If you have dogs or visit people that do, it’s not a shock whenever you eat and your pet or a friend’s pet decides to sit in front of or beside you. Why? Its eyes signal just one thing: it wants the food on your plate. And who wouldn’t give in, especially when they start making cute whines? But not everything on your plate is safe for your dogs.
More so, not everyone can stick to carefully formulated dog foods. You might want to give them foods we consume as a substitute or mix.
So, next time you have to feed that dog from your plate or find an alternative to pricey dog foods, here’s a list of human foods you must not give them.
1. Avocados
Because avocados are high in fat, dogs can develop pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a condition caused by an inflamed pancreas. This inflammation causes the pancreas to release food-breaking enzymes early, so when there is no food to digest, these enzymes attack the pancreas.
Other than pancreatitis, smaller doses of avocado can lead to diarrhoea and vomiting in dogs due to the presence of persin. Avocado seeds can also obstruct your dog’s intestines, especially in smaller breeds.
Avocado is a good fat option for humans, but you should keep it away from your dogs.
2. Tomatoes
Generally, ripe tomatoes are fine for dogs. However, unripe tomatoes (the green ones) are toxic to dogs because they contain solanine. When consumed in large doses, solanine can lead to weakness, diarrhoea, and vomiting.
3. Mushrooms
There are thousands of mushroom species, and most are safe for consumption. However, it isn’t always easy to identify the safe ones. Therefore, it’s advised to keep mushrooms away from dogs. Your dog consuming the wrong mushroom can lead to death, kidney failure, liver failure, seizures, and, in less extreme cases, diarrhoea, vomiting, and excessive urination.
4. Peanut Butter (and Other Nut Butters)
If you want to feed your dogs nut butter, you need to do your due diligence. Most are safe for dogs, but some contain Xylitol, a dangerous compound sometimes also found in chewing gum. So, check the ingredients in the nut butter you want to feed your dog before you do so.
5. Candies or Gums That Are Sugar-free
This is similar to the last entry on this list. Sugar-free gums and candies also contain Xylitol. Xylitol is a sweetener used instead of sugar; it is also commonly called sugar alcohol. It is also found in baked foods, toothpaste, and cough syrup.
6. Chocolate
Dog owners or previous dog owners should know that chocolates harm dogs. They contain caffeine and theobromine, two substances that cause heart and central nervous system problems in dogs. Also, the darker the chocolate, the worse it is for your dog because it contains more theobromine. This is not to say that you can feed your dogs less chocolatey stuff like milk chocolate; they are all harmful.
7. Coffee, Tea, and Energy Drinks
Like chocolates, coffee, tea, and some energy drinks contain caffeine. Your dog may not show adverse symptoms with one or two laps, but Coffee grounds and tea bags are especially toxic. Restlessness, tremors, hypertension and seizures are common symptoms they may show after consuming coffee or tea.
If the symptoms aren’t severe, some simple treatments can be used to counteract them: induced vomiting, activated charcoal, sedatives if they are hyperactive, and IV fluids to help with excretion. If a vet isn’t around, antacids can be given for diarrhoea and anti-convulsants for seizures.
