We’ve all been there before : You’re hanging out with your friends, enjoying a nice drink and munching on some snacks when your pet comes up to you, puts his paws on your legs and stares deep into your soul with those puppy dog eyes, it’s near impossible to say no. We all worry about what we can and can’t feed our pets, some human foods are safe for our pets to eat while others are very toxic. To keep your pet healthy and yourself proud of their health, see our lists below to learn what human food you can feed your pet and what you cannot, as well as how much you should feed them.
Human Foods Dogs Can Eat :
- Carrots
- Apples
- Brown Rice
- Milk products – In very small quantities as some dogs are lactose intolerant
- Fish – Salmon, Tuna, Mahi Mahi
- Chicken plain, boiled and unseasoned
- Turkey plain, boiled and unseasoned
- Pork plain, cooked and unseasoned
- Unsalted Peanut Butter
- Berries – Blueberries, Raspberries, Cranberries
- Bananas
- Pineapples
- Green Peas
- Sweet Potato
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Eggs
- Oatmeal
- Green Beans
- Cucumber
- Yogurt
- Pumpkin
Even though these foods are safe for dogs to eat it is extremely important to remember that as is the case with humans, these foods must be fed in moderation for our pets to gain the maximum benefit from them. The next time you’re having a snack keep these foods handy so you and your pet can enjoy snack time together.
Human Foods Dogs Can’t Eat :
- Chocolate - Chocolate is poisonous to dogs mostly because of its theobromine content, which dogs are unable to metabolize effectively
- Onions - Onions contain a toxic principle known as N-propyl disulfide. This compound causes a breakdown of red blood cells, leading to anemia in dogs.
- Garlic - garlic and other members of the allium family, including onions, contain thiosulfate, which is toxic to dogs but not to humans. Thiosulfate causes oxidative damage to red blood cells, resulting in hemolytic anemia
- Grapes and Raisins - Although the toxic substance within grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure. Until more information is known about the toxic substance, it is best to avoid feeding grapes and raisins to dogs.
- Cherries - The main danger of cherries is that their pits, stems, and leaves contain cyanide, which is poisonous and potentially lethal if consumed in high enough quantities. Cherry pits can also get lodged in a dog's digestive tract and cause intestinal blockages.
- Avocado - In large amounts, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and myocardial damage. Avocado flesh's high fat content can lead to gastrointestinal upset and pancreatitis in dogs if they eat too much, and because it's calorie-dense, it can also lead to weight gain.
- Coffee and Tea - Caffeine raises blood pressure and causes cardiac arrhythmias, which can be dangerous. Pets may also lose muscle control and have tremors or seizures. Caffeine affects the gastrointestinal tract and can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
- Xylitol - When dogs eat something containing xylitol, the xylitol is more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may result in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas.
- Alcohol -Whilst we don't typically think of alcohol being a poison, the ingestion of enough of it can result in sedation, unsteadiness on the feet, vomiting, low body temperature, depression of the breathing, increases in the acidity of the blood, low blood sugar, coma, seizures and death.
- Lemons and Limes - All citrus fruits contain essential oils and a chemical compound that are toxic to dogs
- Nuts - almonds, macadamia nuts etc - Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs. Your pup would only need to eat a small amount of food containing these nuts to experience negative results.
- Raw Eggs - Dogs are at risk of contracting salmonella. Owners who feed raw eggs to dogs could also be exposed to salmonella. If a dog eats an egg contaminated by salmonella, they could get an infection called Salmonellosis.
- Cooked Bones – Cooked bones splinter into shards that can cause choking and serious damage to the dog's mouth, throat, or intestines.
- Salt - Eating too much salt can make your dog seriously thirsty. That means a lot of trips to the fire hydrant and it could lead to sodium ion poisoning.
While there are many human foods our dogs can eat, the foods in the list above should be kept away from your pets at all costs, these are known to be extremely toxic to our pets, they can lead to extremely serious health problems and even death. Another thing to keep in mind when feeding our pets fruits, it is of utmost importance to not feed our pets any seeds as these can cause blockages in the pets system and lead to serious health problems.
All in all there are some human foods our pets can eat and some that they must never be fed, It is important to remember that the ones they can eat must be fed in moderation for our pets to reap the maximum benefits from them.
Behind Every Healthy Pet is a Proud Parent, so let’s do everything we can to keep our little loved ones in the best of health and give them the long lives they deserve.
