They say love would make you do stupid things. The same way we are prone to irrational, impulsive acts in our human relationships is the same way most of us tend to act in our romance with our canine pets.
And this is more evident when having our meals, as we always want them in on the action. But many pet owners don’t know that some of our human foods might not be appropriate for them, and we let them have a bite, especially when they roll those precious, lovely eyeballs at us, pleadingly. Hard to resist, isn’t it?
However, it is important to know that some foods should be off limits and your dog should never be eating them or sharing in them. We made a compilation of seven of these foods: read on to know them.
Chocolates
Most humans love chocolate. However, note that chocolates contain methylxanthines like caffeine and theobromine, and therefore should be off-limits to dogs.
This is because these substances can spike up a dog’s heart rate to unhealthy levels and even throw them into fits of seizures.
According to pets.webmd.com, caffeine can be fatal, warning that dogs suspected to have been fed caffeine should be taken to a vet as soon as possible.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a substance responsible for the sweetness in candies, chewing gum, peanut butter, pancake syrups, and even some medications.
However, xylitol is extremely harmful to dog’s inner organs and can cause vitals like livers and kidneys to fail.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), “Xylitol is the sweetener that is not so sweet for pets.” Dogs shouldn’t be having foods containing xylitol. Period.
Also, because most people consider peanut butter as an ideal treat for dogs, experts at My Community Pet Clinic advise that home-made peanut butter should be used instead. That way, you can be sure that they are free from a synthetic sweetener like Xylitol, which is harmful to dogs.
Macadamia nuts
Even though researchers are yet to figure out why this nut is harmful to dogs, they still all agree that omitting it from their diet is the way to go.
Oh yes! Macadamia nuts might be yummy and very healthy for humans; unfortunately, it works quite the other way for canines as it can make them sick to the extent of vomiting, developing muscle spasms and even losing their ability to walk due to weakened hind limbs.
According to pet.webmd.com, symptoms like muscle tremors, vomiting, high temperature, and weakness in their hind legs are effects of dogs being fed macadamia nuts. The doctors added that combining the nuts with chocolate could kill a dog.
Raw eggs
While some people love to feed raw foods to their dogs, it is unhealthy. Raw eggs sometimes contain bacteria like E.coli and salmonella which can be a cause of food poisoning.
The Veterinary Medical Association posits that making sure foods are properly cooked before giving dogs is the way to go, as this would help to kill any inherent disease-causing parasite.
Onion and garlic
While onions and garlic have proven helpful in boosting human immune systems and improving our general well-being, they have also proved to be a disaster for dogs.
This is because of their n-propyl disulfide content which is peculiar to all plants in the allium family. This substance can expose dogs to life-threatening hazards like anaemia that can damage their red blood cells and even that of cats also.
Chives and leeks also belong to the allium family, which means they equally carry the same level of risks and should be kept away from a dog’s diet.
It is important to note that many canned and readily prepared foods contain onion and garlic powder, which highlights the importance of carefully reading labels before feeding dogs with such foods.
Raw meat and fish
Just like we mentioned in the case of raw eggs, raw meats, and fish shouldn’t be fed to dogs because of the risk of food poisoning from parasites like E.coli and salmonella.
They should be properly cooked to eliminate all possible parasites they might be carrying.
Fishes like salmon, shards, sturgeons, and trout also have disease-causing parasites peculiar to them. Your little furry friend stands the risk of ingesting theses harmful parasits while eating these fishes uncooked.
Grapes and raisins
These two are up there with the worst types of food your dog should never be eating. Scouring the internet space, authorities unanimously agree that they should be kept far away from a doggy’s feeding routine as they could cause renal failure and, ultimately, death.
The official webpage of the ASPCA states: “While it is unclear as to what causes the toxicity, even a small amount can prove to be fatal”.
In fact, ASPCA include them in the list of Top 10 toxins ingested by pets as far back as 2016.
Conclusion
As much as we love our dogs and want to show them how much we care, it is important to note that the way their system is wired is quite different from ours and we should respect that.
