Poisonous foods for dogs

Everyday foods to be avoided

There are many foods found in our kitchens that are fine for us to eat but are not so good for our dogs here are a couple of them to be aware of.

 

Chocolate

 

Chocolate tastes and smells great, who can blame our beloved friend for wanting some. The big eyes and doleful expression is enough to make even the most hardened dog owner want to give in and some times we are not even given the chance when that bar of chocolate left on the side or box of chocolates under the Christmas tree miraculously disappears. As cruel and as mean as they make us feel we shouldn’t feel guilty because chocolate can be very harmful to dogs. A great excuse for keep it all to ourselves. Chocolate is a stimulant. It contains a chemical called theobromine which dogs cant metabolise as quickly as we humans can. Mild theobromine poising can present as vomiting and diarrhoea but more severe cases it can induce tremors, cardiac arrhythmia and even heart attacks.

 

Dark cooking/baking chocolate contains approximately 16mg per a gram

Dark chocolate contains approximately 5.5 mg per gram

Milk chocolate contains approximately 2.4 mg per gram

White chocolate contains approximately 0.1 mg per gram

 

100-250mg per a kg of your dogs weight can be fatal This means a 200g bar of dark chocolate can contain 1100mg of theobromine and could be lethal for a dog of 10kg or less

 

Onions and other allium species (including garlic, leeks, shallots and chives).

 

Not only bad for your breath but also bad for our dogs. Onions contain two chemicals that can be bad for them thiosulfate and organosulfur. These attack the red blood cells causing anaemia. Small amounts of onion feed regularly are generally more harmful then a one off large amount, but it is best avoided. Beware if you feed your dog any of your left overs as onion, onion powder and garlic are regularly used for flavouring. Look out for sleepy or dull behaviour, appearing weak, rapid breathing and or discoloured urine.

 

Grapes & Raisins

 

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure, a good reason to keep that glass of wine or fruit and nut bar to ourselves. Its not known what causes the toxicity in gapes and raisins. Part of the problem is it only seems to affect some dogs and not others with some being fine with large amounts and a small amount proving fatal for others.  Symptoms include a decrease in urination, appearing dull, abdominal pain, increased thirst and sometimes coma.

 

Xylitol

 

Xylitol is found in sweeteners and sugar free sweets. Unfortunately for our dogs this is not the healthy option. This can cause the blood sugar level to drastically drop and in some cases liver failure. 100mg of Xylitol per kg of body weight can cause sever hyperglycaemia. The symptoms include vomiting, weakness, lack of coordination, depression and lethargy, tremors seizures and in sever cases coma.

 

Paracetomal

 

Sometimes used as a pain killer but it is rarely prescribed for dogs because it can be highly toxic. The active ingredient of paracetamol is called acetaminophen. 75mg per kg of body weight or above can be toxic and cause liver damage so it is best only given under veterinary supervision. Paracetamol can also cause the formation of methaemogobin instead of the normal haemoglobin or cause hemolythic anemia where the body attacks the healthy red blood cells. This prevents the normal transportation of oxygen around the body. Symptoms include discoloured gums or tongues they can appear brown or grey, vomiting, seizures, lack of coordination, drooling, a yellow colour to skin or whites of eyes or swollen face, neck or limbs.