Keeping good track of a healthy diet for your dog is one of the most important things you can do as a pet parent. There are several foods that could be extremely harmful to your dog that most people wouldn’t even consider. For instance, obviously we’re all aware that chocolate can cause serious gastric issues for our pups, but did you know that grapes can also be strongly toxic for our animals? In order for everyone to stay on the safe side, let’s take a look at five foods that could cause severe health problems for our four-legged friends.
1. Chocolate: As we stated above, it’s common knowledge that chocolate can be harmful to dog’s, but most people aren’t aware why or how this delicious treat can cause such lethal harm. Chocolate has two items that contain methylxanthines (caffeine and theobromine), which can be highly toxic. Dark chocolate contains more methylxanthines than white chocolate, making it more toxic, but neither should ever be given to your pooch.
If consumed, chocolate can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, irregular heartbeat, and even death. So while you might think you’re just giving your dog a tasty treat, you could be placing their lives in danger.
2. Apple Cores: Many pet owners like to give their animals table scraps, and apple cores are perhaps the most common table scrap in homes with children. Even if you’re not willfully feeding your pets apple cores, you should make sure that they are not left within reach of your pups. ** Apple cores, as well as plums, peaches, pears, and apricots, contain small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides (also known as cyanide), which could lead to seizures, hyperventilation, and shock – it could even put your dog in a coma.
3. Grapes: Many people assume that since grapes are healthy vegetables that are safe and delicious for humans that they would likewise be safe and delicious for dogs, but this isn’t the case – in fact, quite the opposite. Grapes (and raisins) can cause severe toxicity in our fur babies, which can lead to rapid kidney failure. Although symptoms might not show up depending on the breed, death can occur within 3-4 days, so make sure to keep grapes away from your pups. Additionally grapes and raisins can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
4. Bacon: It’s a shame that our dogs can’t know the pure joy of bacon, but it’s imperative that you never feed them this delicious treat. Fatty pork products, and especially bacon, can lead to pancreatitis, which can cause the animal’s pancreas to become severely inflamed and cease to function properly. In turn, this can lead to substantial digestive issues and problems absorbing nutrients. So next time you want to scoop some leftover breakfast in your dog’s dish, make sure that you scrape it into the waste basket instead.
5. Yeast Dough: More than just unhealthy carbs, yeast dough could ferment within your dog’s system once consumed, leading to severe toxicity. In addition to the alcohol being fermented within your pup’s stomach, the dough can expand within their stomachs or intestines, which could cause major gas issues. Obviously, this can be extremely painful for your animal, but it could also lead to vomiting, discomfort, and lethargy, as well as a ruptured stomach or intestinal tract.
While it can be tempting to share the food we love so much with our four-legged fur babies, the truth is that they should remain on a strict diet of healthy dog food that consists of meats, vegetables, and grains. It’s just too risky to feed them the treats we enjoy, so please make sure to screen and research and human food before feeding it to your dogs.
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