15 Foods You Should Avoid Giving Your Dog at all Costs

There are certain foods that you should avoid giving dogs, even if they literally beg for it. Some of these foods that are bad for dogs can cause serious issues and are foods not to give to dogs.

Your dog probably wants to eat all the delicious food that you are enjoying. If you are a pooch parent, you probably find it impossible to resist giving these delicious morsels. But resist you must. It could cause great harm to your dog, even if he/she has already eaten them in the past without any obvious issues.

15 Human Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat

1. Chocolates

The cacao seed contains methylxanthines and so does the coffee fruit. This could lead to vomiting or diarrhea. In some cases, it can also cause seizures, irregular heartbeat and death.

Never reward your dog with chocolates. Same goes for the other stuff mentioned, as energy drinks and soda can also contain caffeine.

The extent of the danger depends on:

• Type of chocolate – Dark chocolate and baking chocolate is an absolute no, whereas white chocolate is the least harmful.
• Your dog size – A larger dog is in less danger.
• Amount consumed – Small amounts can cause vomiting or an upset stomach. One ounce of dark chocolate is enough to panic in case of a small dog.

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2. Coffee

Lapping up a small cup of coffee is less dangerous than consuming ground coffee.  A dose of 150 mg for a dog of 2.2 pounds can be considered lethal. However, decaf is absolutely safe.

3. Energy Drinks/Soda

Simple sugars present in soda are extremely bad for your doggie. Of course, a couple of drops of soda or coke off the floor shouldn’t matter much. But you cannot pour him a can of soda.

4. Bacon: Dog foods to Avoid

I agree bacon is truly delicious and you’re not able to resist giving your dog a bite or two. So what do you do when your furry friend begs for these juicy strips? A small taste doesn’t mean the end of the world for your dog. But it could be bad for the pancreas in the long run. The high salt content could twist the intestines.

Be strong. Dogs find it difficult to process greasy food, so that aromatic fried bacon is a sure no no and so is raw bacon.

5. Salty Items: Foods Not to Give Dogs

You’re eating salty chips or even pretzels and your dog is begging for it with those cute eyes and that irresistible doggie grin. You want to reward him with a few tidbits under the table. Could it really hurt your dog? Not a good idea. It’s among the foods to avoid giving your dog.

It will not only make him thirstier but also result in sodium ion food poisoning, leading to diarrhea; vomiting; seizures and even death.

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6. Onion/Garlic/Chives – Foods to Avoid for Dogs

Even a small amount like 1/4^th of a cup of onions could make a 20-pound dog sick. Which dog in his/her right mind will eat an onion? Thanks for asking. Onions could be in the form or rings or in a soup or prepared with mushrooms or even in a soufflé.

In my dog Rex’s case, I had fried the onions and left them on a plate and the next thing I know they had disappeared into his tummy. He started drooling and collapsed after a few hours. Upon taking him to the vet, we found purple clumps in the blood cells, pointing undoubtedly to onion poisoning.

7. Milk/Cheese/Dairy products

There’s a lot of confusion on this one. But you’ve surely heard of lactose intolerance. Some dogs are able to digest milk and it doesn’t seem to cause any issues.

Discuss this with your vet before you start your furry friend on milk or any other dairy product. Be alert to stomach related issues when your dog consumes dairy.

8. Raw Eggs

If you must give raw eggs, make sure that you buy organic ones or opt for a trusted brand. In case you don’t trust raw eggs – try scrambling, boiling or frying them.

We don’t want your furry friend to miss out on the proteins, vitamins, riboflavin, iron and the fatty acids present in them.

9. Fish

As for fish, it’s not advisable. Seafood could contain many toxic chemicals and excess iodine. It could cause allergies and inflammation, seizures and even death.

However, fish does offer a major source of omega 3 fatty acids. You could give your pet sardines in water or a wild salmon or just give a supplement like krill oil.

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10. Raw Meat

Raw meat contains harmful bacteria and could make your pet ill. Red meat is carcinogenic. Though raw food is becoming more popular, it could pose a health risk.

Salmonella present in raw meat could spell the end for dear pet. Worse still, the salmonella can even be passed on to the owner and infect humans.

11. Peanut butter – Human foods a dog should never eat

That delicious peanut butter cookie is strictly off limits. Yet, you find the pet stores stacked with peanut butter doggie treats.

• Peanut butter might contain Aflatoxins that could cause cancer.

• It also has trans fatty acids that are also toxic, leading to heart problems; inflammation and diabetes.
• Peanut butter has sugar. It could cause candida; parasites and even cancer.

12. Sugary Items/Candy

Dogs love sweet items, just like you and me. They also get addicted to sweets, just like humans. Unfortunately, they also suffer from the same effects of diabetes; dental problems and far worse.

Sure, most dog treats and dog foods contain sugar. Probably done to make them more addictive. Try combating the bad effect of sugar by giving your pet more exercise. Check out the sugar content in dog foods and change to ones that have less sugar. Make the change gradually, so that it is less noticeable.

13. Ice-cream

Check out Prince George feeding his dog Lupo a chocolate Magnum ice-cream.

Looks so cute, but animal welfare groups were filled with concern, and rightfully so.

14. Mushrooms

The wrong kind of mushrooms could spell doom for your pet. Dogs do enjoy mushrooms, but it might not agree with their stomach. That said, store bought ones are better than wild ones.

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15. Avocado – Foods You Should Avoid Giving Your Dog

The pit is really worrisome as it could lead to an obstruction. It can generally cause stomach upset. They are also high in fat, so it could lead to pancreatitis.

Wrap Up

As a general thumb rule, whenever you begin on a new food, feed your dog in small amounts to begin with. Be alert to signs of stomach upset or vomiting. Reduce the amount and try after a few weeks.  Go slow – don’t make a sudden switch!

For instance, if you just had plain bread and milk for months and then someone gave you a piece of steak, you’d sure have a stomach upset. The same applies to your pet too.

• Stop tossing your table scraps to your pet.
• Opt for home cooking.
• Don’t just toss over that left over lasagna or fries into his/her bowl. Feed them with a lot of vegetables; lean meat or whole grains.
• Watch out for the fat and beware of the bones.
• Above all, steer clear of the above foods to avoid, and your canine should be fine for several years.

If you know of any other dog foods that you must avoid, do share them here.