By Ashley Lipman
When you get a dog, it is your duty to keep them safe, comfortable and happy during their lives. However, do proper dog supplies, feeding them and providing a safe home keep them safe and happy? The answer is yes, but there are some caveats.
For example, you also need to watch out for hazards around your home that could be harmful to pets. One of the biggest to keep an eye out for is food. There is no doubt that dogs love food. While they will often be quick to eat their kibble and bits, they often prefer stealing our human food.
While some types of human food now and again won’t hurt them, others can be incredibly harmful. With that in mind, this blog post is going to go over some human foods you should never feed to a dog.
Grapes and Raisins
While small grapes and raisins look anything but dangerous, they can indeed do a lot of damage to your dog. All it takes is a small amount, so you should be very careful. They can lead to kidney failure in dogs, and things like vomiting and diarrhea will often take place within the 12 hours after ingesting the grapes or raisins. If not treated quickly, other issues could persist and it could ultimately lead to death.
The exact substance in the grapes and raisins that causes the issue isn’t known, but that doesn’t make the food any less dangerous. Some dogs have been shown to not be affected by grapes and raisins, but it’s not wise to take a chance and see if your dog is one of them.
Xylitol
While humans can enjoy the artificial sweetener known as xylitol, the same isn’t true for our dogs. Xylitol is found in a variety of different things from gum, to candy, to baked goods, to vitamins, to toothpaste. If your dog ingests enough, it could lead to a very dangerous drop in the blood sugar of your pet, and lead to damage to the liver. In some cases, the ingestion could even prove fatal.
Some symptoms that your dog has ingested a dangerous amount of xylitol include vomiting, seizures and your dog struggling to walk due to coordination issues. These can occur a few hours after ingestion, or a few minutes. Xylitol is incredibly toxic and as little as one piece of gum could cause negative reactions in smaller dogs.
Avocado
A favorite among millions of people, avocado is another food that you should avoid feeding to your dog. This is because it contains persin, which can be toxic to dogs. This substance is found in many different parts of the avocado, from the fruit, to the leaves and even the seeds. The substance can lead to a buildup of fluid in their lungs, which makes it hard to breathe and can be fatal.
The amount of persin that is toxic to dogs can vary and is generally a lot, but it is better to be safe than sorry. So if you plan on making avocados a part of your life or have an avocado tree, make sure your dog doesn’t have access to large quantities of the fruit.
While many types of human food can be safely enjoyed by your pets, many others cannot and might cause them harm. Be sure to refrain from feeding your dog grapes and raisins, xylitol-infused foods and avocado. Also, before feeding your dog other foods meant for humans, be sure to do your research about them.
