Toxic and Dangerous Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat

If you have a dog, you’ll know that they will take any opportunity to sink their paws into any food they can find.

While your dog might gobble up every last crumb of a chocolate doughnut with pure delight, this doesn’t mean that it’s any good for your furry friend.

In fact, there are most likely a number of toxic foods lying amongst your everyday household food items that could pose a serious threat to your dog.

Here are some toxic and dangerous foods your dog should never eat:

Chocolate

Chocolate is an irresistible treat tempting both humans and dogs alike. However delicious it may be, chocolate is a poisonous food for dogs as it contains a stimulant called theobromine (dark chocolate has the highest content of this) which is toxic to dogs and can cause kidney failure.

The problem is that theobromine is in all kinds of chocolate, even white chocolate. The most dangerous types are dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Chocolate can cause a dog to vomit and have diarrhoea. It can also cause heart problems, tremors, seizures, and death.

Take your dog to the vet if you suspect your dog has eaten any kind of chocolate.

Caffeine

What might seem like a delicious warming beverage for humans, is actually a dangerous substance for dogs.

Watch out for cocoa, chocolate, colas, energy drinks, cold and flu medicines and painkillers. Even the beans and grounds of coffee and tea can be fatal for dogs.

If you suspect your dog had caffeine, it’s important to take them to the vet.

Grapes and raisins

As grapes and raisins offer a plethora of health benefits for humans and even count as one of our five a day, it might be surprising to learn that grapes and raisins are one of the most toxic foods a dog can eat.

Even just a small amount of raisins or grapes can make a dog feel ill and lead to kidney failure. A telltale sign that your dog has eaten grapes or raisins is continuous vomiting.

Within just a day, your dog can feel sluggish and depressed, so it’s important to take them to the vet if you suspect they might’ve eaten any grapes or raisins.

Macadamia nuts

Just six raw or roasted macadamia nuts can be enough to make a dog ill. This is because they contain a toxin that can affect your dog’s muscles and nervous system resulting in weakness, swollen limbs and panting.

Contact your vets if you suspect that your dog has eaten a macadamia nut.

Bay Vets

While we have listed just a few of the most harmful foods a dog can eat, there are actually lots more that we haven’t covered. For a complete list of the poisonous foods for dogs, check out our poisons guide at Bay Vets.

If you suspect that your dog has eaten anything from the list, please contact your local veterinary surgeon today.

While we are currently at full capacity here at Bay Vets, if you would like to be added to our vet surgery waiting list then click here, or get in touch with a member of our caring team for more information.