What should dogs not eat?
These foods can cause poisoning in dogs: firstly, chocolate. If dogs consume a large amount, it can cause abnormal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, polyuria, tachycardia, epilepsy, and ataxia; Secondly, onions can cause hemoglobin oxidation, resulting in hemoglobinuria. In severe cases, dogs may die from anemia; Finally, there are grapes. The flesh of grapes may damage a dog’s kidneys, leading to kidney failure.
At the same time, low-quality packaged pet food (dog food/snacks) is also a major hidden danger in dog diet. Such products are prone to contain various harmful ingredients, and long-term or excessive consumption can cause poisoning and various chronic diseases. Owners should not be tempted to buy cheap!
The dog’s mouth is very greedy, but the owner cannot feed it indiscriminately
In our impression, dogs are often particularly greedy, feeling like they want to eat and taste anything they encounter with their mouths.
But in fact, many things at home and low-quality pet products on the market are hidden dangers for dogs.
★ Chocolate
We already mentioned yesterday that chocolate contains a substance called methylxanthine, including theobromine, which can also cause a decrease in blood supply to the head of dogs’ brains.
It can easily cause hypoxia, epilepsy, and even life-threatening situations in dogs.
★ Liver
Some viewers may ask, what is there that the liver cannot be fed? We often feed dogs with internal organs, and some videos also say that some liver is beneficial for dogs.
Don’t be impatient, sir. The liver Dr. Cat is referring to here is mainly undercooked liver, because raw liver contains a lot of vitamin A and high fat. If it is not cooked properly, it can easily cause vitamin A poisoning in dogs, and also hinder their absorption of calcium, which has a great impact on their bones.
★ Bones
I believe this is another thing that can make the audience feel strange. What else can dogs eat without bones?
Everyone grew up listening to catchphrases like cats eat fish, dogs eat bones, and Ultraman fights monsters. Actually, when I didn’t study this major, I was also surprised.
But in fact, dogs are not suitable for eating bones, whether they are large or small bones, because small bones and some bone fragments are particularly easy to get stuck in the throat and cut the intestines.
The foreign bodies often seen in clinical diagnosis and treatment cases are those that are eaten from bones.
★ Australian nuts or walnuts
Australian nuts and walnuts can cause dogs to collapse, muscle spasms, and paralysis. Actually, nuts are not very friendly to dogs.
Because nuts contain high levels of phosphorus, they may cause kidney stones, especially in unsterilized male dogs, which should be avoided as much as possible.
★ Avocado
The flesh, pits, and even fruit trees of avocado, which have been very popular in the past two years, are harmful to dogs and can easily cause pleural effusion and difficulty breathing.
But there are also opinions that avocado oil is a good thing for dogs, which need to be verified.
★ Poor quality large packaging pet food
Some low-priced and low-quality packaged dog food and pet snacks on the market are products that cut corners and add illegal ingredients in order to reduce costs, causing great harm to dogs’ bodies. These products often contain toxic ingredients such as aflatoxin, excessive industrial salt, low-quality meat powder (including spoiled meat sources), artificial preservatives (excessive sodium benzoate), and unknown sources of additives.
- Aflatoxin can damage dog liver cells, causing liver damage and even liver cancer;
- Excessive industrial salt can increase the metabolic burden on the kidneys, leading to dehydration and renal failure in dogs;
- Rotten meat powder can easily breed bacteria, produce harmful substances such as histamine, and cause gastrointestinal disorders in dogs;
- Excessive preservatives can damage a dog’s immune system, leading to metabolic disorders in the body.
After consuming such inferior packaged products, dogs may experience symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, mental fatigue, loss of appetite, hair loss, and bad breath in the short term. Long term consumption can lead to chronic liver and kidney diseases, stones, and intestinal ulcers. Puppies may experience delayed development and skeletal deformities, while adult dogs may develop anemia and weakened immunity. In severe cases, they may die from organ failure.
What should owners pay attention to when it comes to their dog’s diet?
Actually, just like people’s diet, we don’t need to be too refined, but we can’t be too rough either.
You should know that dogs and cats are not the same. Cats are pure carnivores, while dogs are omnivores like us.
So we should focus on high-quality protein and dietary fiber. In daily life, we can feed qualified formula dog food, along with canned and self prepared foods.
When purchasing pet food, do not be tempted by low prices and choose inferior large packaging products without formal production qualifications, ingredient list traceability, or quality inspection reports. Instead, identify legitimate brands and products with clear ingredient labeling; Compared to cats’ various homemade foods, dogs can really live their entire lives eating dog food.
So if you really don’t know what to feed, it’s best to feed high-quality regular dog food, after all, fancy homemade food and cheap inferior products are likely to cause problems for dogs. On the contrary, “lazy people” who choose the right reliable products can achieve “victory”.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Why is chocolate dangerous for dogs?
A: Chocolate contains methylxanthine substances, including theobromine, which can reduce the blood supply to dogs’ brain heads, easily causing hypoxia, epilepsy, and even life-threatening situations. In addition, large consumption of chocolate can lead to abnormal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, polyuria, tachycardia, epilepsy, and ataxia in dogs.
Q: Can dogs eat liver?
A: Dogs should not eat undercooked liver. Raw or undercooked liver contains a lot of vitamin A and high fat, which can easily cause vitamin A poisoning in dogs and hinder their calcium absorption, thus having a great impact on their bones. Properly cooked liver may be fed in moderation, but the focus is on avoiding undercooked ones.
Q: Is it safe for dogs to eat bones?
A: No, dogs are not suitable for eating bones, whether large or small. Small bones and some bone fragments are particularly easy to get stuck in the dog’s throat and cut their intestines, and bone-eaten foreign bodies are common in clinical diagnosis and treatment cases.
Q: What harms do Australian nuts or walnuts bring to dogs?
A: Australian nuts and walnuts can cause dogs to collapse, muscle spasms, and paralysis. In addition, nuts contain high levels of phosphorus, which may cause kidney stones, especially in unsterilized male dogs, so they should be avoided as much as possible.
Q: Are avocados safe for dogs?
A: No, the flesh, pits, and even fruit trees of avocados are harmful to dogs and can easily cause pleural effusion and difficulty breathing. Although there are opinions that avocado oil is beneficial to dogs, this needs further verification.
Q: What are the hazards of low-quality large-packaged pet food to dogs?
A: Low-quality large-packaged pet food often contains toxic ingredients such as aflatoxin, excessive industrial salt, low-quality meat powder (including spoiled meat sources), excessive artificial preservatives, and unknown additives. Short-term consumption may cause vomiting, diarrhea, mental fatigue, etc.; long-term consumption can lead to chronic liver and kidney diseases, stones, intestinal ulcers, etc., and severe cases may cause death from organ failure.
Q: What should owners pay attention to when feeding dogs?
A: Owners should focus on providing high-quality protein and dietary fiber for dogs, mainly feeding qualified formula dog food, along with canned food and self-prepared food. When purchasing pet food, do not be tempted by low prices; instead, choose legitimate brands with clear ingredient labels, formal production qualifications, ingredient list traceability, and quality inspection reports. If you are unsure about feeding, high-quality regular dog food is the best choice.
Q: Are dogs carnivores like cats?
A: No, dogs are different from cats. Cats are obligate carnivores, while dogs are omnivores like humans.
Reference
Wikipedia – Dog Food (Hazards and Toxicities) – This section of the Wikipedia page introduces the potential hazards and toxicities of dog food, including the risks of low-quality dog food containing harmful ingredients (such as aflatoxin, excessive salt) and the impact of inappropriate human food on dogs’ health, which is consistent with the content of low-quality pet food hazards mentioned in the original text.
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) – The ASPCA’s animal poison control page provides a detailed list of foods and plants harmful to dogs, including avocados, grapes, and nuts. It explains the toxic parts of these foods and the possible symptoms after dogs ingest them, which can be used as an authoritative reference for dog food safety.
