1. Chocolate
To dogs, chocolate acts as a stimulant, making your
dog's heartbeat accelerate or beat irregularly, leading
to seizures and even cardiac arrest. To compound things
further, it also acts as a severe diuretic, causing
frequent urination, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. If you
even suspect your dog has consumed chocolate, take him
to an animal hospital immediately.
2. Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and raisins create havoc with your dog's kidneys
and digestive system. What's worse is that the amount of
grapes needed to cause problems can vary greatly among
individual dogs. Symptoms include frequent urination,
vomiting, and diarrhea.
3. Onions
Onions cause the breakdown of a dog's red blood cells,
which deprives his cells of much-needed oxygen. If
you feed your dog table scraps,
make sure the dish was not prepared with onions, as the
effects can be cumulative over a period of time.
Symptoms can vary greatly, ranging from vomiting and
diarrhea to loss of appetite, fever, or exhaustion.
4. Macadamia Nuts
While the exact chemical compound is still unknown, even
a small amount of macadamia nuts can cause fever,
irregular heartbeat, seizures, or mild paralysis.
5. Alcoholic Beverages
Dogs' physiologies are not equipped to handle alcohol
consumption. They are extremely susceptible to alcohol
poisoning, and even small amounts can lead to digestive
problems or even death.
6. Bread Dough
Because it is soft, dogs will often swallow the dough
without chewing it. When the dough hits your dog's
stomach, his body heat will cause the dough to rise
inside his stomach. This rising action can cause
bloating or vomiting. To compound things further, the
rising action creates alcohol as a by-product, and your
dog may experience the symptoms listed in the previous
paragraph.
7. Caffeinated Beverages
Similar to the effects of chocolate, caffeine is a
stimulant and can negatively impact your dog's heart
rate, causing seizures or heart attacks.
8. Avocadoes
Avocadoes are toxic to many animals. The offensive
chemical damages heart, lung, and other essential
tissues. Be aware since guacamole's main ingredient is
avocado, that you keep any such dips well out of your
dog's reach.
9. Pitted Fruits (Peaches, Pears, Cherries, and
Apricots)
The pits of these fruits contain small doses of cyanide,
which can be fatal to smaller dogs. Also, if the pit is
swallowed whole, it may become lodged in the intestinal
tract, where the blockage will have to be surgically
removed.
10. Raw Fish
Raw fish, especially salmon, can contain parasites,
usually fluke larvae. The dog consumes the fish, and the
larvae hatch in your dog's digestive tract, attaching
themselves to his intestinal walls. Symptoms can take up
to a week to exhibit and usually mimic other canine
diseases, such as distemper or parvovirus. The hazard
here is misdiagnosis by the veterinarian, leading to an
improper or ineffective treatment. If you choose to feed
your dog fish, be sure to cook it thoroughly to kill any
bad critters that could be hiding inside.
