Food To Avoid

For most dogs, most foods don’t cause problems for most dogs. Usually, the villains are table scraps, other human food and some poor quality dog foods, which are often fatty, low on nutritional value and could lead your dog down a slippery slope to obesity. Some "human" foods are even seriously dangerous to dogs, so never give your dog or puppy any of the snacks listed below. The best thing you can do for your dog is feed them good, premium dog food, and dog food only! 

The danger in chocolate is the amount of cocoa consumed relative to the size of your dog. Excessive amounts can cause overstimulation and lead to seizures, convulsions, hyperactivity or even heart attacks and death by toxicity to the heart. Cocoa levels are especially high in dark chocolate, pure cocoa powder and chocolate cakes. Small and occasional amounts of milk chocolate are unlikely to harm your dog, but it may mean they'll acquire a taste for chocolate. Be especially careful around festivities where chocolate is abundant. At Easter dogs have been known to snaffle whole easter eggs, foil and all!

It’s easier than you think for a dog to get hold of a lot of onions - think momentarily unmanned BBQs! But they can cause serious problems. Eating excessive onions can cause red blood cells to burst and lead to haemolytic anaemia in your dog.

Exactly how macadamia nut toxins cause ill effects in dogs is not yet well understood, but macadamias have been known to trigger neurological problems  in some dogs, such as muscle spasms, lack of co-ordination, even collapsing.

Grapes and raisins have been known to cause renal failure in some dogs. Like the effect of macadamia nuts, how this occurs is largely unknown

Fatty foods are the main cause of obesity, which is just as unhealthy in dogs as it is in humans, but they can also cause conditions such as pancreatitis, particularly in overweight, older dogs. After a fatty meal, enzymes are released within the pancreas, surrounding area and blood stream, causing the pancreas to inflame. Not only is this extremely painful but in some cases, complications can develop and can be fatal.

Dispose of cooking garbage very carefully. Strings used to tie up a roast can smell irresistible, but can get stuck in the digestive system, bunch up tightly and rip through intestinal walls. Likewise, corn cobs can get stuck in the small intestines and have to be surgically removed. And never offer your dog food from a skewer. Dogs have been known to eat the entire skewer, which can pierce through the gut wall, causing severe consequences and a lot of pain.

Grass looks good, smells sweet and is just sitting there, so no wonder some dogs like a good chew on it. Sometimes dogs eat grass when they’re not feeling well, to help them vomit.

But while this is all perfectly natural, many pesticides/herbicides used on grass contain chemicals that may be dangerous to your dog’s health.