ... 10 more dangerous things and foods

1. chocolate

Cocoa contains a powerful stimulant substance called Theobromine. This has a similar effect on people as caffeine. You yourself can even experience a small high from dark chocolate.

Does your dog get the Chocolate between the teeth, it can become dangerous, because dogs absolutely cannot metabolize theobromine. In the organism of the dog, the stimulating substance very quickly leads to extreme Circulatory problems. Other symptoms of poisoning are Digestive problems and Muscle tremor.

The darker the chocolate, the higher the proportion of theobromine and the more toxic it is for your four-legged friend. One bar of Fondente chocolate is already lethal for a five-kilogram dog - for puppies and young dogs, just one piece can be enough.

2. xylitol or birch sugar

This sweetener is a new food that is being hailed as an alternative sugar substitute. Quite so celebratory is Xylitol not, however. Most often, the sweet substance is also obtained not from birch trees, but from agricultural waste.

What is still quite well tolerated by humans can be really dangerous for dogs. Birch sugar leads in the dog organism to an extreme insulin release with subsequent extreme drop in blood glucose. This in turn leads to severe liver damage and, in the worst case, to the death of the animal.₁.

3. pork fat and pork meat

Difficult for dogs is also raw pork (snatched from the shopping basket) or pork fat. Lard is sometimes still used for cooking or in delicacies such as crackling lard.

Raw pork and pork fat can cause the Aujeszky virus which in dogs can cause a deadly nerve disease (pseudo-rabies) can be triggered. In addition, raw pork is particularly susceptible to bacteria, salmonella or trichinae. If you give your dog a piece of well-cooked pork cutlet from time to time, this would not be a problem, at least for the body of your four-legged friend, since the pathogens die off during frying.

4. raw eggs

In the past, it was said that raw eggs are good for the dog's coat. Today, most veterinarians and dog nutrition experts think differently. Our four-legged friends are particularly at risk of contracting a disease from raw eggs. Salmonella to poison. This is not necessarily fatal for an adult dog, but your dog can become very ill.

Tip: There are safer beauty elixirs for dogs. As an example the sustainable dog soap from Biocos. 🙂

5. grapes and raisins, respectively raisins

Unbelievable but true: Even grapes, which are healthy for us, can be poisonous for dogs. Already about three grams of raisins or 10 grams of grapes per kilo of body weight can trigger fatal kidney failure in dogs. At least, that's what U.S. scientists have discovered.₂ Why this is so is still a mystery.

Not all dogs react with poisoning to raisins or grapes. However, you should be especially careful with puppies and young dogs. If your dog gets grapes or raisins, you have to be careful. As soon as he shows signs of nausea, it is called immediately the veterinarian visit

Tip: A detailed guide on the subject Dogs and grapes you will find my blog.

6. almonds and macadamia nuts

What is delicious for us can be really toxic for your dog. Some almonds contain Hydrogen cyanide. Bitter almonds may occasionally be hidden in normal sweet almond packages. These have a particularly high prussic acid content. For you, the small amounts are usually no problem, but for the dog it is.

Researchers have only recently found out that four macadamia nuts toxic for a 15 kilogram dog can be. The consequences are attacks of weakness or paralysis. It is not yet known why dogs react to the nuts in this way.₃

7. avocados

Avocados can contain a substance called Persin which causes heart muscle damage in dogs. Symptoms of poisoning are coughing, shortness of breath, a greatly increased heart rate.₄ So make sure that your dog does not eat avocados.

8. bone

I continue this list of toxic foods for dogs with one more Misunderstanding continued, "Bones are good for dogs!"

This can end badly. The bone splinters can be in the stomach or intestines of your dog for nasty Injuries care. But not only that, the bone marrow literally dries out the intestines in some dogs. As a result, it can lead to severe Intestinal obstructions come.

9. nightshade crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants.

Nightshade plants contain a substance called Solanine. This is not particularly good for us humans, which is why we should not eat raw potatoes or eggplants. With tomatoes, the concentration is limited, which is why they are usually not a problem for us humans.

But make sure that your dog does not play with these foods. He will probably not eat them, because they are In the raw state not particularly tasty.

10. onion and garlic

A medium sized onion can be fatal to a medium sized dog. The culprits are Sulfur compoundswhich decompose the red blood cells in dogs. The same is true for garlic and for both vegetables, by the way, even in the cooked state!

What other things are poisonous or generally dangerous for dogs?

There are really so many foods and also things that dogs and also many other animals, should not eat under any circumstances. I would like to give you as many as possible to the hand, in order to protect your quadruped as well as possible. Therefore, I present you here a supplementary list:

11. Cigarettes (Nicotine poisoning, passive smoking is also dangerous for dogs).
12. Coffee (Poison, as the dog's liver cannot break down caffeine).
13. Raw beans (indigestion)
14. Greasy food (digestive problems)
15. Salt (Danger to heart and kidneys)
16. Alcohol (Poison, because the dog's liver can not break down alcohol).
17. Raw lentils (indigestion)
18. Fruit pits (Intestinal obstruction or neurological disorder caused by hydrocyanic acid)
19. Dairy products (gastrointestinal problems e.g. due to lactose intolerance)
20. Mushrooms (Ingredients of many mushrooms often unclear)

Avoid toxic foods for dogs - and go to the vet if the worst comes to the worst

Poisonous foods for dogs are best kept safely out of the dog's reach in cupboards or a pantry. Also watch out for sweets or candies with xylitol lying around and make sure your children don't feed the dog anything dangerous between meals. 

If your dog shows signs of discomfort or poisoning, it's best to see a veterinarian or go to the animal hospital immediately.

Do you have any questions, tips or other foods and things that dogs should not eat? Then feel free to write me a comment.

Be always kind to animals,

PS.: Can you Actually feed dogs vegan? Behind the link is a detailed article on the subject. Have fun!

References:
₁ Institute of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology: Xylitol - Small Animal, available at https://www.vetpharm.uzh.ch/clinitox/toxdb/klt_086.htm?Submit=done. [11.02.2022].

₂ Brandy Porterpan: Raisins and grapes: potentially lethal treats for dogs (as of May 01, 2005), available at https://www.dvm360.com/view/raisins-and-grapes-potentially-lethal-treats-dogs?sk=&id=&date=&pageID=2 [Feb. 11, 2022].

₃ Sharon M. Gwaltney-Brant: Macadamia Nut Toxicosis in Dogs - Toxicology - Merck Veterinary Manual (as of July 2021), available at https://www.msdvetmanual.com/toxicology/food-hazards/macadamia-nut-toxicosis-in-dogs. [11.02.2022].

₄ Sharon M. Gwaltney-Brant: Avocado Toxicosis in Animals (as of July 2021), available at https://www.msdvetmanual.com/toxicology/food-hazards/avocado-toxicosis-in-animals. [11.02.2022].