What Are The Most Toxic Foods For Your Dog?
More and more masters start to concoct good little dishes for their doggies to avoid them having to eat industrial food, with sometimes questionable ingredients.
But cooking for his four-legged friend is not always an easy task, especially since dogs should not be put in the same boat as humans.
Indeed, many foods that are good for us are highly toxic to animals , and in particular to carnivores .
To avoid damaging the health of your pet, here is the complete list of toxic foods for dogs and the dosages from which they are dangerous.
What is a toxic dog food?
Toxic foods , which have a destructive effect on your dog’s body, should not be confused with harmful foods , which are simply bad for your pet’s health.
Toxic foods contain substances that cause damage to the animal’s body, ranging from irritation of the digestive system to destruction of cells.
Harmful foods, on the other hand, are poorly suited to your dog’s body and may harm their health in the long term.
This is, for example, the case of foods that are too fatty, too salty, too sweet, but also diets too poor in protein or too rich in cereals or fibers.
If toxic foods are to be avoided absolutely so as not to endanger your dog’s days, harmful foods should be avoided as much as possible, but some are not to be banned completely.
However, they should not be taken lightly, as their regular consumption can have real harmful effects on the organism and the health of your faithful companion.
Thus, the liver, raw fish or cheese can be distributed sparingly, that is to say less than once a week and in reasonable portions.
On the other hand, milk should be avoided because, although it is not toxic, it may cause severe inconvenience to your dog.
What are toxic foods for dogs?
Chocolate, Cocoa: this delicious food is deadly toxic to dogs due to its theobromine content, a substance which passes quickly into the blood of the animal and causes digestive disorders, then cardiovascular.
It only takes 15 grams of dark chocolate per pound of body mass to kill a dog in 4 to 5 hours.
Onion, Garlic: watch out for all the grandmother recipes that you find on the web and who claim that garlic is a miracle cure for fleas and other dog parasites!
If garlic would indeed have vague repellant properties, no scientific study to date demonstrates its effectiveness as an antiparasitic, preventive or curative treatment.
However, there is evidence that garlic, like onions, contains N-propyldisulfide, a compound that damages the dog’s red blood cells and causes vomiting, anemia, tachycardia, and even death.
Onion and garlic are dangerous for healthy dogs from 5 grams per kilo body and can poison a weakened dog in smaller doses.
Avocado: rich in persine, a fatty acid, avocado attacks the dog’s pancreas and causes digestive, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders.
No toxic dosage has been determined to date, but the highly toxic nature of this food should encourage you to keep it out of the reach of your pet’s bowl even in very small quantities! ( 1 )
Grapes : whether fresh or dry, the grapes can cause serious digestive and kidney problems in dogs, sometimes leading to the death of the animal.
The toxic principle is not known, but it is known that a single bunch of grapes can cause the death of a dog of 10kg, when only 6 grains of raisins per kilo of body mass can be lethal. ( 2 )
Macadamia nuts : they are found everywhere in cookies, ice cream, cakes or industrial chocolate bars, and yet they are real poisons for our dog friends.
Macadamia nuts contain a toxin that causes digestive, bone and nervous disorders from the ingestion of 2.4 grams per kilo of body mass.
Raw potato: containing calcium oxalate, raw potato causes damage to the urinary systems of our four-legged friends.
Cooked, on the other hand, it is safe and even recommended because it is rich in nutrients and ideal for replacing cereals.
Salt: the kidneys’ number one enemy, salt in large quantities is toxic to dogs and can cause convulsions, paralysis, comas or cardiovascular disorders.
Coffee: Coffee speeds up the heart rate, causes palpitations and can cause a heart attack in dogs.
Caffeine does in fact contain theobromine and theophylline, and only 140 mg per pound of body weight is enough to kill the animal – a coffee bean contains 10 mg to 20 mg of caffeine.
Be careful, there are caffeine in a number of sodas, as well as in tea: these drinks are therefore also completely prohibited!
Xylitol: the name of this ingredient may not tell you anything, but it’s a safe bet that you will find it everywhere by reading the composition of your cough syrups, vitamins, chewing gum, lollipops …
Indeed, it is a sweetener that replaces sugar in certain “light” products or drugs.
Xylitol is very quickly assimilated by the body of dogs, and then causes an overproduction of insulin which lowers the sugar level in their blood.
Then follows a hypoglycemia resulting in vomiting, weakness and convulsions, sometimes leading to the violent death of the animal.
A dose of 0.075 to 0.1 gram of Xylitol per kilo is enough to cause a hypoglycemia attack in dogs. ( 3 )
Hops: containing resins, essential oils, tannins and nitrogen compounds, hops can trigger oxidative phosphorylation in dogs.
Behind this barbaric name hides a chemical reaction causing a runaway metabolism of the dog which is quickly in hyperthermia and tachycardia.
Hop poisoning is a veterinary emergency and unfortunately unfortunately often results in the death of the animal.
Alcohol: Unlike humans, dogs are unable to remove alcohol from their blood and a few sips can cause irreversible brain and heart damage.
Foods harmful to dogs
Tuna: canned tuna is not toxic in itself, it is more the salt used to condition it that can damage your dog’s kidneys and lead to heart problems.
Liver: most dogs love organ meats, especially liver from poultry, cattle and even fish.
Unfortunately, too much liver intake can cause vitamin A poisoning, which can cause long-term bone and muscle damage.
Reasonably distributed, however, the liver is not toxic: 30 grams of raw liver or 10 grams of dried liver is enough to meet the daily vitamin A requirements of a dog from 15k to 20kg.
Raw fish : raw fish can be distributed occasionally to dogs – less than once a week.
Consumed too regularly, it risks leading to a deficiency in vitamin B which is manifested by anorexia, weight loss and, in the most serious cases, death.
Milk: many masters have heard of the toxicity of milk for dogs and cats, but in reality lactose is not toxic.
This substance is rather badly tolerated by the body of dogs and risks causing digestive disorders, because our four-legged friends do not have the enzymes necessary to properly digest it.
It is therefore a food to be avoided entirely to avoid inconvenience to your dog.
Cheese: rich in fat, cheese can cause fatal inflammation of the pancreas in dogs.
It is however a food that can be distributed as a treat in small portions and very occasionally if your dog has a healthy diet next to it.
Ham, fatty meats: like cheese, fatty meats are not toxic, but attack your dog’s pancreas when eaten regularly or in large quantities.
In addition, high in salt, they can encourage your dog to drink a lot, which promotes stomach twists.
Sugar: sugar is just as harmful to dogs as it is to humans, it causes obesity, diabetes, and dental conditions.
Raw bread dough: the yeast used to make bread dough can swell in your dog’s stomach and cause bloating, hemorrhaging and difficulty breathing.
In addition, ferments may create alcohol, a substance toxic to dogs.
Cat food: too rich in fats and proteins for dogs, mash and kibble for cats are likely to cause damage to the pancreas and should absolutely be avoided.
How to deal with veterinary costs in the event of illness or accident?
To avoid the high health costs, I strongly advise you to look into dog insurance.
To find the offer that suits you best and at the best price, you can use this free comparator that will allow you to save up to 60% on your costs
Frequently Asked Questions From Masters About Toxic Dog Food
What is the difference between harmful and toxic food for my dog?
Toxic foods contain substances that can poison your animal, that is, damage the proper functioning of its body.
Harmful foods are not real poisons, but harm the health of dogs when eaten regularly or in large quantities.
Toxic foods should be avoided at all costs, while harmful foods can be safely consumed in reduced quantities and very occasionally.
How to detect food poisoning in my dog?
The symptoms of poisoning due to the absorption of a toxic food vary depending on the food concerned and the dog’s state of health.
Digestive disorders are often observed, but not systematic, and unexplained nervous, cardiac and respiratory damage should also alert you.
What if my dog has eaten a toxic food?
First of all, keep calm: is the food your dog swallowed really toxic or only harmful? If it is indeed a toxic food, how much is ingested?
Write down any information you have and contact a poison control center (for example, the West Capae) or your veterinarian for further advice.
Be careful, if your dog has absorbed a lethal dose of toxic food, you must act as quickly as possible so as not to cloud its vital prognosis.
How to prevent the ingestion of toxic food in dogs?
To start with, always keep your food out of your pet’s reach, especially food that you know is toxic or harmful to him.
In a second, always be very vigilant if you are used to giving the leftovers of your meals to your doggie: make sure that your plates or those of your guests are free of grapes, garlic, chocolate or any other poison for dogs .
Finally, if you decide to concoct household rations for your dog, stick to recipes developed by canine health professionals, and do not try to add new foods whose effects you ignore body of a dog.
Here you are a little better informed about toxic and harmful foods for our four-legged friends.
If you have a gluttonous dog – the Beagles will recognize themselves in this description – or a young puppy who discovers his environment by tasting everything that falls under his paw, I advise you to put your toxic food under lock and key.
Unfortunately, poisonings are common causes of death in dogs, our faithful companions often having an appetite for ogre and do not hesitate to nibble on everything they find.
Also, many owners have their share of responsibility in cases of domestic poisoning, because they are not always aware of the danger that certain foods represent for their dogs and distribute them to them without taking care.
And you, did you already know the list of foods prohibited for dogs? Share your experience or ask us your questions in the comments of this article!
Final words and important recommendations
Loving and educating your dog also means protecting it from the vagaries of life. This is why I strongly recommend that you take out dog health insurance as soon as possible. This will save you costs from astronomical veterinarians in the event of an accident or illness.
