I am such a huge animal lover. In a perfect world, I’d have tons of land and resources available to take care of many animals. I used to love watching DogTown on National Geographic Channel. The animal sanctuary still operates though it is no longer on television. Anyway, I digress! Animals mean so much to me, and I want to make sure I’m not giving my animals foods they should not have!
Foods Dogs Should Not Eat
Avocados
You would think something that is so healthy for people would be okay for dogs, wouldn’t you? Well, the jury is out on this one. Some sources, like pets.webmd, suggest that since avocados have persin in them, dogs should not eat them since it can be toxic in high doses. Others say that though persin is toxic to some animals, in moderation, avocados can be okay for dogs. Of course, they should never eat the pit as it can cause an obstruction.
Alcohol
You’d think common sense would rule here and everyone would know that dogs should not imbibe in alcoholic drinks. Yes, Strange Brew is a hilarious movie and the guys give the dog beer, but let’s hope we don’t aspire to be Bob and Doug McKenzie! Alcohol, even in small doses, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, coordination problems, breathing problems, coma, and even death. Keep the dogs out of the booze.
Grapes and Raisins
I’ll admit, I did not know this until a few months ago! It’s one of those things that you think, “If it’s good for people, shouldn’t it be good for dogs?” No! Even a small amount of grapes or raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs.
Coffee, Caffeine, and Chocolate
These three are grouped together because they are all dangerous for the same reason. They all contain a substance found in cacao seeds which are harmful to dogs. It can cause a variety of symptoms including vomiting, excessive thirst, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rate and even death. I know this is a hard one to avoid when you’ve got kids, so you have to be extra vigilant. We were very fortunate one Easter. My son had left his Easter basket on his bedroom floor and Toby, our dog, got into it and ate most of his candy! Thankfully, he was alright, but this just shows you that dogs will eat chocolate if you leave it out.
Milk
Milk can cause dogs to have digestive issues because they don’t have enough lactase in their systems to handle the lactose in milk. It’s best to avoid milk and dairy with pets.
Citrus
In small amounts, the fruit of citrus are only likely to cause minor stomach upset, but the skin, peels, and seeds contain essential oils that can cause central nervous system depression.
Nuts
Nuts have a lot of fat which can cause your dog to have digestive upset. If they have a large amount of fat, it can lead to pancreatitis.
Macadamia nuts can be particularly dangerous for dogs. These nuts can cause weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. The signs of toxicity usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and can last approximately 12 to 48 hours. Contact your vet if your dog ingests macadamia nuts.
Onions, Garlic and Chives
These can be dangerous to dogs in large amounts causing gastrointestinal irritation. They could lead to red blood cell damage.
Salt and Salty Foods
It is best to avoid giving your dog salty foods. Too many salty foods can cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and even death. Even smaller amounts can cause your dog to be excessively thirsty.
More
This list is not all inclusive, and it is always best to feed your dog foods that are meant for dogs, not people! If you have questions, be sure to check with your vet, and if you believe your dog has eaten something he should not eat, call your vet immediately. Have you had any experiences with your dog getting foods he should not eat? Or maybe you’ve got more suggestions for foods dogs should not eat. I’d love to hear from you!
I’ve had dogs my whole life and only knew a few items on the list 🙁 Fortunately, it appears that mine don’t like them anyways because if/when they’re in leftovers, they’re always left behind (like onions). Bookmarking this post for the future. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping! I think my dog would eat everything if I let him!
I didn’t know a few of these. We lost our dog last summer, but if we ever get another I will refer back to this list.
I’m so sorry about your dog! They are a part of the family for sure.
When we had our dog I would rarely buy grapes. My kids drop stuff all the time and we called her the black vacuum, I didn’t want to take a chance.
Kids do drop food all the time! I love the black vacuum name lol!
Great info for dog lovers!! You made a super good list! So many foods are toxic to pets. One of the MOST toxic and scary is Xylitol which is used OFTEN in peanut butter and yogurt. The really scary thing is that we often treat our dogs with peanut butter, or make homemade treats with it. Yogurt is recommended by vets for tummy issues in dogs. So be sure also that the peanut butter and yogurt you are buying does NOT have xylitol in it.
Thank you for writing about this. We love our pets and never want to harm them. Now we are more informed!
I didn’t know Xylitol was in peanut butter! I’ll be sure to check our labels for it! Thanks for the awesome comment.
I have dogs all my life and one the biggest No, No’s is the chocolate. I am glad you talked about salty foods, have to keep family from giving food off plates.
I agree! Dogs love chips!
It is crazy how many foods dogs should not have. I know I catch my kids from stopping slipping scraps and its to our dog.
I remember doing it when I was little too! We need to tell them that it might hurt the dog to feed him stuff he shouldn’t have!
Oh wow there’s a whole lot more here than what I thought. I knew about chocolate raisins and grapes. I did not know about macadamia nuts. I will definitely keep my dog from eating those.
I never did either! It’s strange that a certain nut would be more toxic.
This is wonderful list to know not what go give our furry friends. We don’t let our animals eat people food.
That’s your best bet!
Fortunately for me, my dogs are excessively picky. If it’s a fruit or vegetable, they wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole!
You’re lucky then! They must have a bit of “picky kid” in their breed lol.
I don’t have a dog, but will have to share this with my sister. I believe her Vet told her some of these, but not everything.
Great! I know vet’s don’t usually tell us everything!
It is so important to know what not to feed your pets. Lists like this are really helpful to people with new dogs.
I agree! A lot of us only had pets as kids and don’t know what they can and can’t have.
Thanks for this informative post. Although my fur baby does not like most of the foods listed here, his only obsession is to have some kind of “sauce” poured over his kibble. He loves chicken and beef gravy. I will have to monitor the salt levels in those from now on.
Yes, you never really think of salt content in their foods! My dog loves everything lol.
Glad to see some good stuff and good information in this article. I’m a dog lover and having a dog is having a new member family. So knowing a good or bad for them is a good information to make sure that they are always safe.
Yes, it is important to stay informed!
Oh wow, I didn’t know a lot of these. My dogs love milk but it doesn’t seem to affect them. I might cut this from their treat.
That’s probably best since it might upset their tummies or give them gas!
We only feed our dog foods that are meant for dogs. I don’t think it is healthy for dogs to eat human food – half of the human food isn’t even healthy for us to eat lol.
I know it! I think that when I’m eating candy and they dog is begging for it and I’m like it’s not good for dogs lol.
Thanks for this information. I only thought dogs couldn’t have chocolate but I don’t have a dog so I have no idea. Great info!
Yes, there’s a lot they can’t have!
I had no idea that garlic was bad for dogs until just recently. Our dog has a very sensitive stomach, so he tends to only get doggie food and treats.
It’s probably best to stick to doggie foods!
Great tips! Some of the tips I knew about but the milk one caught me by surprise! The grapes and raisins make sense because these are just too small. Am glad bananas weren’t on this list cause I know a lot of pooches that love them
Thanks!