As a dog owner, we’ve all been there. You’re eating a meal with your family at the dinner table, and all of a sudden, your dog walks up, sits at your feet and looks up at you with those sweet eyes, and asks for some of your people food. You might decide that your dog has had a really good day and that they deserve an extra treat, or maybe you take a second to think and wonder if the food that is safe for you is safe for your dog too.
As a pet owner, you’re responsible for your dog’s health, your dog’s diet and well-being, and food makes up much of that well-being. Feeding your dog or puppy a healthy and balanced diet is your way to make sure that your dog lives a long life. Sometimes it’s easy to think that if a food is healthy for us, like avocados, for example, make a nice healthy treat for your dog too, but there are a lot of toxic human foods to dogs. It’s our responsibility to ensure that our pets don’t get ahold of them. Upset stomach, abnormal heart rhythm, liver failure and kidney failure can all be the result of poor choices.
Before letting your dog clean up your plate or giving them a few table scraps, ensure you learn what foods are safe for your dog’s diet and which foods could send your dog straight to the emergency vet. Throughout the course of this article, we will discuss some examples of human foods that are safe for dogs and some toxic foods that are definitely not okay for them to eat and could cause some serious medical issues.
Human Food that is UnSafe for Dogs
Generally speaking, when in doubt about food, make sure that you consult with a professional online or your veterinarian. A good resource that we always refer to is the AKC or American Kennel Club. As dog professionals, the American Kennel Club gives top advice from leading veterinarians throughout the country on what is safe and not safe for your dogs. Other kennel clubs, including the Canadian Kennel Club, have excellent resources for pet owners and comprehensive lists of what your dog should and shouldn’t eat.
Another great resource is PETMD which is that written and reviewed by veterinarians. They have toxicity meters for chocolate and other substances that will let you compute calculations based on your dog’s weight and the type of chocolate that they consumed in the amount consumed to alert you to minor problems such as diarrhea or significant issues when you should take your dog to the vet.
Chocolate:
When speaking about unsafe food for dogs, many people immediately think of chocolate. According to 1 pet expert, up to “50% of dogs will die if treatment is delayed until severe persistent vomiting has developed” after eating chocolate. The article goes on to say that “if seizures have developed, then even a higher proportion of those dogs will die.” If treated early enough, except for dogs to have consumed a considerable quantity of chocolate or cocoa powder, the outlook for their health is outstanding, generally speaking. Recovered dogs will show no long-term ill effects from poisoning. please watch those tasty treats!
Almonds and Nuts:
Dogs really shouldn’t eat almonds. Almonds aren’t necessarily toxic to dogs, but other nuts like macadamia nuts are, and they can block the esophagus or scratch the windpipe, causing a dog to choke or asphyxiate. Salted nuts are especially dangerous because they can increase water retention, which is fatal for dogs that are prone to heart disease, like smaller dogs.
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is another big No-No for dogs. Well, it’s not actually toxic; it’s really good to avoid it because cinnamon and its oils can irritate a dog’s mouth, making it uncomfortable and sick. You can also lower a block dog’s blood sugar too much and lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and increased or decreased heart rate, with the potential of liver disease. If they inhale it, cinnamon can cause difficulty breathing, including coughing and choking, sneezing, and wheezing.
Garlic and Onions:
Garlic is one that you need to be careful of because it is found in a lot of our human foods. Like onions, leeks, chives, and other spicy foods, garlic is part of the Allium family, and it’s much more toxic to dogs than other foods. Garlic leads to anemia, which can cause pale gums, elevated heart rate, weakness, and other health problems.
Poisoning from garlic and onions may have delayed reactions, but if you think your dog has eaten some, you should monitor them for a few days, not just immediately after consumption. Giving your dogs foods that have been cooked with garlic or onions might be difficult since it’s included and much of our food but be sure that before you drop it in their bowl that your food does not have any garlic or onion seasoning.
Sugary Foods:
We know it’s tempting that after a long hot summer day to go to your local ice cream shop and get your pup a pup cup which usually consists of vanilla ice cream and maybe even a little bit of peanut butter spread, but dogs really shouldn’t partake in this refreshing treat. Ice cream and other foods containing a lot of sugar are not great to share with your dog due to the high concentration of sugar, which can throw off their blood sugar levels and cause health problems later in life.
Additionally speaking, some dogs also have an intolerance to lactose, making it fast to avoid milk altogether. A recent study shows that about 17% of dogs are allergic to dairy products, and your dog might be one of those. And artificial sweetener is not any better.
When in doubt about whether or not to feed your dog food, it’s best to do a quick online search to see if it’s safe for your dog from a reputable source. For a quick guide on some common safe and unsafe foods, please see the chart below.
Foods that are Safe to Share with Your Dog
Well, we talked a lot about foods that are unsafe for your dog. There are some human foods that your dogs will love to share with you.
Breads:
Unless your dog has a gluten allergy, small amounts of plain bread with no spices and no garlic won’t hurt your dog. But generally speaking, bread does not add any nutritional benefits to your dog’s diet, and it can really pack on carbohydrates and calories just like it does to people making dogs even more overweight if they eat bread regularly. So keep it to small doses.
Pork/Turkey:
Many dogs love eating table scraps that include meat. Pork and turkey are among the favorites your pup will enjoy. Giving your dog pork or turkey that hasn’t been cooked with garlic, onions, or other allergen-inducing foods is safe to give to your pet. These Foods also provide the nutritional value needed vitamins and will make your pup happy to share in festivities with you at dinner.
Blueberries:
A sweet summer treat, blueberries are a great source of antioxidants in war, not only for humans but for your pets. This fruit is a healthy snack for dogs of all shapes and sizes, and many pups love it. Making sure that you cut them up into small, easily chewable pieces it’s essential to ensure that your pet doesn’t choke on these round berries.but, don’t give them blueberries in large quantities, as this can lead to stomach upset.
Watermelon:
Just like blueberries, watermelon is another refreshingly safe treat for dogs. With that said, you will want to take a lot of precautions when feeding your dog watermelon. You won’t want to give them a whole slice of watermelon and just walk away. You want to make sure all of the seeds are removed because those can cause intestinal blockage. It’s also a good idea to remove the rhine from the watermelon because that can cause upset tummies, or your dog can even choke on it.
Cucumbers:
Another refreshing treat that is safe to share with your pup is cucumbers. They offer a low-calorie crunchy snack that many pups of all shapes and sizes love. Cucumbers only contain about eight calories per one-half cup of slices, compared to the 40 calories in a single medium biscuit, and are very low in sodium and fat, according to the American Kennel Club.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, if you doubt whether or not you should share some of your food with your dog, it’s best to consult a local veterinarian. If you think that your dog has ingested a toxic substance without your knowledge, make sure you call your vet and bring your dog in if necessary; you could end up saving their life.
For more information about dogs, what they should eat, training, and every stage of life, be sure to follow along with our blog.
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