6 Foods Never To Give Your Dog – And Why!

Although our best friends can eat rotting meat with no problems at all, there are some foods that are dangerous for dogs and should be avoided at all costs. Read on to find out what they are and what they do to your dog’s body.

1. Raisins and grapes must be avoided when sharing food with your dog. These little fruits, so healthy for humans, have an unknown toxin that can cause sudden kidney failure in dogs. This is often a problem at Christmas time where mince pies and puddings are plentiful. It’s best not to take the risk with this type of food and buy your dog his own healthy treats instead.
2. Chocolate is another Christmas risk for dogs. Chocolate contains cocoa, which in turn contains a chemical called theobromine, which is intensely poisonous to the canine species. Not only does theobromine poison a dog once, it is continually re-absorbed into the digestive system over a 36 hour period, the dog is poisoned repeatedly. Be aware that garden compost can also contain cocoa, which can be tempting to the dog but incredibly toxic.
3. Coffee also contains a chemical that is of the group as theobromine. This will have the same effect on your dog’s body as chocolate and a dog should never be given coffee, or any caffeine at all.
4. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is dangerous for dogs. It is found in many human foods inclusive of chewing gum, sweets and even toothpaste or mouthwash. It’s important that the dog in your home is never given the anything that may contain Xylitol as it’s highly toxic. There have even been recent reports of this sweetener being found in some dog food recipes (sold by household name dog food suppliers) another good reason to check the dog food bag.
5. Bread dough with yeast. Bread dough continues to swell inside the stomach if it has not been cooked before consumption. Therefore it’s important that your dog is given no raw yeast or dough to eat at all, not even a tiny bit as it can cause severe distress within the digestive system.
6. Onions and garlic. The biggest risk with the onion family to dogs, is food that contains onion powder. This is because a dog is unlikely to munch on raw onion or garlic yet onion powder can provide enough of the ingredient to make your dog quite ill. So if you are feeding your dog something new do take a look at the ingredients and if onion powder is one of them, give your dog something healthier instead.

It’s vital not to take any risks with the food that your dog eats, he is after all relying on you to keep him safe and healthy. Many foods are toxic to dogs and knowing what to avoid will prevent health problems for your dog.