Human foods that you should never give to your dog
As persuasive as those puppy-dog eyes may be peering up at you from beneath the dinner table, you may just want to hold off sharing your delicious grub with your dog after reading this article. Why? Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few ‘human foods’ that we as owners should completely avoid feeding to our pooches due to their health-damaging side effects. Even if you’ve shared any of these food items to your pup in the past with no signs of any health problems, don’t be fooled - there are some side effects that aren’t always completely obvious.
Here’s a list of our top 5 doggy no-no’s!
- Chocolate (and any other sugary foods). Hopefully the majority of dog owners are already aware of this one, as it’s one of the worst things you could feed your pooch. Chocolate actually contains Theobromine, an ingredient that isn’t damaging to humans but is particularly toxic for dogs. And don’t think that you’re playing it safe by giving your pooch dark chocolate because this harmful ingredient is actually found in all kinds of chocolate. What are the possible side effects? From vomiting and diarrhoea to seizures and tremors or even fatalities, we highly advise you to keep chocolate of all kinds away from your beloved dog.
- Bacon (and any other fatty foods). Oh yes, the one thing that gets their little noses twitching is bacon! But unfortunately, it’s on the list of no-no’s. Being an extremely salty meat, dogs can become excessively thirsty, causing them to over-drink and possibly bloat which can be dangerous. It’s also a high in fats, which can damage your pup's pancreas.
- Dairy. Who would have thought a bowl of milk could be harmful to dogs? But it is. As surprising as it may be, cow products are difficult for a dog’s stomach to process, causing tummy upsets or worse. And just like certain meats, dairy with high fat content can once again cause pancreatic problems for your pooch, so avoid sharing the occasional cube of cheese, it’s really not worth taking the risk.
- Raisins (and grapes for that matter). These are both no-no's. Something so small can actually have a huge impact on your dog’s health, including renal failure. Sounds horrible doesn’t it. Believe it or not, feeding your dog this little snack can actually be fatal, so just don’t do it - even if they’ve been fine in the past.
- Raw meat. OK so this one is not necessarily a ‘human food’ as not a lot of us would find a raw chicken breast particularly appetising but we thought we’d better mention it just in case. There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to feeding dogs raw meat, but the truth is, they face the same potential health risks as we do, from salmonella poisoning to e-coli. Your dog’s food, just like yours, needs to be cooked thoroughly to avoid some very unpleasant health problems.
The reality is, not all dog owners are aware of the damaging effects our own food can have on our pets. We’ve got a whole range of highly nutritious and flavoursome dog foods and snacks listed that you’re pup is sure to love! Shop here...
- Ben Abimbola
