Human Food that is harmful to your dog

As your dog grows, his or her diet will naturally expand to include new foods. He will be eager to sample food from your plate – and you’ll be eager to introduce some variety to his diet. But not all foods are safe for your dog. Some pose a choking hazard. However, be careful about which foods your dog eats, as some of them are dangerous or extremely unhealthy. Play it safe.

As you eat keep your dog off it as your dog might be curious and will be attracted to food that you love. To avoid poisoning your dog limit what you let them eat. You might want to go ahead and let them explore a variety of yummy human food thinking it will be helpful to him but be careful and consult your vet as he is in a good position to tell you which food to avoid.

Dangerous foods to your dog

Here is a list of ten dangerous foods we have researched on and you should keep off your dog even if they are yummy to humans.

1. Chocolate

As sweet as it is to you even your dog would love to gorge on a bar of chocolate as you enjoy your too, but the caffeine in the chocolate could have negative effects for your furry friend.  Also the diary in the chocolate can be difficult for your dog to digest and can lead to choking.

Chocolate can cause headaches and is not recommended because it contains high doses of caffeine and sugar.

Chocolate is high in calories, fat and sugar, so it shouldn’t be considered a health food and consuming too much can increases your dog’s risk for obesity, high cholesterol and heart disease.

2. Garlic

Garlic is an herb that is grown around the world and is a popular ingredient in cooking. It is related to onion, leeks, and chives and produces a chemical called Allicin which is harmful to your pooch.

Garlic comes in several forms, from whole cloves and smooth pastes to powders and supplements like garlic extract and garlic oil. It is considered medicine for cold, flu and skin infection and you might want to give it to your dog to treat some of these ailments like skin issues, parasites and worm treatment.

However, keep in mind that there are some downsides of garlic, such as bad breath and if taken by your pet can be poisonous. Your dog could also suffer an allergic reaction to garlic and might require immediate checkup by your vet once it ingest it.

3. Alcohol

Holding parties and having friends over is normal and sometimes you might want your dog to enjoy and socialize by giving him abit of alcoholic drink thinking it is safe. This is a big“ No” as alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain works.

These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination making your dog uneasy and uncontrollable, messing your happy party.
A lot of alcohol over a long time can damage your dog’s heart, causing problems like having a stroke or having irregular heart beat and high blood pressure which occurs when the dog’s arterial blood pressure is continually higher than normal leading to organs failure. For instance, the liver is an organ which helps break down and remove harmful substances from your dogs body, including alcohol and long-term use interferes with this process.

A lot of alcohol can weaken your dog’s immune system, making its body an easy target for diseases. It also increases risk for chronic liver inflammation and liver disease as the liver becomes increasingly damaged and it will make your dog have a harder time removing toxic substances from its body.

4. Mouldy food

No one loves throwing away food and you might think it is safe to give your pet the mouldy food. One of the things that lead to food spoilage is mold. Food attacked by molds has an undesirable taste and texture and may have green or white fuzzy spots making it decay.

Mold is a type of fungus that forms multicellular, thread-like structures and usually visible to the human eye when it grows on food. It tends to grow on food fresh with high water contents like vegetables, fruits, bread and even cheese. If your dog eats mouldy food it might suffer from stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhea which can lead to weight loss if severe.

5. Nuts

I do not know about you but my dog Kiki has an appetite and will eat anything digestible that she comes along even nuts that fall down as I eat. Nuts are simple, dry fruit with one seed (very occasionally two) in which the seed case wall becomes very hard at maturity.

Some examples of nuts includes sweet chestnut, beech, acorns, hazel, hornbeam, alder and cashew. The shell of a cashew is quite dangerous as the double shell covering the cashew contains urushiol, a resin which is toxic when ingested by your dog. Nuts also present choking hazards in your dog as well as serious allergic reactions.

6. Bread

Bread is a staple food for most household as it is part of the morning meal and it is convenience, portability, nutrition, and tasty.

There are many different types of bread, such as whole-grain, sweet breads, corn breads, leavened and unleavened breads and white bread.

Waking up can be a problem especially when rushing to work making you leave some bread on your plate and your dog gladly enjoying it after you have left. Remember to put the leftover in the trash considering white bread may do more harm than good, by providing excess calories and few nutrients to your dog.

White bread contains highly-processed flour and additives making it unhealthy for both you and your pooch. Consuming too much white bread can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Many types of bread have added sugars or sugar substitutes can lead to health issues for your dog who might be allergy or intolerance to some ingredients used. Some dogs are allergic to wheat, consuming wheat makes them feel bloated and, uncomfortable and can lead to constipation.

7. Grapes

Most berries like strawberries,raspberries,blackberries and blueberries can be hard to digest hence harmful to your dog leading to choking. Oranges and grapefruits are highly acidic considering they are citric fruits and can cause stomach upset for your dog.

The size of the fruit also can cause a serious choking hazard to your pooch. Grapes have a lot of pesticides sprayed on them and can poison your dog even when thoroughly washed and some preservatives in grapes can trigger an allergic reaction.

8. Raw eggs

Uncooked or raw eggs, raw milk and dairy products, seafood, meat and poultry  can have salmonella if handled badly by food handlers making your dog sick in case they eat these products.

Your dog will develop diarrhea, stomach pains, vomiting and fever and a visit to the vet will do him good.

9. Caffeine

To kick start our day when we wake up first thing we reach out for a cup of coffee. The Aroma is to die for as the main ingredient is caffeine – a compound that naturally derives from over 60 different plant sources, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao seeds and cola nut seeds.

Caffeine acts as a stimulant by activating the central nervous system and will do so for any living being including your dog. Caffeine is a drug and can affect your dog and other pets just like any other substance.

Other than coffee, caffeine is commonly consumed through tea, soft drinks – particularly energy drinks – and chocolate. It is also found in some prescription and non-prescription drugs, such as cold, allergy and pain medication. Dogs who take drinks with caffeine or by bad luck your drug might suffer from insomnia, nervousness, irritable, shaking muscles and stomach upset.

10. Raisin

Raisin is a small fruit that is packed with a lot of benefits as it is used in various desserts, whole or dried in the form of raisins and sultanas, it can also be used in cakes for toppings,cookies, puddings,cereals, yogurt and desserts as an ingredient for added taste.

It is a natural food that helps in curing and treating constipation and any dog owner would think it will help its dog with constipation issues.

Raisin are actually grapes that have been dried in the sun or in a food dehydrator and your dog can be allergic to them. The side effect that your dog can experience after consuming raisin is vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Raisins are naturally sweet and high in sugar and calories. Like all dried fruit, are very good for gaining weight, as they are full of fructose and glucose and give a lot of energy and can lead to obesity in your dog.

What next when it happens?

All these food can be detrimental to your dog and ends up creating discomfort in its’ stomach leading to vomiting, diarrhea and fever. There is often much more going on with your food from chemicals to preservatives than you realize! In case of any poisonous food ingested by your dog immediately call or visit your veterinarian for advice. Do not attempt to treat it with human medicine as that can also be poisonous and make your assistance fatal to your dog.