Toxic Foods for Dogs: What You Need to Know

Do you feed your dog scraps from your dinner plate? Do you share popcorn, potato chips, and pizza with your furry friends? How can you know if these foods are safe for your pups? After all, they’re okay for you, right?

If It Tastes Good, It Must Be Safe

Rat poison and ant traps are laced with sweet-tasting flavors to entice these pests to eat and die. You would never knowingly treat your dog to poison. Not all foods come with warning labels for pets like these poisons, however. What you don’t know about toxic foods for dogs can hurt them!

Common Toxic Foods You Might Be Feeding To Your Dog

• Beer and other alcoholic beverages cause:
  • Diarrhea and vomiting, breathing problems and coma, are just a few of the terrible toxic effects of alcohol for your dog.
  • Too much alcohol can kill your pet.
• Chocolate—Chocolate contains a toxic substance that can kill your dog:
  • Methylxanthines, which come from the cacao plant, are found in caffeine, chocolate, and coffee.
  • Symptoms of methylxanthines poisoning include vomiting, seizures, thirst, excess urination, tremors, and abnormal heart rhythm.
• Grapes and raisins—Raisins are dried grapes that contain an unidentified substance that can severely affect your pet’s kidneys and cause kidney failure.
• Nuts—Nuts are high in fat and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and may lead to pancreatitis.
  • Macadamia nuts, in particular, can cause severe reactions for your dog, including muscle weakness, vomiting, and hyperthermia.
  • You may notice symptoms for up to 12 hours. 
  • If your dog has ingested macadamia nuts, call us right away at (916) 726-2334!
• Pizza and table scraps—These foods can contain various toxic substances that will make your pet sick. Pizza offers multiple health hazards for your dog:
  • Dogs can’t digest dairy products, so that tasty cheese topping can cause diarrhea.
  • Garlic seasoning in the sauce and meats can cause intestinal upset, harm to red blood cells, and could lead to anemia!
  • Then there is the dough. Raw yeast dough can make your dog extremely sick from bloat and a twisted intestine.
• Salty snacks—Too much salt can have a deadly outcome for dogs. As with any toxin, symptoms can include diarrhea and vomiting, muscle tremors, and seizures. Too much salt can be lethal.
  • Chips
  • Pretzels
  • Popcorn
  • Salted nuts
  • All the things you love to snack on!

Keep Your Dog Safe From Toxic Foods. Feed Fido Veterinarian Approved Foods and Treats.

It’s tempting to treat your dogs with the treats you love to eat. You’ll help to keep them healthy and happy by offering vet-approved dog snacks.

• Never give your dog scraps from the table or share your snacks.
• Keep feeding times on a schedule, so your dog expects to be fed from its own bowl filled with approved foods.

At Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital, we are happy to recommend nutritional dog foods and treats. We invite you to schedule a wellness check to discuss how to feed and care for your family pet properly.