Somewhat Useful

We all do it: when our dogs sit there, pleading with those gigantic, sad, puppy-dog eyes, we all too often give in to the guilt and pass a little bit of whatever it is we’re eating to our canine family member.

Could this be dangerous though?

It very well could be, say most veterinary experts,  if the morsel you’re passing to your beloved pet is one of the several foods that are particularly dangerous for dogs (but usually harmless to humans).

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, five foods are listed as potential “food hazards” to your canine pal:

AVOCADO – The fruit (meat), leaves, and stem of this plant can cause congestive heart failure in dogs in sufficient quantities.  While there is some argument as to the toxicity of the actual fruit itself (the part we eat), it is probably better to be safe than sorry on this one and just refuse your pooch’s begging for this oily fruit. 

RAW BREAD DOUGH – Although most of us don’t bake our own yeast-based breads very often, for those of us that do, it’s important to keep the raw bread dough (which probably smells extremely tempting) away from our dogs.  If a dog ingests the dough, it will begin to rise in their stomachs to the point where it could cause vascular and/or respiratory compromise.  The most dangerous part, however, is that the yeast fermentation process releases ethanol (alcohol)  into the dog’s body and can result in fatal cases of alcohol poisoning.  Best advice?  Keep Fido far away from your unbaked dough.

CHOCOLATE – Most of us have heard this one.  Chocolate contains both caffeine and a chemical called methylxanthines theobromine.  These two substances act together as a dangerous stimulant to your dog’s body, eventually causing digestive upset, over-stimulation, hyperthermia, cardiac arrhythmias, or respiratory failure.  The amount of chocolate needed to be deadly varies greatly from dog to dog, so the safest bet is to keep all chocolate products away from your furry friend.

MACADAMIA NUTS – Although usually not fatal, macadamia nuts can cause your dog to become very sick if ingested.  Usually within twelve hours of ingestion, the nuts begin causing symptoms in most dogs, causing muscle weakness, loss of motor coordination, hyperthermia, and/or vomiting.  The reason behind this syndrome is currently unknown, and symptoms usually resolve completely within 2 days; however, it can be a scary experience for both the dog and the dog owner to suffer through.  The best advice is to keep these crunchy nuts away from your begging pooch.

RAISINS & GRAPES – Through a mechanism not yet understood, some dogs will be stricken with renal failure after ingesting raisins or grapes.  If this happens, most dogs will either die or have to be euthanized, so it is extremely important to take this seriously.  You may even have had or known of a dog that ate grapes or raisins all of the time without ill effect; the fact is that some dogs are completely immune to it while others will perish if sufficient amounts of grapes or raisins are ingested.  Don’t risk it – find another treat for your furry companion.

While these are the most common and dangerous of foods for dogs to ingest, they are not the only ones that can cause harm.  While only your veterinarian is qualified to give you specific advice for your particular dog, over at the Dog Food Scoop website (dogfoodscoop.com), the authors have put together a very informative article listing many common foods or scraps that might seem harmless enough to give to your dog, but could actually cause significant harm under the right conditions.  Check out their website for the full details and when it comes to your dog’s diet, as they put it, “When in Doubt…Leave it Out.”

What dog/food safety advice do you have to share?  Have you ever had an incident with your dog ingesting dangerous foods?  Share your advice and stories with us in the comments below!