Maggie Evans 
It’s only natural for pawrents to want to spoil their loveable fur babies. One way we pet owners do that is with food. After all, the way to a dog’s heart is through his stomach, but you’ll be surprised how many creatures this concept works on! But also because we love them so much, we also want them to be safe. There are certain dog foods your pooch is not allowed to eat. We will explore the most common ones and tell you why.
Alcohol
This can seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by the number of eager dog owners who cannot wait to have a celebratory drink or two with their pooch. Life is amazing and there is so much to celebrate, but make sure you share the joy with your pooch in a different way.
Alcohol can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, but these are only the mild symptoms. If consumed in a larg amount, it could cause comas and even death.
Onions
Here is a big one that most seasoned or new dog owners have heard about. While onions can add an amazing flavor to a variety of dishes for us, they have the ability to cause anemia in dogs. It doesn’t matter what form they come in, if you suspect your dog has ingested some onions, a trip to the vet would be your next move.
Caffeine
So many of us need a good ol’ cup of joe to get the day started right. However, while our dog may share that sentiment, their bodies surely wouldn’t appreciate it. Caffeine can be detrimental to your dog, so much so that it causes death.
Grapes
Sadly, your dog will never know how a grape tastes. These purple or green fruits can cause kidney failure in canines and it would be best to steer clear of them. Be careful if you have a habit of leaving fruits in fruit bowls around the house because our dogs have a knack for getting into things.
Dairy
In tiny amounts dairy isn’t harmful. However, lactose intolerance is also something we see in many dogs. You may be lucky and have a pooch with an iron stomach, but milk can have the same effects on dogs as some humans. The symptoms include triggering allergies, diarrhea and digestive issues.
Chocolate
This next one will really pull at your heartstrings. We assume there are more chocolate lovers in the world than not, so the fact that your fur baby cannot enjoy the silky sweet milk chocolate or the brilliant slight bitterness of dark chocolate can be very sad for some. But to ensure the safety of your pooch, this is sadly the truth. Chocolates can cause possible heart issues, tremors, seizures and of course death if ingested in large amounts.
Even in tiny amounts chocolate can cause an upset stomach. The most dangerous type of chocolate happens to be in its purest form. Dark chocolate is by far the most deadly. So if you love the pure cocoa, definitely keep it out of your dog’s reach.
Bones
We can all blame the media for this one. For as far back as cartoons and movies go, we were ingrained with the ‘’dogs loves bones” indoctrination. However, this is furthest from the truth because bones are actually dangerous. The actual chewing is less so, but for a senior or puppy dog and depending on the breed, your pooch has the potential of breaking a tooth.
Even worse, if your pooch has strong jaws, there is a possibility he or she may break the bone and ingest the shards. The broken shards are what make the bones so life-threatening. They are choking hazards and could even pierce their internal organs. For these reasons, keep bones away from your dog.
Improperly Treated Raw Food
The raw diet is a new trend that is gaining popularity. Some pawrents believe a natural raw diet is the best option for their pup. We aren’t here to argue that, but instead we want to caution all pet owners about the quality of the raw diet. If the raw ingredients aren’t fresh, there could be hidden bacteria that could cause salmonella and poisoning in your dog.
While they do have a much tougher system than us at times with all the random stuff they eat on walks, your canine can still react badly to a low-grade raw diet.
Cherries
These are such delicious little round fruits that are easy to feed your dog, right? Wrong! Well, one part is wrong anyway. You can feed your pooch the actual fruit part of cherries but not the seed. The seed contains cyanide, which most of us know is a deadly chemical, even for us in large amounts.
Mushrooms
Fungi from the supermarket is mostly safe, but just to be sure we would still suggest avoiding it. The mushrooms we are referring to in this section pertains to wild mushrooms. There are over 50,000 species of mushrooms on the planet and while most of them are safe, you have might not have an idea whether the one your dog just ingested outdoors is safe or not. It’s better to avoid them in general, even the ones that look like supermarket fungi that grows on your lawn.
What to Do If My Dog Ate Something Dangerous?
We always suggest that it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you suspect your pooch has eaten any of the above, even in trace amounts, we would strongly recommend a trip to the vet. If your dog is suffering from loose stools or diarrhea, dog food with high fiber content can help firm up his poops. Dogs without firm stools might have trouble with anal gland secretion, and we have a list that will help your dog with anal gland expression you can read more here. Our dogs require constant care, and their food is a good place to start.
