Foods That Are Bad for Dogs to Eat

Dog owners often feed table food to their pets unaware of the risks and dangers associated with certain foods and ingredients. While some foods and ingredients are bad for dogs to eat, some can be fatal or produce life-threatening illnesses. Therefore, it's important to know which foods and ingredients are not safe to feed a dog.

  1. Beverages

    • Alcohol, coffee and tea can produce serious unwanted symptoms in dogs, risking kidney damage and problems with the central nervous system and cardiac system.

    Fruits

    • Avocados, grapes, raisins and fruit pits can be problematic for dogs by causing breathing difficulties, fluid accumulation in the chest, heart and stomach, pancreatitis and kidney failure. Fruit pits contain cyanide, which is toxic to dogs and can be fatal.

    Vegetables

    • Onions, wild mushrooms, tomatoes and tomato plants can cause simple weakness in a dog, or more serious illnesses such as hemolytic anemia and death.

    Ingredients

    • All forms of chocolate and xylitol (a sweetener) can cause serious health problems, including death.

    Miscellaneous Foods

    • Macadamia nuts, salt and nutmeg can have a mild effect of weakness or more serious symptoms such as tremors, seizures and death in dogs.

    Considerations

    • There are dangers in feeding molded, spoiled and fatty foods to dogs.

    Warning

    • If food poisoning is suspected in a dog, make an appointment with a veterinarian promptly for an evaluation.