We all love our dogs, and we love seeing our dogs happy. A very easy way to make them happy is to share a little bit of whatever we’re eating with them. However a dog can have a very different reaction to certain foods and chemicals than a person, and some foods that are harmless or even healthy for us to eat as people can make our dogs sick and even kill them. Before we open up our fridges and pantries to let our four-legged best friends feast upon the innards, as responsible pet owners we need to know which of our favorite foods are so dangerous that we should just eat them ourselves.
Although many dogs have no higher aspirations in life than to one day be given a seat at the kitchen table and get a fair share of the family dinner, most human diets don’t meet the specific dietary needs of a dog. The healthiest diet for your dog is going to be the recommended amount of a commercial dog food brand approved by your vet and occasional treats given out in moderation. Commercial dog food recipes are created by veterinary nutritionists who make sure that the food is both safe and meets the dietary requirements your dog needs to stay healthy. Feeding your dog table food as its main daily meal or putting them on a specialty diet of home made foods is a bad idea and unhealthy for your pet.
Even if the best food we can feed our dogs is dog food, very few of us possess hearts so frozen that we can always resist sharing our meals and snacks with good boys and girls. Luckily most of the food we eat is safe for dogs in small amounts. As long as we make sure ‘people food’ is safe for them to eat, and only ever feed it to dogs in moderation, our dogs can stay healthy and experience all the joy of eating some of our favorite foods.
A good general rule for sharing food with dogs is to never give your dog anything you wouldn’t want to eat yourself. Meat and eggs that are raw or under-cooked pose many of the same health risks to dogs as they do to humans. Moldy or out of date food can just as easily make your dog sick as it can you. Even the disgusting pieces of fat you cut off your steak that your dog would just love to scarf down isn’t very healthy for them to eat. If you’re not willing to share the good stuff with your dog, then it’s best not to share at all.
Also be aware that your dog isn’t going to be too discerning about what they eat, and most will gobble up whatever you give them on the off chance it might be edible, even the parts of the food that aren’t supposed to be eaten. Before giving any food to your dog, make sure you remove any parts you wouldn’t want to eat yourself. Cores, pits, and bones can cause obstructions in your dog’s stomach and internal bleeding. Inedible parts of a fruit like the seeds, stem, or leaves may contain chemicals that can make your dog sick, cause health problems over time, and in some cases may even fatally poison your pet.
Before feeding your dog anything though, be sure to take a look through the next portion of the book. We’ll go over the common foods you’ll find through out your house that your dog shouldn’t be eating, and why.
Most foods, even if they aren’t healthy for your dog, at least aren’t outright deadly. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most common foods you’ll find in your kitchen that are just plain bad for your pet, and we’ve also included a few less common foods that are particularly dangerous. Whenever you feed a new kind of food to your pet, it’s a good idea to look it up on the Internet first to make sure it is both safe and healthy for them to be eating it, or better yet discuss it with your vet. Keep in mind too that, like people, some dogs have food allergies, and what may normally be a safe and healthy treat can end up making your dog sick. It’s best to keep an eye on your dog for a bit and watch out for any signs of an allergic reaction whenever they try something new.
If you even suspect your dog may have consumed something toxic, the best thing to do is to take them to the vet immediately and have them checked out. It’s also a good idea to call your vet or a pet poison hotline to see if there is any emergency treatment you can do yourself first. If you wait for your pet to show symptoms of poisoning, you may not have enough time to save them, and the most effective (and typically the cheapest) treatments are going to be those that are done as soon as possible after consumption.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES – Some alcoholic drinks are delicious, and sometimes it’s also fun to get a bit tipsy or even just drunk, but it’s not all that fun for canines. Lacking a human understanding of what’s happening to them, being intoxicated can be distressing and even terrifying for them. A dog is also just as susceptible to hangovers and alcohol poisoning as a human is. It’s a pretty sure bet a dog will get an upset tummy from drinking, vomiting and diarrhea are also fairly common. They may also experience headaches, lethargy and trouble breathing. If they drink too much, they’re in danger of falling into a coma and even dying, and it takes a lot less alcohol to kill a dog than to kill a person.
Adult drinks should only be for human adults. Alcohol isn’t a nice treat for a dog, and it isn’t funny to see them drunk. It’s dangerous, potentially life threatening, and psychologically cruel to let a dog drink. If your dog manages to sneak a drink like a naughty teenager, get them to the vet right away to receive treatment.
ALMONDS – Dog’s have trouble digesting almonds, which can give them an upset tummy. Unlike many other nuts, almonds aren’t toxic, so it’s not life threatening if your dog eats some, but you can save them stomach pain by finding them a better treat.
APPLE SEEDS – Apple seeds contain a small amount of cyanide. The cyanide in a single apple seed is so small, eating a few isn’t going to harm your pet, even if you have one of the smaller breeds. If your pooch regularly consumes apple seeds however, the cyanide can build up over time and eventually cause health problems.
Absent the seeds, apples are one of the more nutritious and healthy snacks you can feed your dog. Just make sure to slice it up and remove the core first.
APRICOT LEAVES, SEEDS, AND STEMS – Apricots are from the stone fruit family – plums, peaches, and cherries etc. Stone fruits are generally harmful to dogs. The leaves, seeds, and stems of an apricot contain cyanide, which can make your dog seriously ill and even cause death. In addition to not feeding your dog apricot pits, make sure they’re not left alone outside with an apricot tree. Dried apricot is safe for your dog to eat in moderation, but too much can cause upset stomach and diarrhea.
AVOCADOS – Avocados contain persin, a chemical that is known to be toxic to many animals, but is fortunately safe for your pet to eat and is even an ingredient in some dog foods. The primary concern with feeding avocados to dogs is the pit, which can cause an obstruction in your pet’s digestive track. The flesh of the avocado is also known to give some dogs an upset tummy. So feed your dog avocados in moderation, make sure they don’t eat the pit, and watch your dog afterwards to make sure it goes over well in their stomach.
BAKING SODA AND BAKING POWDER – Hopefully you’re not the kind of person who feeds their pet baking soda or baking powder and calls it a treat, but maybe you’ve given them a small amount as a home remedy. If your dog does happen to get into the baking powder or soda, eating a large amount can cause digestive issues, electrolyte imbalances, muscle seizures, and even heart failure. Whether you’re working with soda or powder, be sure to keep it out of the dog’s reach, and before you try any home remedy be sure to consult with your vet first.
BLUE CHEESES – Most cheeses aren’t that bad for your dog. Cheeses do tend to be high in fat and salt, so they should very rarely be given to dogs and only in small amounts. Cheesy junk food should just be outright avoided. Blue cheeses, such as Stilton and Gorgonzola, are a much worse though. The penicillium mold cultures that color the cheese blue can cause roquefortine poisoning in dogs, which is potentially fatal. Symptoms include muscle tremors, vomiting, and seizures. Blue cheese that has been sitting out or gone bad has a higher chance of poisoning your dog, so be sure to keep cheese platters out of your dog’s reach. When throwing out blue cheese make sure it’s in a secured container your dog doesn’t have access to.
B ONES (COOKED OR RAW) – The next time you have a nice piece of steak, you might consider throwing your dog the bone, especially if they’re into chewing things, but cooked bones are really bad for dogs. When bones are cooked they become brittle, and it’s easy for a jagged piece to splinter off and be swallowed. Once swallowed, your dog could end up choking on the piece, or if it’s sharp enough it may end up cutting up their insides like a little jagged knife. If it’s big enough it may become an intestinal blockage. All of those things are potentially deadly. Most of us know to keep cooked chicken bones away from our dogs, but even larger, thicker bones, such as t-bones, can cause the same problems.
Feeding dogs raw bones, meanwhile, is just as bad as feeding them raw meat. A raw bone might be safe for your dog to eat, in fact the odds are it probably is, but there’s also a chance it’s full of harmful bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli. A dog may have a better immune system for handling these diseases than a human, but their immune system isn’t a perfect defense, and there’s a real danger that they could become seriously ill.
With bones and other chews it’s safest to stick with products that have been specially prepared and are specifically advertised as safe for your dog to chew.
CAFFEINE – Caffeine is commonly found in coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, diet and fitness supplements, and some medications. Most of us consume at least a little bit of caffeine every day in some form. Unfortunately our furry friends aren’t nearly as tolerant to it as we are. A very moderate amount of caffeine can be enough to cause heart issues, hypertension, seizures, and even death in a small dog. A couple laps of soda or coffee likely isn’t going to cause any ill effects, but if your dog has any more than a small amount of caffeine, especially if they manage to eat tea bags, coffee grounds, or expresso beans, or if your dog is showing signs of caffeine poisoning (such as restlessness, hyperactivity, an elevated or abnormal heart rate, an elevated body temperature, or tremors), then you should contact your vet or pet poison control immediately.
CHERRIES – Cherries are from the same family of harmful dog fruits as apricots, plums, and peaches. The pit of the cherry contains cyanide, which can make your dog seriously ill and even cause death. It can build up in your dog’s body over time. The pit and stem of the fruit are choking hazards and can also cause obstructions in other parts of your pet’s digestive track. Although the flesh of the fruit isn’t nearly as dangerous, it’s still known to cause an upset stomach in a lot of dogs. It’s best to just not bother feeding cherries to a dog, even if the pit and stem have been removed, and be sure not to leave your dog unsupervised around a cherry tree.
CHIVES – Chives come from the same family as onions, and like onions they contain the chemical thiosulphate, which can cause hemolytic anemia in your pet. Hemolytic anemia is a serious condition that can cause lethargy, trouble breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and even death. In some cases it can take as long as four days before symptoms appear. If your dog has eaten some chives, get them to a vet ASAP.
CHOCOLATE – You probably already know chocolate is bad for dogs, and eating some can potentially kill them. It’s the food that’s always pointed out should never be fed to dogs, because although it’s fine for us, it’s potentially deadly to them.
The culprit is a chemical in chocolate called theobromine. Humans can process it just fine, but dogs can’t, and it can quickly build up to toxic levels in their blood. All chocolate has at least some theobromine in it. Dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, and cocoa contain very large amounts of it, where as white chocolate has much less than most other kinds of chocolate.
Weight determines how much theobromine a dog can handle before they become sick. Even a small amount of milk chocolate or white chocolate can be enough to kill a very small dog. Larger dogs may not get sick from eating a small bit of chocolate, but even as little as one ounce of dark chocolate is enough to kill a 44 pound dog.
If your dog does ingest chocolate, you need to call your vet and get them over there right away. The usual treatment is forced vomiting or stomach pumping, but there is a very short window for when it has to be done.
CANDY – If you go to the store and buy up all the different kinds of candy they have, you’ll have a smorgasbord of things your dog should never eat. The very best candies to give your dog are full of sugar and a bunch of empty calories, and your doggo will find it a lot less exciting than a dog treat. Chocolate, xylitol (sweetener), raisins, and assorted nuts are all common candy ingredients, and all of them are known poisons that can kill your dog. It’s best to keep candies to yourself, and find other things to share with your best friend.
COFFEE (Grounds, Beans, And Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans) – Coffee contains caffeine, which dogs have a very low tolerance for, and a caffeine overdose can be deadly. If your dog does manage to sneak a couple laps out of your cup of morning joe, or if they come running when you inevitably spill a bit from your overfilled mug on the floor, it probably won’t be enough to make them sick, even if they are a small dog. A dog should never be given coffee though, and drinking a moderate amount of it can not only make them sick, it may actually kill them.
Coffee grounds and beans have a much higher concentration of caffeine, and if your dog gets into these you should contact your vet immediately. Chocolate- covered espresso beans are even worse for your dog because of the chocolate.
CORN ON THE COB – Some dogs love corn, and as long as they aren’t allergic, it’s a perfectly okay snack for them. In fact some popular brands of dog food use corn as a primary ingredient. However dogs have trouble telling which parts of food are edible and which are not, and unfortunately when a dog’s unsure if something is food, they’ll usually eat it just in case. Not only is the cob part of corn on the cob a choking hazard, but if your dog does manage to swallow it down it can cause an obstruction on their digestive track. When feeding your dog corn, just make sure you take it off the cob first and all should be fine. If your dog does eat the cob, first make sure they aren’t choking, and if not take them to the vet right away for treatment.
CURRANTS – Currants are related to grapes, and some currants are in fact just small grapes. Like grapes, currants can cause sudden kidney failure in your dog, and we’re not sure why that is, or why some dogs are fine eating currants and to others it can be deadly. Like grapes, it’s best to keep these away from your dog, and to call the vet right away if some are accidentally consumed.
ESSENTIAL OILS – For a long while now there’s been a trend where some people are using essential oils as home remedies for all sorts of ailments, and now people are starting to use them on pets as well. Many of these oils have never been proven to offer the benefits claimed, and the general idea behind using these oils on pets is if it works for humans, it must work exactly the same on animals. Some of these oils may be toxic and even fatal to your pet, and others may cause allergies and skin irritation. Our pets are at a huge disadvantage to us when using these home remedies, because they can’t tell us if something is making them ill and they don’t know not to lick off a topical application.
Before using any natural or home remedy, be sure to consult with your vet first about whether a product is a safe and effective treatment. An educated, trained, and licensed veterinarian is going to be far more knowledgeable about what is best for your furry friends than the nutritional specialist at the vitamin store or your friend who sells essential oils on Facebook.
EXPIRED FOOD – See Out of Date or Expired Food.
FAT TRIMMINGS – In moderation, a bit of fat isn’t going to hurt your dog, and a small amount is even healthy for them. However if your dog is on a dog food diet, they should be getting enough fat from their regular food to stay healthy, and healthy fats like those found in salmon and tuna are best if there is some sort of deficiency. Even if your dog enjoys eating the trimmings from your steak that are too gross and unhealthy for you to eat yourself, it’s not really healthy for them either, and it’d be much better if you gave them one of the nice pieces of meat off your plate.
If your dog eats a large amount of fat at once, it can cause digestive problems and in extreme cases can cause kidney failure and liver damage. Usually if it isn’t a regular occurrence, it’s fine just to watch for symptoms of distress, but it’s also not a bad idea to call your vet and get their opinion on the situation as well.
FIGS – Figs contain two chemicals, ficin and ficusin, which can cause digestive problems, vomiting, rashes, and inflammation of your dog’s mouth and tongue. Figs can be healthy for your dog when fed to them in moderation, and your pet should be fine having a couple figs every now and then. Just be careful not to overfeed figs to your dog, and never leave them unsupervised around a fig tree.
FLEA BATHS, FLEA TREATMENTS – See Topical Flea Treatment.
GARLIC – Is garlic unsafe for dogs? Maybe. In fact, it probably is, at least in high enough doses. Garlic comes from the same family as onions, and actually has a much higher concentration of thiosulphate. It logically follows that garlic is bad for your dog for all of the same reasons onions are. There have been some studies that link garlic consumption to hemolytic anemia, a very serious and potentially fatal condition caused by onion consumption, but there’s still not enough evidence to prove the link, at least in regards to an amount of garlic a dog is likely to eat.
Garlic can definitely cause an upset tummy, and foods that use garlic as an ingredient, like pizza and pasta sauce, also typically have onion in them as well, which is definitely dangerous for your doggy. A possible upset stomach is reason enough to avoid giving garlic to your dog, but the possible link to hemolytic anemia makes this a definite no-no food. Eating garlic has, however, long been used as a natural remedy for fleas. If you do plan to use garlic as a flea deterrent, be aware of the possible dangers and be sure to consult your vet for proper dosage.
GRAPES – Grapes can cause sudden kidney failure in dogs, making it one of the most dangerous human foods a dog can eat. Even a very small amount can cause kidney failure in some dogs, although other dogs may be totally fine after eating a much larger amount. We still don’t know why grapes have this effect on dogs, or why some dogs are so much more sensitive to it than others, but it does seem as if the cause is the flesh of the grape itself, and not the seeds, skin, or stem. If your dog does eat a grape, call the pet poison hotline or your vet right away for instructions. Quick emergency treatment can save your pet’s life.
GUM, CHEWING – Unfortunately dogs don’t understand that gum is meant for chewing and not for eating. Given the opportunity, they’ll gobble it up like any other food. Right away chewing gum becomes a choking hazard when your dog swallows a big sticky glob of it, and even if they do manage to swallow it down it can still cause blockages in other parts of their digestive track. If your dog eats gum, get them checked out by a vet right away. In a worst case scenario they may need life saving surgery to have a blockage removed.
Also be sure to check the ingredient label on the gum. If it contains xylitol it’s an emergency situation and you need to call the pet poison hotline or get your vet on the phone right away. Hickory Nuts – Hickory nuts found in the wild may have molds growing on them that are dangerous to your canines. However store bought nuts that have been properly processed won’t harm your dog. Keep in mind though that dogs are unable to properly process the proteins found in hickory nuts, and eating more than a few can cause upset stomach, pancreatitis, and can contribute to obesity.
HOMEMADE SALT DOUGH – Homemade salt dough, and also home made play dough, is a substance commonly is used in craft projects. It’s made with common kitchen ingredients. Unfortunately, as the name implies, one key ingredient is a very large amount of salt, and because of this the dough and the craft projects made with it can be deadly to your dog if eaten. To a dog, a salt dough craft can look and smell very similar to a dog biscuit. A lot of dogs that eat salt dough crafts end up dying because their owners think they’re just a naughty dog who has chewed up a trinket, and they don’t realize that their pet has eaten something potentially deadly and needs emergency veterinary care. If your dog eats the dough or the craft, take them to the vet immediately and explain that they’ve eaten an item made with a high concentration of salt.
HOPS – Hops is mostly used in beer brewing to give the beer a more bitter flavor, but it’s also sometimes used as a home remedy. With the rise of hobbyist beer brewing, it’s become more common for pet owners to have hops in their home.
Both raw hops and spent hops is poisonous to your dog. Hop poisoning causes malignant hyperthermia, or a rapid rise in body temperature. This in turn can cause rapid heart rate, seizures, abdominal issues, brain damage, and eventually death. Hops ingestion can become fatal in as little as six hours, and it can take as long as thirty hours for a dog to show symptoms.
Unfortunately we don’t know much about hops poisoning in dogs. We do know that some breeds are more susceptible to it, but we don’t know why, and we don’t know how much hops it takes to make a dog symptomatic. If your dog has ingested hops, they need to be kept cool and taken to a vet right away for life saving treatment.
LEEKS – Leeks come from the same family as onions, and like onions they contain the chemical thiosulphate, which can cause hemolytic anemia in your pet. Hemolytic anemia is a serious condition that can cause lethargy, trouble breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and even death. In some cases it can take as long as four days before symptoms appear. If your dog has eaten some leeks, get them to a vet right away.
MACADAMIA NUTS – Macadamia nuts are poisonous to dogs, and we’re not sure why that is. We’re not even sure how many macadamia nuts a dog can eat before they’re poisoned. Some dogs have shown symptoms after eating small amounts, as little as 2 grams per kilogram of body weight, and in other dogs symptoms didn’t show up until they had eaten about thirty times as much. Some dogs will never show symptoms of poisoning, no matter how many macadamia nuts they eat.
Macadamia nut poisoning can cause an elevated body temperature, lethargy, issues walking (especially with the hind legs), vomiting, and tremors. Fortunately it’s not fatal and most dogs will make a full and quick recovery with treatment. Treatment typically involves hydration, fever reduction, rest, and possibly activated charcoal. Many times treatment can be done mostly or entirely at home with veterinary supervision.
MARIJUANA – With the growing trend of medical and recreational marijuana legalization in North America, dogs have been getting into stashes far more often than ever before, especially now that marijuana edibles are becoming more and more popular. Unfortunately there hasn’t been a lot of research into the effects of marijuana on dogs. There is even some early controversial evidence that it may have similar medicinal benefits to dogs as it does to humans.
What we do know is that unlike with humans, a marijuana overdose can be fatal to a dog. Some dogs may also become paranoid while on marijuana, and it’s impossible to tell if marijuana will have this effect on a dog until they’re on it. Remember that unlike you, your dog cannot understand the concept of a drug high for recreation, and being high may be very stressful for them since all they do know is that something doesn’t feel right.
If your dog does ingest marijuana, or they get a contact high from the smoke, call your vet or a pet poison control line immediately. If you’re planning to medicate your pet with marijuana, only do so under veterinarian supervision and only as per the directions of your vet.
MEDICATION FOR HUMANS – A lot of the same medicines that are used on humans are also used on dogs, and anyone who has ever seen a cliché ridden action movie knows that any sleazy veterinarian can administer emergency medicine out of the back of his office as good as, if not better, than actual doctors in a fancy hospital can. Except that second part isn’t true at all. Medical doctors and veterinarians go through very different educational programs, because biologically humans are very different from dogs. Although dogs are sometimes treated with some medications that are also used on humans, other medications that are safe for human use can cause completely different and sometimes fatal reactions in dogs. Even if a medication is normally used on a dogs as well, the effective and safe dosage for your dog can be very different from what is normal for a person.
Never share your medication with your dog or give your dog an over the counter medicine meant for humans,unless you’ve been advised to by your veterinarian. Pets should only ever be medicated under the supervision of a veterinarian. If your dog does consume your medicine, call your vet or a pet poison control line right away, and then get your pet to a veterinarian to be treated.
MUSTARD POWDER & CONDIMENT MUSTARD – Although okay in small amounts and generally safe, you should avoid giving your dog anything with mustard or mustard powder on it if possible. Mustard is known to cause vomiting dogs, and it’s often used by vets as a safe substance to induce vomiting. Never try to induce vomiting in a dog yourself unless first advised to by a veterinarian.
MUSTARD SEEDS – Mustard seeds can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting in dogs, and in turn dehydration. If your dog has eaten mustard seeds and shows any signs of indigestion, call your vet immediately.
NUTMEG AND MACE – Nutmeg, and its cousin Mace, contains a chemical called myristicin that is toxic to dogs in high doses. Small amounts of myristicin, such as what would usually be found in normal sized helpings of foods containing nutmeg, are fine for your dog and shouldn’t even cause minor issues. However if your dog does ingest a large amount of nutmeg, such as if they eat a shaker of it, you should contact your vet about appropriate treatment. Symptoms of nutmeg poisoning in dogs include increased heart rate, abdominal pain, hallucinations, and seizures.
ONIONS – Raw, cooked, whole, sliced, diced, dried, and even the powdered stuff, onions are bad news for your dog, even in small amounts. Onions have a chemical in them called thiosulphate, which can cause hemolytic anemia in your pet. Hemolytic anemia is a serious condition that can cause lethargy, trouble breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and even death. In some cases it can take as long as four days before symptoms appear.
If your dog has eaten some onion, get them to the vet right away. Also be careful of foods that may contain onion as an ingredient. Pizza, pasta sauce, and burgers are all much loved by dogs, but often times contain onion.
OUT OF DATE OR EXPIRED FOOD – You wouldn’t eat outdated or expired food yourself. Well maybe you would, but you really shouldn’t. Old food might be spoiled and might contain molds and fungi that will make you sick, and it may make your dog sick as well. Even if your dog has a stronger than human stomach, you still shouldn’t risk giving them old food, and also keep in mind that they may have a stronger reaction to some expired foods that are fine for you to eat. It’s better to throw out the old stuff, and if you don’t want to share your edible food with your dog, then just feed him his dog food.
PAPRIKA – Paprika can upset your doggy’s tummy and give them diarrhea. If it gets on them, it can also irritate their skin and eyes. It’s best to leave paprika off any food you plan to share with your dog. Pasta Sauce and Pizza Sauce – Onions and garlic can be toxic to your dog. Cheeses are fatty and unhealthy for them. Peppers and other spices can upset their stomachs. Pasta and pizza sauces almost always contain ingredients that run the gamut of unhealthy for your pet to straight up poisonous. Rather than vigilantly checking the ingredient list of all of your Italian cuisine, it’s easier to just not feed food with these sauces to your dog.
PEACH PITS – Peaches are from the same family of harmful dog fruits as apricots, plums, and cherries. The flesh of a peach is safe for your pet, but it can still cause some mild indigestion, and as with any treat it should only be given in moderation. The pit of the peach is the harmful part. A peach pit contains cyanide, which can make your dog seriously ill and even cause death. The pit is also a choking hazard and can cause an obstruction in other parts of the digestive track.
PECANS – Unfortunately your dog is not as good as you are at digesting the proteins found in pecans, and because of this they can get an upset stomach from eating the nut, and it’s going to be really fattening for them. Even worse, sometimes pecans can build up in the digestive track of a dog and cause an obstruction. It’s best to just not feed these nuts to your pet.
PENNYROYAL OIL – Pennyroyal oil can cause severe liver damage if ingested and is potentially fatal. There’s been one verified case of a dog that died not from ingesting the oil, but from having it applied to their skin. Pennyroyal oil is sometimes used as a topical home remedy for dogs, but care should be taken so that it’s not applied to an area where the dog can lick it off, and the dog should be kept isolated from other pets that may try to ‘groom’ the tasty oil off them. Also before using any home remedy to treat your pet, be sure to consult your vet to make sure the treatment is both effective and safe.
PEPPER – People love spicing up their food with peppers, but dogs aren’t such big fans of the stuff. Peppers can give a dog an upset tummy and diarrhea, and if some of the powdered stuff gets on them it can irritate their skin and eyes. It’s best not to share peppery food with your dog and instead just enjoy it by yourself.
PERSIMMON PITS – Persimmon pits aren’t nearly as dangerous as the pits found in plums or peaches, but they’re still not good for your dog. The pits of a persimmon are a choking hazard and can cause a digestive tract obstruction, and they can also cause intestinal inflammation, which isn’t pleasant for a dog. The flesh of the berry is safe though, just make sure you remove it from the pit first.
PISTACHIOS – Pistachios aren’t that bad for your dog, it’s just that dogs can’t process the proteins in a pistachio nut as well as you can. Because of this, pistachios can give your dog an upset stomach and they can be really fattening for them. Sometimes pistachios can even cause pancreatitis if your dog repeatedly eats them over a long period of time. As much as your dog might like pistachios, and who doesn’t, it’s best for their health if you just keep them to yourself.
PLUM PITS – Plums are from the same family of harmful dog fruits as apricots, peaches, and cherries. The flesh of a plum is safe for your pet, although it can cause some mild indigestion, and as with any treat it should only be given in moderation. The pit of the plum is the harmful part. A plum pit contains cyanide, which can make your dog seriously ill and is potentially fatal. The pit is also a choking hazard and can cause an obstruction in other parts of the digestive tract.
POTATOES, GREEN AND RAW – Unripened green potatoes, raw potato skins, potato sprouts, and the leaves and stems of the potato plant all contain a chemical called soliene, which can cause difficulty breathing, stomach issues, and heart problems. Raw potato skins also contain chaconine, which can cause tremors, upset stomach, and kidney issues. Potato poisoning is potentially fatal. Your dog’s chances of survival are going to depend on how many potatoes were eaten and how quickly the vet was able to start treatment afterwards. Anytime a dog eats a raw or green potato or parts of the potato plant they should be taken to the vet as quickly as possible. Cooked potatoes are fine to share with your dog.
RAISINS – Much like your grandfather was once a young person like yourself before he got all dried up and wrinkly, raisins were once grapes. Raisins can cause sudden kidney failure and are just as dangerous to your dog as grapes are. As with grapes, if your dog eats some raisins call a pet poison hotline or your vet right away for instructions. Emergency treatment may save your dog’s life.
RAW CASHEWS – Truly raw cashews are poisonous to both people and dogs, but properly roasting or heating the nut will destroy the poisons. I say truly raw cashews because sometimes heated cashews are sold as raw cashews in grocery stores, but any kind of cashew bought in a grocery store should be safe to eat. The only way you’ll probably have contact with a dangerous raw cashew is if you take it from a cashew plant yourself.
Roasted and heated cashews are fairly safe for your dog to eat. Like most nuts, your dog has difficulty digesting the proteins in a cashew. This means cashew nuts are very fatty and can give him an upset stomach. Repeatedly eating cashew nuts over a long period of time may also cause pancreatitis.
RAW EGGS – Eggs can be a great food to add to your dog’s diet, and an occasional raw egg can be a great source of vitamins and nutrients your dog needs. It’s also a home remedy for a canine upset stomach. Unfortunately, when you feed your dog unpasteurized raw eggs you run the risk of it infecting your dog with salmonella. Check the labelling on the carton or packaging of the eggs you purchase to see whether or not they are pasteurized. Regularly eating raw eggs may also cause a biotin deficiency in your dog.
RAW MEAT – Like people, dogs are susceptible to being infected with salmonella, e.coli, and parasites from eating raw meats. It’s always best to cook meat before serving it to your dog, just like you would cook meat before eating it yourself.
Lately there has been a movement to ‘return’ dogs to a raw meat diet. This puts the dog at an unnecessary risk for illness. Dogs have evolved specifically to subsist on the sorts of food people eat, such as cooked foods, and there are commercial foods available that offer very good and healthy diets which meet all of a dog’s vitamin needs. Even proponents of the raw meat diet believe that it needs to be started when the dog first starts eating solid food and fed consistently so the dog develops a digestive system and immune system that can handle eating raw meat.
Feeding raw meat to a dog that hasn’t been raised on it is likely to, at the very least, give them an upset stomach.
If you are planning to feed your dog a raw meat diet, this should only be done with the advice and supervision of a vet. Ideally it should also include the input of a trained pet nutritionist.
RAW SALMON OR OTHER UPSTREAM SWIMMING FISH – You should never let your dog eat raw salmon or any other raw fish that swims upstream. In addition to the normal dangers of eating raw meat, raw salmon may be infected with a parasite that can cause diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, and weakness, and nine times out of ten will be fatal within two weeks if left untreated.
Luckily raw salmon poisoning is treatable if it is caught in time. If your dog is ill, be sure to tell your vet if they have recently eaten raw fish or have access to raw fish, like through a stream or a garbage can.
RHUBARB – Rhubarb stems are safe for dogs to eat, but the leaves are poisonous to both dogs and people. Rhubarb leaves contain soluble calcium oxalate salts, and when ingested these salts combine with calcium in the dog’s body, bringing about a sudden drop in calcium. Symptoms can include drooling, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody urine, lethargy, tremors, weakness, and coma. Never leave a dog unsupervised around rhubarb plants, and if your dog does ingest the leaves take them to the vet immediately to be checked out.
SALT – Just like humans, dogs need sodium in their diet, but like humans they don’t need a lot of it. Dog food and dog treats contain more than enough sodium to meet your dog’s daily needs, but getting a little extra from people food, when given to them in moderation, isn’t going to hurt them. If you’re worried about the salt content of your dog’s diet and their long term health, it’s a good idea to speak with your vet and work out a diet plan that meets your pet’s specific needs. Like people, dog’s can develop high cholesterol if their diet is too rich in salt.
On the other hand, eating a large amount of salt in a short amount of time can be deadly to a dog. This can happen from the dog getting into a large enough quantity of a high sodium food, such as bacon or salted nuts, or from eating straight table salt, because dogs are sometimes weird like that. Whatever the case, if your dog has eaten a large amount of salt in a short period of time, get them to a vet right away.
Too much salt in a short period of time causes a dog to become severely dehydrated. The dog will be extremely thirsty and will also begin urinating more as their kidney’s go into overdrive trying to work the salt out of their system. As your dog’s kidney’s work more and more, their body may start to swell, and this can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and seizures.
Your dog’s instincts may be to lap up water, but a severely dehydrated dog is also going to be depleted of several essential minerals in their body, and drinking too much water too fast can cause vomiting or diarrhea, which will only further dehydrate the dog. severely dehydrated dog can’t just drink some water. They need treatment from a trained veterinarian. The dog should only be given a moderate amount of water to help them hydrate as they make their way to the vet. Consult with your vet over the phone to find out how much and how often for your particular pet.
SAUSAGES, HOTDOGS, DELI MEATS AND OTHER PRECOOKED PROCESSED MEATS – Precooked processed meats such as sausages, hotdogs, and deli meats are bad for your dog. Many of these products are very fatty. Pork in particular is a very unhealthy meat to feed your dog. Many of these meats also contain spices which can upset your dog’s stomach, and many of them are high in salt which can cause serious dehydration. New studies are also starting to show a link between long term consumption of processed meats and seizures in dogs.
If you want to feed your dog some table meat, they should be given freshly cooked unspiced and unsalted meat. Otherwise it’s better to just give them one of their own dog treats. If your dog does get into some processed meat, it’s probably not a big deal. If the meat was spiced, keep an eye out for any symptoms of an upset stomach, and be prepared for vomiting, diarrhea, or spending a very gassy day with your dog. If the food was heavily salted, be sure to keep an eye out for signs of dehydration and salt poisoning. If they ate a significant amount of a heavily salted food for their weight, call the vet for a consultation right away even if they haven’t started showing symptoms yet.
SHALLOTS – Shallots are part of the onion family of vegetables, and as such they are choked full of the chemical thiosulphate, which causes hemolytic anemia in dogs. Hemolytic anemia is a serious condition that can cause lethargy, trouble breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and even death. In some cases it can take as long as four days before symptoms appear. If your dog has eaten some shallots, get them to the vet for treatment right away.
SODA – Although it’s not seriously dangerous, soda is just plain bad for dogs. Soda is nothing more than sugar and empty calories, and some of the ingredients and the carbonation may upset a dog’s stomach and cause bad gas. Caffeinated sodas can be especially bad for your dog, and are even potentially fatal if too much is consumed. The same for diet sodas that contain xylitol. Much like coffee or tea, a couple stolen laps out of a cup or licking a small spill off the floor isn’t going to be a big deal, but you should definitely avoid giving soda to your dog.
STARFRUIT – Like rhubarb leaves, starfruit contains soluble calcium oxalate salts, and when ingested these salts combine with calcium in the dog’s body, bringing about a sudden drop in calcium. Symptoms can include drooling, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody urine, lethargy, tremors, weakness, and coma. Some dogs and breeds are more susceptible to starfruit poisoning than others. In particular small dogs, male dogs, neutered dogs, and dogs who are less active are all at a higher risk. If your dog eats starfruit, get them to a veterinarian to get checked out right away.
TEA – Tea is bad for dogs because it contains caffeine.
Much like coffee, if your dog gets his snout into a small spill on the floor or manages to get a couple laps out of your mug before you notice, it probably isn’t going to be enough to make them ill, even if it is a small breed. If your dog drinks a moderate amount of tea though, or worse yet if they get into and eat tea bags, they’re at a much greater danger and you should get in touch with your vet right away.
TEA TREE OIL – Tea tree oil can be an effective home remedy for dogs if it is diluted correctly, applied topically (never orally!), and not applied to an open wound. However when used incorrectly it can poison your pet. Symptoms of tea tree oil poisoning include depression, weakness, muscle tremors, and lack of coordination. As with any home remedy, ask your vet for advise before using it.
TOPICAL FLEA MEDICATION – If you live somewhere that dog fleas are common, then properly treating your dog’s flea problem is essential to their health and well-being. One of the most common treatments is a topical medication such as Frontline. These medications work, but can also be toxic and even deadly to your pets if applied incorrectly. Make sure you read all of the instructions and warnings before application, and if possible talk to your vet as well. Flea treatments can be toxic if consumed, which is why they’re applied to the back of the animal. However if you have more than one dog or cat, the animals can lick the medication off each other. The more dogs and cats you have, the greater the chance that one of them will consume a lethal dose. If you have multiple pets that need treatment, it’s best to talk to your vet about safer alternatives or isolating your animals from one another during treatment.
TOMATO LEAVES AND STEMS AND UNRIPE GREEN TOMATOES – Tomato leaves and stems, the green parts of the plant, contain chemicals that are toxic to both people and pets. A concentration of the chemicals are also found in young green unripened tomatoes. Symptoms of tomato poisoning can include upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, tremors and seizures. Luckily ripened tomatoes do not contain these chemicals, and they are safe for your dog to eat.
If you like to grow tomatoes, be sure to keep your garden fenced off so your pets can’t get into it. If your dog does eat some unripened tomatoes or the green parts of the plant, take them to the vet right away for treatment.
WALNUTS – The walnuts in your kitchen are usually safe for dogs if they’ve only had a small amount. Like many nuts they are high in fat, and they’re very difficult for your dog to digest. Even a small amount of walnuts can cause an upset stomach, and there’s always a danger that walnuts may cause a digestive tract obstruction. If your dog ate only a small amount keep an eye on them, and if they show any signs of an obstruction or if they ate a large amount take them to the vet right away.
Walnuts from a tree can be very dangerous for your dog. Fallen nuts may develop a mold around their shells which contain tremorgenic mycotoxins. These can cause seizures and other neurological disorders. Never leave your dog around a walnut tree unsupervised, and make sure to clean up the fallen nuts.
WILD MUSHROOMS – The majority of mushrooms out there are safe for both people and dogs to eat. Store bought mushrooms meant for human consumption are safe for your dog, but since they don’t provide them a nutritional benefit and most dogs aren’t very fond of their taste, it’s best to find a different treat for your pet.
However wild mushrooms can be very dangerous. Although only a few varieties are poisonous, the ones that are can be deadly to both humans and dogs. Several poisonous mushrooms look a lot like their safe and delicious counterparts, so much so that even experienced foragers have been known to make mistakes. Some folks erroneously think that dogs can smell out the difference between safe and unsafe mushrooms, but that just isn’t true. In fact, some of the deadliest mushrooms give off an aroma similar to a fish smell, making it very easy for your dog to mistake it for a fish treat.
Never leave your dog unsupervised around wild mushrooms, and never let your dog eat any of the wild mushrooms that they find, even if they do look safe. If your dog does eat a wild mushroom, get them to the vet ASAP, and if possible bring a sample of the mushrooms with you.
WORMWOOD – Wormwood has long been used as a natural deworming medication for dogs. Even though wormwood is all natural, it’s still a very powerful canine medication, and a dog needs to be given just the right dose. Too little wormwood and the deworming won’t be effective. Too much wormwood will make your dog seriously ill and is potentially fatal. If you plan to use wormwood to deworm your dog, it should only be done with veterinarian supervision. A better solution may be to use one of the many commercially available deworming medications which come with dosing instructions.
XYLITOL – Your first thought after seeing xylitol is probably what is xylitol and why would I even want to give some to my dog. Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener, and although it’s been around for decades its use as a sugar substitute has been on the rise as of late. Not only is xylitol all natural, as sweet as sugar, and safe to eat, it also has a third of the calories and is much safer for diabetics. It’s a miracle food for people, but it’s a deadly poison for your dog. Most animals react very differently to xylitol than primates do. Xylitol doesn’t initiate an insulin response in people, but it initiates a very strong one in dogs. A normal amount of xylitol is enough to cause hypoglycemia and even liver failure in your dog.
The only way to know for sure if xylitol is in a food is to check the ingredient label. It is however a common ingredient in certain candies, breath mints, chewing gum, diet and diabetic safe foods, foods that are advertised as low sugar, no sugar or low fat, throat lozenges, some medicines, and oral hygiene products such as toothpaste and mouthwash.
Dogs that have consumed too much xylitol usually begin to display symptoms of hypoglycemia within fifteen to thirty minutes after ingestion. It’s also possible for them to begin showing symptoms in as little as ten minutes or as long as an hour after. Dogs that receive aggressive medical treatment prior to symptoms presenting have a high recovery rate, and even after your dog has started showing some symptoms of hypoglycemia, most times permanent damage to their health can be avoided with quick treatment. However if liver failure has started, treatment can’t do much for them. If your dog does ingest xylitol, make sure to call your vet or the pet poison control hotline right away.
YEAST DOUGH – Also sometimes referred to as unbaked bread dough, this should never be fed to a dog. Yeast is used in baking to cause a chemical reaction that will make the dough rise, and a dog’s stomach is an ideal place for this reaction. As the yeast rises it will cause the dog’s stomach to expand pressing against their vital organs and making it difficult for them to breath. In some cases, especially in larger breeds, the dog’s stomach can twist as it expands, and sometimes even rupture, which is fatal. The dog may attempt to vomit up the yeast as it expands, which is difficult and can create a choking hazard. Finally, as the yeast converts in the dog’s stomach it will create ethanol and the dog’s blood alcohol level will rise to potentially fatal levels.
Immediate emergency treatment may save the dog, but this still may not be enough. In some cases the dog may also require emergency surgery to remove the yeast dough.
CANINE FIRST AID FOR CHOKING
THE ROLE OF TRAINING IN POISONING PREVENTION
Good training helps keep a dog safe. We all do our best to train our dogs, but even experienced dog owners can still benefit from a bit of professional help. A professional service can make our training more effective, and it can make our dogs happier for having gone through it.
There are a lot of different options available for professional dog training, from courses at the pet store to professionals that come to your house, but the quality and quantity of what’s available is going to be specific to your region. To help we’ve included links to online courses that our own dogs have had a lot of success with. If you use our links to purchase any of these courses, the course owner will send us a payment which will be used to help write, publish, and distribute free ebooks like this one.
PET INSURANCE CAN SAVE YOUR DOG’S LIFE
Unfortunately veterinary care can be expensive, and the cost is on the rise. Making sure our dogs have the best medical care available when an injury or illness happens can be a huge financial burden. Too many pets suffer and die needlessly because their owners waited to see if they got better on their own, or waited to get treatment until they started showing symptoms, and all because they couldn’t really afford a big vet bill. Luckily there’s such a thing as pet insurance, and for a monthly fee you can be sure that you will always be able to provide your pet the immediate medical care they need in case of an unexpected emergency or illness.
Below are some links to pet insurances plans that we, the publishers of this book, like and endorse. Before settling on any plan, make sure that it meets your specific needs and budget. If you use our links to purchase any of these insurance plans, we will receive a payment from the insurance company which will be used to help write, publish, and distribute free ebooks like this one.
