Foods Poisonous to Your Dog

[Marty]

Chocolate:
It is not chocolate itself that is poisonous to dogs, it is the theobromine, a naturally occurring compound found in chocolate. Theobromine causes different reactions to different dogs: dogs with health problems, especially epilepsy, are more affected by theobromine than healthy dogs. Theobromine can trigger epileptic seizures in dogs prone to or at risk of epilepsy. The size of the dog will also be a major factor: the smaller the dog, the more affected it is by the same amount than a larger dog. Therefore, toxicity is described on a mg/Kg basis. Furthermore, theobromine can cause cardiac irregularity, especially if the dog becomes excited. Cardiac arythmia can precipitate a myocardial infarct which can kill the dog. Theobromine also irritates the GI tract and in some dogs can cause internal bleeding, which in some cases kills them a day or so later.

Theobromine is also present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate. Milk chocolate has 44-66 mg/oz, dark chocolate 450 mg/oz and baking/bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies as much as 150-600 mg/oz. How much chocolate a dog can survive depends on its weight (and other unknown circumstances). Under 200 mg theobromine per kg body weight no deaths have been observed.

Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14 and 20 hours. It goes back into the bloodstream through the stomach lining and takes a long time for the liver to filter out. Within two hours of ingestion, try inducing vomiting unless your dog is markedly stimulated, comatose, or has lost the gag reflex. If your dog has eaten a considerable amount of chocolate, or displays any of the above symptoms, take it to the vet without delay. In the absence of major symptoms, administer activated charcoal. The unabsorbed theobromine will chemically bond to this and be eliminated in the feces. In pinch, burnt (as in thoroughly burnt, crumbling in hand) toast will do.

Walnuts are poisonous to dogs and should be avoided. Many nuts are not good for dogs in general; their high phosporus content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones.

Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs. (Stephen J Ettinger, D.V.M and Edward C. Fieldman, D.V.M. 's book: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine vol. 2 pg 1884.)

Potato poisonings among people and dogs have occurred. Solanum alkaloids can be found in green sprouts and green potato skins, which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. The relatively rare occurrence of actual poisoning is due to several factors: solanine is poorly absorbed; it is mostly hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the metabolites are quickly eliminated. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute pancreatis in dogs.

[suki]

some more info:

While dogs can eat some of the same foods that we do, there are many they should not eat. Some common foods you may have around your house could kill your dog in the right amount.

Some foods dogs should not eat

If your dog has ingested any of these foods, get veterinary help immediately
Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill a dog
Onions: Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia.
Chocolate: Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous.
Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms chocolate causes
Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis.
Animal fat and fried foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.
Bones: Bones can splinter and damage a dog’s internal organs.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomatoe plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe.
Avocados: The fruit, pit and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart
Nutmeg: Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death
Apples, Cherries, Peaches and similar fruit: The seeds of these fruits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans. Unlike humans, dogs do not know to stop eating at the core/pit and easily ingest them.
Raw eggs: Raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning in dogs. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans and are not as likely to suffer from food poisoning, but it is still possible.
Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems.

Food that most dogs can eat:
Some “human” foods are good for dogs. Most of these are healthier than the boxed treats you buy in the grocery store. . This is just a small list of examples of foods dogs can eat, not a list of every food they should eat. Dogs won’t necessarily get all the nutrients they need if they eat these foods exclusively, so check with your veterinarian if you are interested in feeding your dog a home cooked diet.
Any food that causes stomach upsets or digestive problems in your dogs should be avoided. Like people, some dogs cannot tolerate certain foods

Meats:
Meats should be boneless and it’s best if the skin is removed. I don’t consider raw meat a good idea because of the small risk of food poisoning and parasites.
Skinless, boneless chicken breast
Skinless, boneless turkey breast
Boneless fish

Vegetables:
Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans and cannot digest most vegetables whole or in large chunks. It’s best to put them through a food processor before giving them to your dog
Carrots
Green Beans
Lettuce
Potatoes
Yams

Grains:
Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but these foods are generally safe in small amounts
Rice
Bread

Dairy products
Use caution with dairy products as they are high in fat and can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. Usually, nonfat plain yogurt is safe in small amounts

[Judy]

Good post, thank you Suki!

[Marty]

Thanks Suki some good info in that ;)

[rottnbull]

MORE INFO: Apples, Cherries, Peaches and similar fruit: The seeds of these fruits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans. Unlike humans, dogs do not know to stop eating at the core/pit and easily ingest them.
WRONG: any fruit that has a core or a pit/seed needs to be removed all of the pesticides reside there If your dog eats a full apple off a tree in your yard and you used no pesticides it will be ok/l
Raw eggs: Raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning in dogs. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans and are not as likely to suffer from food poisoning, but it is still possible. WRONG: the egg is the purest form of pure protein a dog can soncure, actually dogs with renal (kidney) failure are given 1 raw egg per day as this is a highly absorbable digestible protein for them.DOGS DO NOT GET FOOD POISONING.


Food that most dogs can eat:
Some “human” foods are good for dogs. Most of these are healthier than the boxed treats you buy in the grocery store. . This is just a small list of examples of foods dogs can eat, not a list of every food they should eat. Dogs won’t necessarily get all the nutrients they need if they eat these foods exclusively, so check with your veterinarian if you are interested in feeding your dog a home cooked diet.
Any food that causes stomach upsets or digestive problems in your dogs should be avoided. Like people, some dogs cannot tolerate certain foods WRONG: First ask your Vet if they have even has ANY nutritional training before you go to them about food or diet for your dog. 99% of all normal vets have No nutritional training except what they learn from the Hills science rep or other food re .It is not required reading in Vet medial school and those who want it have to pay to go to other seminars not even given at the colleges.; next All human food(not fast food) is safe for your dog. Make them meals of leftover meat/potatoes and cooked veggies & you will be givin them a meal 10times more nutritious than most any kibbles on the market Mine get pizza, pasta, mac n cheese, salad, cooked potatos, any left over meat, casseroles or what ever we fix when you home cook You are killing the nutrients in the mea and the vegetables & fruis. Your dogs will love you to no end if you give them variety, change. And make their meals as fun as yours.

Meats:
Meats should be boneless and it’s best if the skin is removed. I don’t consider raw meat a good idea because of the small risk of food poisoning and parasites.
Skinless, boneless chicken breast
Skinless, boneless turkey breast
Boneless fish WRONG: first of all All raw meat/bones & skin is not poisoness and any parasites the dogs Pass, They do not get food poisoning. They process all the fat of the animals . 99% absorbed and used in all parts of their b9ody. All raw bones dissolves in the intestinal tract and here you get true real calcium in the dogs. Dogs do not get salmonella, or e-coli, their acids in their system or intestinal tract allow the parasites to pass through their system and they pass in threir stools.

Vegetables:
Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans and cannot digest most vegetables whole or in large chunks. It’s best to put them through a food processor before giving them to your dog
Carrots
Green Beans
Lettuce
Potatoes
Yams Pat true, Dogs can not process or breakdown the cellular walls of fruits and vegetables. They must be put in a grinder/ juicer or blener. You should always use the same amount of below and above ground vegetable sna the list of veggies is allot loner than this I do 250 lb a week to sell , I have recipe which is amazing for the dogs the right ingredients, and greeaing also help process and the dogs love it. This are all used with a total raw diet

Grains:
Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but these foods are generally safe in small amounts
Rice
Bread Rice should only be brown rice, over cooked and rinsed,the other good one to feed is oatmeal and the best is Pearl millet No human or dog has allergies to pearl millet
Bread should not be fed to dogs at all preservatives. Wheat flour, is the worst, shertening, and gluten are major causes of allergies.

Dairy products
Use caution with dairy products as they are high in fat and can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. Usually, nonfat plain yogurt is safe in small amounts

This is partly true, The only cheese a dog shoule eat is White cheese and Yogart should only be used every other month at bedtime. 1 tsp – 1 tbl every other night for a week. This cleanses the old bacteria out of the intestinal tract and set up new flora for a healthy dog.

I’ve been feeding a total raw diet to my dogs for over 8 years. They range from 22months to over 10 yer. They never go to the vet, are never sick and they never get any shots pas puppy shots. Vaccines are #1 neurological killer of dogs and depleted immune systems. I have no idea Suki where you got your info ffom Some is good but some is just not right. I’ve had dogs for over 25+ year. Reserched, studied, read book, gone to every possible seminar from rendering plants to whats used as dog kibble to what AAFCO & the research center allow as products in kibble to the worst on the market and the dumping ground of chemical companies to your dogs and cats.

[DiggityDogs]

I think that is the most confusing post I've ever read?

'Make them meals of leftover meat/potatoes and cooked veggies & you will be givin them a meal 10times more nutritious than most any kibbles on the market Mine get pizza, pasta, mac n cheese, salad, cooked potatos, any left over meat, casseroles or what ever we fix when you home cook You are killing the nutrients in the mea and the vegetables & fruis. Your dogs will love you to no end if you give them variety, change. And make their meals as fun as yours.'

Are you serious? You say 'mine get pizza, pasta, etc' and then in the same paragraph say that cooking food kills the nutrients? I'm so confused right now I don't know where to start. I don't care how many seminars you've been to, I don't think you should be counseling ANYONE on what to feed thier dogs!

[Dogwise]

DOGS DO NOT GET FOOD POISONING.

Really? Is that why they get sick, throw up, and have diarrhea after eating something bad.


Some “human” foods are good for dogs. Most of these are healthier than the boxed treats you buy in the grocery store.

These days one can find plenty of human grade quality dog treats that *come in a box.*

Like people, some dogs cannot tolerate certain foods WRONG:

Wrong? How is that wrong? Of course there's certain foods dogs can't tolerate.

Make them meals of leftover meat/potatoes and cooked veggies & you will be givin them a meal 10times more nutritious than most any kibbles on the market Mine get pizza, pasta, mac n cheese, salad, cooked potatos, any left over meat, casseroles or what ever we fix when you home cook You are killing the nutrients in the mea and the vegetables & fruis. Your dogs will love you to no end if you give them variety, change. And make their meals as fun as yours.

Not only does that statement contradict itself, but it mentions some foods that are nothing but pure cr*p and even humans shouldn't be eating them. "Mac n cheese" Please...don't we have enough humans with weight problems, and now we're going to fatten up dogs. Which I'm seeing more and more of these days. Allot of what your claiming sounds allot like something I read in a book called "Smarter Than You Think." To bad the book was as "Dumb as I thought."

first of all All raw meat/bones & skin is not poisoness and any parasites the dogs Pass, They do not get food poisoning. They process all the fat of the animals . 99% absorbed and used in all parts of their b9ody. All raw bones dissolves in the intestinal tract and here you get true real calcium in the dogs. Dogs do not get salmonella, or e-coli, their acids in their system or intestinal tract allow the parasites to pass through their system and they pass in threir stools.

Ok at this point I'm going to suggest when you make the kind of statements your making here, you at least have some data backing up your claims. It would help to see facts.

Bread should not be fed to dogs at all preservatives. Wheat flour, is the worst, shertening, and gluten are major causes of allergies.

Did you not just say earlier, that dogs can have pizza?

I’ve been feeding a total raw diet to my dogs for over 8 years. They range from 22months to over 10 yer. They never go to the vet, are never sick and they never get any shots pas puppy shots. Vaccines are #1 neurological killer of dogs and depleted immune systems.

Really? The "#1 neurological" killer of dogs? Show me one bit of info backing that claim.

I have no idea Suki where you got your info ffom Some is good but some is just not right. I’ve had dogs for over 25+ year. Reserched, studied, read book, gone to every possible seminar from rendering plants to whats used as dog kibble to what AAFCO & the research center allow as products in kibble to the worst on the market and the dumping ground of chemical companies to your dogs and cats.

#1 And how many dogs would that be? Owning a couple of/or several dogs for 25 years does not make one an expert on dogs. I've driven plenty of cars for some forty years, that doesn't make me an expert on them. If you've done so much research (other than reading books) show us some research data backing your claims.

v Added later. v

I thought it only fair to comeback and say I am a behavior expert, not a nutritionist. It's quite possible you may know some of what you talking about. The problem is, you've contradicted yourself in your statement, or perhaps I'm not understanding you. You are also contradicting what some nutrition experts are saying, and that is why supplying data would be helpful.

[smoothladyhellfire]

umm, ok, im confused.. i knew chocolate was bad, but i didnt know details, i didnt know about onions,but she doesnt like them anyway ( i love tacos and i usually let her lick my plate when im done...but she never eats the onions, i know because i always have to pick them up off my floor..haha) i knew milk wasnt good for adult dogs,but i thought it was ok for puppys ( my dog is 3, so i wasnt gonna give her milk anyway) but about the raw egg, do we have a tie breaker? LOL :) i sometimes give er a raw egg i a bowl once every 2 weeks or so,when ive got extra eggys...
oh, another question, would it hurt to give about a half of a calcium/magnezium/zinc ( for humans) now and again? i havent done this, i wanted to ask here irst...the reason i thought of it was because sometimes when its cold, she acts a bit like shes got arthritis, and i know when my back and joints hurt, those vitamins help me.. but again, i wanted to ask here first... i love this forum, especiallybecause your pittbull friendly..:)

[Rottweilerlvr]

I just would keep it simple and say, feed your dog 'dog food'??? And if you are going to or try to feed your dog people food, consult with your vet first.

[smoothladyhellfire]

'kibbles n bits' IS dog food,i was asking about eggs, and cacium pills.. i just figure id ask here first since there are a lot of knowledgeable people, but the calcium pills aret something thats real big thing, it was just a thought i figured id run by you all.relax, i know dog food is best, thats why thats what she eats .otherwise, it was just a question..:)

[Rottweilerlvr]

'kibbles n bits' IS dog food,i was asking about eggs.

Sorry, I wasn't answering your post about the eggs... lol.. I was making a statement because there was alot of confusion about the "human" food to feed your dogs. I feed mine dog food, so I don't know nothing about feeding people food... I hear eggs are ok, but wait until someone else who has better experience in this to answer that question... Sorry for the misunderstanding!!

[smoothladyhellfire]

its cool, no harm no foul...i know some people feed their dogs weird stuff, some people dont know that innocent piece ofchocolate that hit the floor needs to be picked up before doggy gets it...we all get tempted to feed them tablescraps, so it is good to know what NOT to feed, a lot of folks dont know...

[poketmouse]

Eggs are fine to give to dogs, you just have to know how well your dog can handle them. Some dogs get digestive upsets with eggs too often, but I know lots of people who throw in a raw egg here and there for their dogs. Geiger loves eggs! He gently holds the egg in his mouth and cracks a hole in it with his teeth so he can lick out the good stuff before eats the shell.

[portraitz]

Eeek! Hope he's outside when eats his eggs! I'll have to give one to Otto and see if he likes it. I sincerely doubt if my Gussie would lower herself to having to open up her own egg...:D

Well, I feed my dogs human food supplemented by kibble. I have been blessed with very healthy, very long-lived dogs, but have no way of knowing if it's diet or something else. I've also never had a fat dog.

[StarfishSaving]

'kibbles n bits' IS dog food

Actually, IMO that's negotiable... (ok, that sounds harsh, I don't mean it to.)

Please consider going to a higher quality food, then you won't have to consider supplementing (not that it's a bad thing- we still give supplements in the form of yogurt, eggs, veggies, occasionally vitamins, etc). Something with a meat protein first on the ingredient list, no corn, no by-products, artificial preservatives and coloring, and no salt or sugar. Your dog will be much better off.

I usually don't chime in to criticize a food and hate that I'm even compelled to do it now but seriously, Kibbles n bits is not good food in any way, shape or form. :(

http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1
http://www.gooddogmagazine.com/how_to_buy_dog_food.htm
http://www.thedogbowl.com/PPF/category_ID/0_63/dogbowl.asp

[StarfishSaving]

Eggs are fine to give to dogs, you just have to know how well your dog can handle them. Some dogs get digestive upsets with eggs too often, but I know lots of people who throw in a raw egg here and there for their dogs. Geiger loves eggs! He gently holds the egg in his mouth and cracks a hole in it with his teeth so he can lick out the good stuff before eats the shell.

That is so cute! We give eggs to our dogs sometimes mixed in with raw food or kibble but they don't know what to do with them otherwise.

Eggs are nature's perfect food- they contain everything that an animal needs to sustain itself (hence the reason life grows inside!)

[Woof]

Smoothlady Hellfire:

I really don't know what affect calcium pills would have but I would like to siggest glucosamine and condroiton. You will find these two ingredients are already included in many holistic brands of large breed dog food but they are included in an entry level amount only.

I have a senior dog (lab) that we give glucosamine to daily. We stopped at one point and saw a dramatic decrease in the dogs ability to get up from a laying position. Once we got him back on the supplement he improved immediately. This is where I would recomend you start.

[tiffany1white]

Thank you very much for this, as you know many of us make the mistake of spoiling our dogs way too much. Some of the foods that are harmful I have given him already. Nothing has happened that I know of but I defintitely monitor him.