Human Foods You Should Not Feed Dogs

We all want the best for our dogs. We give them a lot of love, take them for plenty of walks and pick them up the best gear from retailers like furry friends gear. However, you shouldn’t always give your pets exactly what they want. This is especially true when it comes to food.

It is not common for a dog to beg at the table for a taste of your food. While many people will succumb to the cuteness and/or whining, you need to be careful. Some human food is fine for dogs to eat, but others can be incredibly problematic.

In an effort to keep your dog healthy, this article is going to go over some human foods that you need to be sure that you never feed to dogs.

Caffeine
While millions of people all over the world consume caffeine daily for its many benefits, don’t let your dog have any. This goes for coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks or anything else that could contain caffeine. The reason your dog should avoid caffeine is that they contain some substances that are known as methylxanthines which are found in cacao seeds.

When this substance is ingested by your dog, it can lead to vomiting, excessive thirst, and an abnormal heart rhythm. They can also lead to extreme hyperactivity, seizures and even death in some serious cases. So be sure to keep all of your chocolate well out of the reach of your furry friend. While all chocolate is bad, the darker that chocolate is, the more dangerous it is.

Gum and Candy
While gum and candy can be a tasty treat once in a while, they are other food items you should never give to your dog. This is because many of them contain Xylitol, a sweetener. This substance is fine for humans, but the same can’t be said for dogs. This is because it can trigger insulin release, which can dramatically lower the blood sugar of your dog.

Unfortunately, this has the potential to lead to liver failure. Some signs that your dog may have ingested Xylitol or another toxic ingredient include vomiting, a loss of coordination and generally being inactive or slow. Xylitol is also found in many other products including toothpaste, some baked goods and even some vitamin supplements.

Onions and Garlic
While a staple in many of the dishes we prepare, onions and garlic should never be fed to your pet. Not only can they lead to irritation, but they can also kill the red blood cells of the body. If the dosage is high enough, this could lead to anemia. This goes for if they are raw, cooked, dehydrated or even powdered. All parts of the onion have the potential to be toxic, as well.

The cause of this is a toxin called N-propyl disulfide. This prevents red blood cells from being able to carry oxygen, which eventually leads to them being destroyed. If your dog is vomiting, exhibiting signs of weakness or having trouble breathing and having a reddish tint in urine, could be signs of toxicity due to onions.

We hope this article has been able to help you learn some of the foods that you should avoid feeding to your dogs. Of course, these are far from the only foods that could potentially harm your pets, so be sure to be careful when feeding them any human food.

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