Human Food is Not Dog Food

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     We have often been told that feeding table scraps to your pet dog harms the canine more than it harms the human. We might continue to feed our pet dogs with table scraps because we don't want to eat the tripe, we want to treat them to chocolate or we are saving on dog food expenses. In the end, we regret our decision to feed certain human food to our dogs when our canine friends suffer from the ill effects of such an unhealthy diet.

Well, why let it happen to your dog? You always have the option of knowing the human foods that serve as dog poisons and then, of course, avoid serving them.

Caffeinated Foods

We are talking primarily about chocolate even if its caffeine content is lower than that of coffee itself. Other foods that contain caffeine and, hence, big no-nos for dogs are tea, carbonated soda, energy drinks and candies. If you are in doubt, we suggest reading the nutrition labels to ensure that caffeine is absent from the food.

You must never even feed a dog with any amount of chocolate. Although small amounts are not fatal per se, chocolate in any form, formulation and color will lead to health complications ranging from mild diarrhea to death.

Fruits and Vegetables

If you think that, since fruits and vegetables are good for man, then it must be good for man's best friend, think again. Many of the fresh produce that we eat for our good health are toxic to our canine friends. The most notable of these fruits and vegetables are:

?Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and grapefruits as well as grapes and raisins. Symptoms include vomiting but kidney damage is the more disturbing consequence.

?Hops, a type of grain sued to brew beer, contain highly toxic substances where dogs are concerned. Symptoms of ingestion include increased heart rate, fever and seizures, which can lead to death.

?Potatoes from the tubers to the leaves lead to digestive and nervous system damage as well as urinary tract infections. This is also true for rhubarbs and tomatoes.

?Mushrooms, persimmons, walnuts, macadamia nuts, garlic and onions are also poisonous for dogs.

Just to be on the safe side, if you want to provide your dog with the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, we suggest going for canine supplements. Or just stick to dog food.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs

We find it funny to see dogs drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages straight from their master's can. But it is not so funny when the dog eventually suffers from the ill effects of intoxication like coma and death.

This is also true for tobacco products so you can just imagine the effects of giving dogs illicit drugs. If humans are killed by these drugs, so do our dogs and in a faster way, at that.

Other human foods that are considered as toxic for dogs include baby food (onion powder is often used); cat food (too high levels of protein and fat); milk and dairy products; human vitamin supplements especially those with iron; and spoiled food and garbage. Feeding your dog with these foods may sound like fun but it never is where the dog is concerned.