15 Foods Pets Should Never Eat (At The Holidays Or Otherwise)
You're responsible for the health and well-being of your pet. But do you know not everything that is healthful for humans is great for your pup too.
In fact, here is a list of foods pets should never eat.
1. Candy
This is one of the major mistakes we've witnessed pet owners make. No, your dog doesn't deserve a candy treat. Candies are poisonous foods for pets. So, keep your children away from the animal while they're trying to treat it with a chocolate bar.
It's dangerous for your four-legged friend. In fact, any toxic sweetener that contains Xylitol is unhealthy for your pup. Even a tiny bite of chocolate can cause diarrhea and vomiting. And if given in large amounts, it can cause death.
2. Avocados
If you live on Earth, it's impossible you've never heard of the avocado hype. But stop right there. Don't make it a part of your pup's evening snack because it goes into the list of foods bad for pets. It's literally poisonous for her. Avocados have a strain of fatty acids called persin that is anything but good for your dog.
This, too, can cause vomiting and diarrhea in your pup. So, it is better just to add avocados to your sandwich or make a face mask with it instead of unknowingly poisoning your pet.
3. Cooked Bones
Yes, dogs chew on bones, and that is their favorite treat, for sure. But these aren’t the cooked bones. Don't be a noob pet owner, and serve your furry friend with left-over bones from your meal. Because cooked bones are in the list of foods pets should never eat.
Only uncooked raw bones are an excellent chew for your dog. The cooked ones will easily splinter and injure your pup's mouth. In large quantities, these can cause constipation or, even worse, perforate your gut which can be fatal.
4. Alcoholic Beverages
Alcohol causes intoxication in humans. And likewise, it is unhealthy for your pet too. Firstly, why are you even giving these beverages to your pup? They're clearly dangerous for their health.
And you need to be a cruel owner to serve your pet with such poison. These will lead to sickness, diarrhea, or, even worse, damage their central nervous system.
5. Grapes And Raisins
Though we humans love both of these seemingly innocuous fruits, they're dangerous for your pup's health. Grapes and Raisins, either given fresh or dried, will result in liver damage or kidney failure. However, their intoxicating ingredient is still unknown. Just know they're extremely bad for your pet.
6. Onions And Garlic
Both of these are a fundamental part of the human diet. However, when added to your pet's meal, these can result in anemia and eventually are fatal for their health.
These staples, when given to your pup, result in damage to red blood cells and gastrointestinal irritation. Also, it doesn't matter whether these are raw, cooked, or dry. Onions and Garlic are toxic for your dog anyways.
7. Milk And Milk Products
Be clear that milk isn't for your dogs and it is a pet food bad for dogs. Or in fact, anything that is made of milk can cause gastrointestinal irritation and other health problems for your pup. Don't be a fool to give your dog milk for breakfast. They can only have their mother's milk.
Milk from any other source is fatal for them. Well, that is because milk and milk products have fatty acids and sugars that your dog lacks enzymes to digest.
8. Salty Snacks
You might never know if your pet has some heart issues unless you've gotten them tested before. In that case, serving them salty snack food would be a worst-case scenario. This can cause heart failure and can be fatal.
Even with the pets not having such heart problems, salt is a huge concern. Anything with a lot of sodium will cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and seizures in your beloved friend.
Also, salt more than the required amount will cause dehydration in your small pups and sodium ion poisoning in larger breeds.
9. Any Sugary Thing
At this point, you might be wondering if neither salt nor sugar is good for your pet's health. Then, what is it that is helpful? Well, we're just saying too much of it isn't good. Just how it is in your kids.
Being a responsible dog parent, you should know about pet food bad for dogs. And it is your duty to keep a check on your pet's diet. For instance, in this case, if your dog is ingesting too much sugar or processed sugary foods, this will lead to tooth decay, diabetes, and even weight gain in your pet.
10. Yeast Dough
Do you think your dog lurks around your pizza because she loves it? No! She might be just sniffing it curiously to know where this delicious smell is coming from. Don't treat your pooch with the leftover pizza or the dough bit.
Especially with the raw dough bits, don't throw them in front of your dog. If eaten, this might rise in her stomach, causing alcohol poisoning, and stretch to the point where these bits will cause pain in her stomach.
11. Caffeine
Know your foods bad for pets! Just like you're not supposed to treat your dog with milk, don't give him anything caffeine as well. He doesn't need to slurp on coffee to wake up in the morning.
Caffeine is toxic for dogs, and they might stick to their normal true and tested water.
12. Macadamia Nuts
However still, the exact toxin in the macadamia nuts that affect your pet's health is unknown. But these are unhealthy anyway and one of the poisonous foods for pets. Don't give in to your dog's puppy-eye blackmail, and share your macadamia nuts with her.
Their consumption can lead to severe problems from muscle weakness to swollen limbs, panting, and nervous system weakness.
13. Raw Meat And Fish
Just because you've seen in cartoons dogs fighting for meat doesn't mean you're supposed to treat them with raw meat. It'll contain bacteria that will definitely cause food poisoning for your pet. So, it is one of the pet food bad for dogs.
Instead, treat your dog with lean meat. Also, make sure there are no bones in the meat cuts.
Likewise, eating raw fish, including salmon, trout, or others, can cause fish disease in your dog. And diagnosis symptoms for it include fever, vomiting, and big lymph nodes. Immediately take your pooch to the vet when you see these symptoms. Or otherwise, it can be fatal.
14. No Kitchen Pantry Is Allowed
This advice is specifically for dog owners with highly energetic pups. Keep the pantry stuff out of reach of your pooch because these are foods bad for pets. Better keep it high with all doors closed.
You definitely don't want to witness them licking on the baking powder or baking soda. Both of these are highly toxic for your four-legged family member. Also, spices like nutmeg and others are definitely not for your animal as well.
15. Peaches And Plums
Let's make this thing clear there's no issue with the fruits. It's the seeds and pits that deteriorate your pup's health. They are poisonous foods for pets and if your pooch eats upon the pits of peaches and plums, these will block her small intestine.
In fact, these pits have cyanide that is equally bad for you and your dog's health. But how you know that you shouldn't eat upon these pits, dogs don't know that. Just keep them away from such fruits.
What If Your Dog Has Eaten Anything From The List Above?
Even consumed in small quantities, these foods are fatal for the health of your pup. And we've clearly mentioned that above. So, there's no best measure you can take than taking your dog to the vet when they have consumed anything from the list above.
General signs of poisoning
Here's a list of signs your pet might show when they've consumed a food item that is bad for their health.
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Muscle shakes
- Weakness in the limbs
- Intense scratching
- Breathing problems
- Sluggishness
These symptoms might show immediately or take some time before they pop up. However, as soon as you witness a sign of food intoxication, take your pup to the vet.
What Should You Treat Your Pet With?
Maybe this is a discussion better left for another time because there's a whole list of things, you'll have to factor in. However, if we give you a summarized answer to this question, that would include some veggies, fresh fruits, water, and lean meat.
Anything other than staples, leaves, and seeds will go. For instance, go for oranges, bananas, apple slices, and watermelon. Also, plain baked potatoes are a good treat for your dogs. Other than that, carrot sticks, green beans, and cucumber slices are also good options.
You may also read about the best cat food for healthy coat.
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