Foods to Avoid

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Lady Kate's picture
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A very comprehensive list which brought me a surprise or two especially about tomatoes!!
What to avoid Reasons to avoid
Alcoholic beverages Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.
Avocado
(fruit, pit, & plant) Can cause difficulty breathing; fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart; or pancreatitis.
Baby food Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. (Please see onion below.) Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.
Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources Can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system.
Bones
(cooked) Can splinter and tear a dog’s internal organs.
Caffeine
(from coffee, coffee grounds, tea, or tea bags) Stimulates the central nervous and cardiac systems, and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations, and even death within hours.
Cat food Generally too high in protein and fats.
Chocolate, coffee, tea, & other caffeine Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems. Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. But any chocolate, in large enough amounts, can kill a dog. An ounce of chocolate can poison a 30-pound dog, and many dogs will happily consume more than this. The symptoms may not show up for several hours with death following within twenty-four hours.
Citrus oil extracts Can cause vomiting.
Dairy products Can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhoea. A small amount of non-fat, plain yoghurt is usually safe.
Egg whites
(raw) Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. The lack of it can cause hair loss, weakness, growth retardation, or skeleton deformity.
Fat trimmings Too much fat or fried foods can cause pancreatitis.
Fruit pips, seeds Apple seeds, cherry pits, and peach pits, pear pips, plums pits, peaches, and apricot pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous.
Grains
(large amounts) Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but rice is generally safe in small amounts.
Grapes & raisins Can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill him. If the dog doesn't eat enough at one time to be fatal, he can be severely damaged by eating just a few grapes or raisins regularly.
Ham & bacon Contain too much fat and too much salt, and can cause pancreatitis. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may drink too much water and develop a life-threatening condition called bloat. This is where the stomach fills up with gas and within several hours may twist, causing death.
Hops Unknown compound causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death.
Human vitamin supplements containing iron Can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to the other organs including the liver and kidneys.
Liver
(large amounts) Raw liver or too much cooked liver (three servings a week) can lead to vitamin A toxicity. This can affect muscles and cause deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss, and anorexia.
Macadamia nuts Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle. Can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis. These symptoms are usually temporary.
Marijuana Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate.
Milk & other dairy products Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in diarrhoea. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets.
Mouldy or spoiled food, garbage Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting and diarrhoea and can also affect other organs.
Mushrooms Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death. Wild mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhoea, convulsions, coma, or death.
Nutmeg Can cause tremors, seizures and death.
Onions & garlic (raw, cooked, or powder) Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anaemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs. Garlic is less toxic than onions.
Pennies
(made from the 1980s to today) Contain zinc, which can cause kidney failure and damage to red blood cells. A dog that consumes even one penny can become quite sick, or even die, if the penny is not removed.
Persimmons Seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis.
Pits from peaches and plums Can cause obstruction of the digestive tract.
Potato, rhubarb, & tomato leaves; potato & tomato stems Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. This is more of a problem in livestock. Potato peels and green potatoes are dangerous.
Raw eggs Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.
Raw fish Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly.
Salt If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances and kidney problems. Large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may then drink too much water and develop bloat, which is fatal unless emergency treatment is given very quickly.
String Can become trapped in the digestive system; called a "string foreign body."
Sugary foods Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus.
Table scraps (in large amounts) Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat; bones should not be fed.
Tobacco Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.
Tomatoes Can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe. (All parts of the plant except the tomato itself are also poisonous to humans.)
Walnuts Walnuts are poisonous to dogs.
Xylitol Diet products containing the sweetener Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Unless treatment is given quickly, the dog could die.
Yeast dough Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

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LK

Jewel's gonna be upset . No more beer , pot and pizza .

She'll have to change her party girl image .

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Kate

Just yankin' your chain a little . Real good info on consumables .

Thanks

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Gunslinger you are too funny.. Jewel is a beautiful girl..

Lady Kate thank you for posting this. I have forwarded it along to a few friends who are dog lovers..

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Wow, I didn't know that about most of those foods.

Strange situation. In the National Archives is a letter from a spy who had infiltrated George Washington's Army and had become his cook. The letter stated that he had sucessfully poisoned George Washington and that he watched him eat the poisoned food and he would be dead within days. He was making his escape before it was discovered.

He also mentioned the poison he used - Tomatoes. Up until after the Revolutionary War it was common knowledge that tomatoes were poisonous. Probably because of the plant not the actual fruit.

The first public, intentional eating of a tomato was done in Lynchburg, Va on the banks of the James River by Thomas Jefferson. Everyone knows about his home at Monticello, but during the summers he left there because of all the sightseers who bothered him. He build a second home not far outside of Lynchburg called Poplar Forrest. In fact when I lived in Lynchburg, I used to drive by it every day. It was in private hands then, but a non-profit group has it now and is trying to restore it.

The house is Octagon shaped and has his and hers brick outhouses, also octagon shaped.

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gun slinger, dakota's gonna be right there with you... If I can't bribe her with pot and booze, why the heck is she gonna wanna go around the yard putting sticks in the wood pile?  dang...

great post kate, I think alot of people know that they have to be careful with what they feed their dog (but more people don't know, and give them anything) and I think it's awesome to have a list of foods, but also the reason as to WHY they shouldn't be eating them.

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Thanks... Sofia has always been picky about what she eats...Will turn her nose up at a perfectly good bowl of premium kibble yet actually catch a stalk of celery and munch. Always on the lookout for healthful yet, low cal, and I was really surprised at the tomatoes.. Rgreen.. thank you, as always for the fascinating history of such.. The Life and Times of a Tomato!!

You always surprise me with what you know.. Will you be my partner for Trivial Pursuit please?

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Well, I didn't know it either until I moved to Lynchburg. They even had a marker on the banks of the James. Once I had a friend tell me that I was a walking encyclopedia of 1001 useless facts. I wasn't quite sure how to take that.

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I wanted to add a few:

Slippers - This is especially harmful in cold weather, nobody likes cold feet in the morning.

Drywall - Either an inexpensive way to make a portal to the next room, or an expensive fix.  Usually results in lots of expletives.  On the flipside, dogs can make installing a new door a breeze. (not recommended... with the lack of an opposable thumb, must dogs are only good at demolition...not actually installing doors)

Wool Knit Blankets - These are especially scary, when a long, black, stinky, wiggly piece of yarn starts coming out of your pup, you can expect lots of nipping, running full speed in circles, a confused look, and total lack of control.

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Eeeeeuuuwww!!

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I'm sure you've heard of the Dragon Slayers International.. A lot of dobes think there are dragons in the slippers, drywall, sofa, table legs, cupboards, wood floors and especially under the rug and inside knit wool blankets!!.

Their duty is to protect you from said dragons!! Be proud oh Dakota-Dragon Slayer. Strut your fine self and bring 'em in!!!

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she's more of a fan of the mean mushrooms... But she's just taking initiative and trying to clean up the yard! I think we have one of the few puppies that I can say hasn't destroyed anything at all.  but should have heard the conversation this morning when steph woke me up with the string dangling in the breeze...  "what do we do, should we pull it out?"  "I'm not touching that thing...  go google it"  "O wait, there it goes... yep, yarn from the blanket" lol  

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I repeat:

 

Eeeeuuuwww!!!

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yea, believe me it was more gross in person lol

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Just so as nobody PANICS most things in small doses (like if they ate a small butterfinger (mostly milk chocolate and other candy) it won't hurt them but if they ate a whole box of Sees Candies.. trouble!!) to the size of the dog will not induce the symptoms -- it is excess of these foods that will do the most damage.  If you're ever worried about what they ate, call your vet and be prepared to answer how much your dog weighs, how much they ate, and what they ate to find out if you need to take them down to induce vomiting.  In a sticky situation you can self-induce vomiting with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide but always consult your vet first.

 

On the onions.. one dog came into the vet and was so sick for so long and we almost lost her after 3 weeks of treatment the owners finally clued in that their dog had eaten a whole bag of onions.. these onions destroyed the dogs immune system and she got not only the poisoning but also additional illnesses..

If you don't know if its safe, don't feed it!

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thanks for weighing in.. Always great to have experts here!

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Yeah, and remember, a dog will eat something just in case it's food.

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On of the favorite items for both Princess and Red is crate pads. Especially the ones with the polyfill. Of course it is not digestible so it of course has to pass through. At times it won't completely pass, just partially, so one has to take a paper towel, grab ahold and gently pull.

Lady Kate - I say it for you - Eeeuuuwww!

Of course then the rain in the back yard washes away everything except the puffs of polyfill, which for some reason is not quite as white as it once was. This must then be raked up, lest it appear that a freak S. Georgia snow storm went through.

Ready all - Eeeeuuuwww!

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Oh, my!  Thanks for the information!

I thought it was mainly chocolate!!!  And I use onions and garlic a lot!  I guess I thought a few leftovers were a beneficial addition to that dry, uninteresting, smelly dog food. 

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Crate pads must taste like candy because Rocky will eat all the white fuzzy stuff and like you said rgreen we find it all over the yard...:)  We actually keep his crate closed when we are home because he will pull the pad out and chew/eat it.  goofy dog...

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I'm not saying I'm an expert, I've just had the benefit of having wonderful experiences.  Though when I switched careers from Vet Tech to student I was relieved not to have the stress (and body aches!) of that job I could never take it back because those 8 years really help not only myself but my friends and family with all the things you learn..

You want an EW story?  Eli's sister-in-law was walking their dog Maynard  (Steve's older brother) and she wasn't paying attention.  He is 8 months old and still very interested in eating everything.  She watched in horror as he picked up a condom on the street and swallowed it whole.  She called me in an absolute panic at what had transpired.  Now when I consulted the local ER vet they said that he could POSSIBLY pass this.. but I know how much money an obstruction surgery can cost.. so we did the hydrogen peroxide trick (this shouldn't be done if they ate anything that will hurt them on the way up..here is a good article: http://www.petplace.com/dogs/how-to-induce-vomiting-emesis-in-dogs/page1.aspx) and sure enough she had loads of vomit 10 minutes later and one nasty little piece of rubber.. crisis ended!

Until the next week when she walked the same street and found another little "present" but this time she was watching and they crossed the street.

Puppies + freaky people leaving things behind = trouble!!

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And the winner in the Eeeuuuwww contest is - open sealed envelope - Maynard.

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OK That was NASTY !!!

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But why am I still laughing ?

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The smiley icons.. are the best!!

And trust me, when she told be about the pick up after, I was the mean one that was giggling over the whole thing.

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I can just hear all the EEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUS simultaneously and picture each of us at the computer with a quirky face!!!

   A few months ago I was cruisin' thru Half Price Bookstores and ran across several books, cookbooks, for dogs.  My son is a bit on the finicky side and actually smelled food when he was younger, before even considering a "new" taste.  So, looking at the book, I'm thinking, "sure, I need to try and please 'Little Man Leo' at every meal. 

   After reading Kate and Sophia's article of dangerous table fare, I decided to take another look and  picked up one of the cookbooks.  Maybe not such a bad idea.  Also, have been reading the sides of dog food bags.  Thinking I would pick up on a recipe that is a good addition to diet, I read the list of ingredients ...onions and garlic in the first recipe.   Okay, moving on, the second recipe that caught my eyeidio,...tomatoes!  

Well, when I have more time, I'll look at a few more. But just a caution, buyer-beware!

 

I wonder if we could comprise a list of foods known to have no harmful affects.  It might be an easier approach.  I found a tea recipe on line when looking up info on Parvo.  Actually, Leo did not have Parvo, thank God, but something else that was an easy fix. Coccidiosis. Before diagnosis, he was off food some and had diarrhea. I made the tea and gave him that along with banana. He perked up and was feeling better before I got him to the vet.

Bananas are a miraculous food. Rose lovers put the peeling in the soil around the plant and have the most enormous blooms!

Anyway, could we come up with some good stuff!  Might be easier than all the many items to avoid and help our kids know which ones are okay.  I'm just thinking the good might be the shorter list!!!

barbara

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I love that idea... truly think it's brilliant.....but.... there are some food allergies floating around with some of our doberpals.

I don't cook speciality meals for Sofia. She gets kibble and a small dollop of leftovers. (usually chicken) just to make the kibble smell good..rice, most vegetables.. and for very special occasions, cheese.. I found if I wrap her thyroid pill up in a itty bitty dab of cheese, there's no problem.

Once a week a scrambled egg. ( sorry Sof~ no bacon)

Yes, Barb, reading labels is so important.. Most 'affordable' kibble have loads of corn. Most Dobes dont' do well on corn. Besides that, it's a good way to learn a new language..

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Coccidiosis - Industrial strength Eeeuuuwww! Once your dog has had it and you have smelled it, you will never, ever forget that odor.

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This is great post! I'm bringing it back so it will be easier for me to find later when I have time to read through it all.

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Thanks for posting the list....all kinds of good info here..I'm passing along to all the dog lovers I know because most people are not aware...