DANGER

Eating food May Harm Your Dog

Well actually it is obvious your dog has to eat, but most of us are unaware that many every day foods that you may have in your kitchen can be harmful to your dog. Sometimes these foods are used to supplement a dog's meal or fed “ad hoc” during the day

A dog's metabolism is somewhat similar to that of a human, which is one reason why dogs have, sadly, been used in laboratories to test drugs etc. However, a dog's digestive system has certain critical differences from ours. This means you cannot rely on the idea that if a certain food is safe for you, it will be safe for your dog.

Three Points To Consider
Firstly, it is bad practice to feed your dog at any time other than at it's designated meal times (reward tit bits are okay but you need to factor these into your dog's overal calorie intake). Feeding your dog at random can lead to poor discipline in your dog and a tendency to want food on demand.

Secondly, if you add scraps and left overs to your dog's meals you will lose control of your dog's calorie intake (yes, even dogs are subject to the same rules as humans when it comes to eating)

Thirdly, many foods we eat as part of our normal diet are actually very bad for dogs and in the worst cases can be near to fatal. Bear in mind that the harmful substance may be a simple ingredient of an otherwise safe food.

FOOD TO AVOID

Almonds and nuts in general
Large quantities can lead to stomach upset. Limit salted nuts. Just like with babies, whole nuts can pose a choking hazard.

Apples
The fruit is safe but only in very very small quantities, the leaves and roots are not.

Avocados
There are some worries that avocados contain a toxic principle known as Perin. There have not been any clinical tests on what constitutes a toxic dosage and it may be best to avoid avocado completely.

Baby Food
Several of the recipes contained on nocans.com do contain baby food; avoid giving dogs any baby food that contains onion powder.

Caffeine
Avoid chocolate, coffee, tea and all other caffeine containing products.

Cherries
Also apricots, peaches, grapes, raisins and plums,The fruit is safe in very small quantities, the stones, leaves and roots are not. It is best to avoid these fruits completely.

Onions and Garlic
Dogs do not have the enzyme necessary to properly digest onions or garlic. A dog that eats onions can experience gas, vomiting, diarrhoea or severe gastrointestinal distress. All forms of onion and garlic may cause problems and remember that onion and garlic can be included in many everyday savoury products that are in your kitchen now

Citrus oil extracts
These products which are sometimes contained in food can cause vomiting

Dairy products
Some adult animals may get diarrhoea from dairy products. Try lactose-free milk products. Cottage cheese and yoghurt appear to be more stomach friendly.

Fatty Foods.
Dogs love rich fatty foods. They often get these foods as treats, leftovers or from getting into the trash.

Mouldy or Spoiled Food
Dogs love to get into the trash. A medical problem arises when the trash contains mouldy or spoiled food. In addition to food poisoning, some pets can develop tremors
related to the ingestion of certain moulds.

Alcoholic Beverages
Never

Xylitol
This is a commonly used sweetener made from sugar-alcohol. It is found in sugar-free human food products, such as chewing gum and candy.

Try to avoid feeding your dog “leftovers” and “scraps”, your dog is not a garbage bin and any feed costs you think you are saving could be lost several times over in future vet's bills.