As a dog owner, we all want what is best for our dog. With the newest reports about the proper diet for your dog, they should have carbohydrates, vegtables, etc., more and more dog owners are giving their dog table scraps without realising that there are certain foods a dog should never have. Before you put your left overs in your dogs bowl be sure to read about the foods they should not eat.
Chocolate : To dogs, chocolate acts as a stimulant, making your dogs heartbeat accelerate or beat irregularly, leading to seizures and even cardiac arrest. To compound things further, it also acts as a severe diuretic, causing frequent urination, vomiting, and or diarrhea. If you even suspect your dog has consumed chocolate, take him to an animal hospital immediately.
Grapes and Raisins : Grapes and raisins create havoc with your dogs kidneys and digestive system. What is worse is that the amount of grapes needed to cause problems can vary greatly among individual dogs. Symptoms include frequent urination, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Onions : Onions cause the breakdown of a dogs red blood cells, which deprives his cells of much needed oxygen. If you are in the habit of feeding your dog table scraps, make sure the dish was not prepared with onions, as the effects can be cumulative over a period of time. Symptoms can vary greatly, ranging from vomiting and diarrhea to loss of appetite, fever, or exhaustion.
Alcoholic Beverages : Dogs physiologies are not equipped to handle alcohol consumption. They are extremely susceptible to alcohol poisoning, and even small amounts can lead to digestive problems or even death.
Bread Dough : Because it is soft, dogs will often swallow the dough without chewing it. When the dough hits your dogs stomach, his body heat will cause the dough to rise inside his stomach. This rising action can cause bloating or vomiting. To compound things further, the rising action creates alcohol as a byproduct, and your dog may experience digestive problems or even death.
Pitted Fruits : (Peaches, Pears, Cherries, and Apricots) The pits of these fruits contain small doses of cyanide, which can be fatal to smaller dogs. Also, if the pit is swallowed whole, it may become lodged in the intestinal tract, where the blockage will have to be surgically removed.
Raw Fish : Raw fish, especially salmon, can contain parasites, usually fluke larvae. The dog consumes the fish, and the larvae hatch in your dogs digestive tract, attaching themselves to his intestinal walls. Symptoms can take up to a week to exhibit and usually mimic other canine diseases, such as distemper or parvovirus. The hazard here is misdiagnosis by the veterinarian, leading to an improper or ineffective treatment. If you choose to feed your dog fish, be sure to cook it thoroughly to kill any bad critters that could be hiding inside.