Foods Not to Feed a Dog

Your dog might look at you with longing eyes while you eat that piece of chocolate cake, but many foods are not necessarily good for it. Many of these foods are considered healthy and full of vitamins for people, but that doesn't hold true for your four-legged friends. Dogs can develop a wide array of symptoms and illnesses caused by eating people foods instead of properly formulated dog food. In some cases, allowing your dog to eat the wrong thing can cause death.

  1. Foods from the Cacao Plant

    • Cacao bean products can be deadly to a dog.

      These include chocolate, caffeine and, of course, coffee. These products can have serious neurological consequences if eaten by your dog. Just one ounce of cacao beans is considered a toxic level to a dog less than 33 pounds. Chocolate can be absorbed into the dog's body within a few hours of eating it. In amounts not considered toxic, your pet can just have an upset stomach or diarrhea. In cases where the animal has eaten a toxic level of cacao products, your dog could develop seizures or fall into a coma. Death can also be a consequence.

    Fruits

    • Seeds in an apple contain cyanide and shouldn't be given to dogs.

      One of the most common poisonous fruits to dogs is the grape. Raisins are also highly toxic. Even a small box of raisins is enough to cause kidney failure in a dog. All parts of the avocado plant (fruit, seeds, bark and leaves) are dangerous for a dog. The plant carries a toxin called persin that can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Grapefruit can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. The seeds of an apple are poisonous to a dog, but the fruit itself is not. Apple seeds contain cyanide. Other poisonous fruit seeds include peaches and cherries.

    Vegetables

    • Green potatoes and sprouts can be harmful to your pet.

      Onions eaten by a dog can give it more than bad breath. Eating onions can cause serious problems, including the breakdown of red blood cells, weakness and a rapid heartbeat. Potatoes that have not quite ripened with green skins, as well as their sprouts, contain solanine, a toxic substance that causes problems with the urinary and digestive systems.

    Other Dangerous Foods

    • Xylitol in sugarless gum and candy is bad news for dogs.

      Offering your dog too much milk or dairy foods will not poison it, but it can cause pancreatitis. Fried and greasy foods have the same effect. Xylitol is a sweetener used in chewing gum, mouthwash and mints. If your dog ingests even a little of this substance, it can cause liver failure, seizures and a multitude of other health problems. An article in a March 2007 edition of "USA Today" reported that a 20-pound dog would need to consume only a few sticks of chewing gum containing xylitol to have ingested a toxic amount.