food dogs: Top 10 toxic foods for dogs

A dog’s diet should be varied, balanced and, above all, adapted to his needs. However, dogs can’t eat everything: some foods are toxic and should be avoided altogether, while others should be offered with caution.

Dogs are carnivores with a tendency towards “opportunistic omnivory”. Their diet revolves around meat, but they can eat many other foods with ease. That doesn’t mean they can swallow everything!

For example, some vegetables
are very toxic to dogs: garlic, onions, chives, potatoes and even raw tomatoes,
which contain solanine. Other common foods are toxic to our furry friends.
Ingestion can lead to poisoning and even death, especially if they’re not cared
for. Here is a non-exhaustive list of foods that are dangerous for a dog.

7 toxic foods for your dog

1. CHOCOLATE AND COCOA

Chocolate is one of the most
common causes of dog poisoning. And for good reason: few can resist its
tempting smell! In bars, powders or spreads, chocolate and cocoa are in all our
cupboards and on most party tables. Unfortunately, they pose a real risk of
poisoning to our canine companions. A danger often unknown to children (and
sometimes adults) who are always ready to share a treat with their four-legged
friend. You understand: don’t use it as a reward for your dog, even if it makes
you look like a puppy. And don’t leave a half-eaten bar in the kitchen: eating
it is strictly forbidden!

Why
is this? Chocolate is largely made up of cocoa,
an ingredient that contains theobromine. The darker the chocolate, the more
theobromine it contains. Only white chocolate doesn’t pose much of a risk, but
it’s very fatty and can cause other problems because it contains only cocoa
butter, not theobromine. This alkaloid substance is not tolerated by dogs. In
large doses it causes poisoning which can lead to death within 24 hours. A 100g
bar of milk chocolate is considered dangerous for a 10kg dog. The risk of
poisoning varies depending on the size and amount of theobromine ingested, but
it is always present, whether it is cocoa, dark chocolate or milk chocolate.

What
are the symptoms? The first symptoms appear between 2 and 4 hours after
ingestion: restlessness, diarrhoea and vomiting, urinary incontinence,
wheezing, fever and tachycardia. Seizures may follow, followed by coma. In
cases of severe poisoning and lack of care, the prognosis is usually
unfavourable.

What
should you do? This type of poisoning is a veterinary emergency. There is no
antidote for theobromine, so you must act quickly: if your dog has eaten
chocolate, take him to a clinic as soon as possible, even if there are no
symptoms. If the ingestion was recent, a vet may be able to induce vomiting so
that the dog can pass what it has swallowed.

2. FRESH
OR DRIED GRAPES

Grapes are also on the
list of fruits that dogs shouldn’t eat. Their toxicity has only been observed
in the last twenty years. Although the cause isn’t fully understood, vets have
sadly found that a simple bunch of fresh grapes can be fatal to a 10kg dog.
It’s important to avoid offering this fruit and to be careful when walking in
vineyards during the season! Caution is essential with any type of grape (black
or white) and even more so with dried grapes. Dried grapes are more toxic than
fresh grapes in the same quantity: 6 raisins per kilogram of body weight are
enough to poison a dog. A simple bag of stolen raisins can cause serious
problems for a medium-sized dog.

Why is this? The exact
active ingredient is still unknown, but ingestion of grapes causes food
poisoning. In the most severe cases, it can lead to acute kidney failure.

What are the signs?
Don’t hesitate to consult a vet if your dog shows unusual behaviour: lethargy,
hypothermia, digestive problems (vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain), refusal
to eat… These signs appear within 24 hours of ingestion and can last for several
weeks. This is a real veterinary emergency.

3. COFFEE,
TEA, AND ENERGY DRINKS

 

Whether you’re a tea or
coffee drinker, this ritual should remain personal. Both beverages contain
caffeine, a molecule known for its stimulating properties but harmful to our
furry friends. Caffeine is also found in some energy drinks, coffee grounds and
brewed tea leaves. Although rare, this type of intoxication is a particular
threat to animals that steal or can’t resist the urge to rifle through rubbish
bins. Beware of litter!

Why? Caffeine is an
alkaloid that is toxic to dogs. The severity of the poisoning depends on the
amount of caffeine ingested and the weight, size and age of the dog. Tea
contains much less caffeine than coffee, and Arabica contains less than
Robusta. A few drops accidentally swallowed are not usually a problem, but 150g
of coffee grounds can be fatal to a 15kg dog.

What are the symptoms?
The first signs appear 4 to 6 hours after ingestion: digestive problems,
cardiorespiratory problems (tachycardia), malaise with or without loss of
consciousness. Don’t hesitate to consult a vet if your pet shows any unusual
behaviour in the following hours.

Alcohol (ethanol) abuse
is detrimental to the health of most living creatures, regardless of species.
Veterinarians are unfortunately accustomed to treating animals affected by this
type of intoxication, usually accidentally. Dogs are more susceptible than cats
because of their attraction to sweet flavours, including those found in
alcoholic beverages. With a cocktail within reach of their nose, the temptation
is great… especially if humans are not vigilant!

Wine and spirits are
not the only culprits. Other foods such as raw dough made from flour and yeast
(bread, pizza, cake, brioche dough, etc.) and fermented fruits also contain
ethanol. Be careful with certain medicines, industrial products and cosmetics that
contain methanol, another type of toxic alcohol. As a precaution, it’s best to
keep cleaning products, paint and varnish bottles, toothpaste, perfume and
antiseptic solutions out of your dog’s reach!

Why? Although our furry
friends are unaware of the risks, alcohol is just as toxic to a dog as it is to
a human. Excessive consumption can lead to alcoholic coma and even death from
respiratory failure. As with many poisonings, the severity depends on the
amount ingested.

What are the signs? The
first effects appear within an hour of ingestion. They are easy to recognise:
disorientation, tremors, vocalisations without reason, agitation/lethargy,
digestive problems, frequent urination and/or intense thirst… The most severe
cases can lead to serious digestive, cardiac and respiratory problems and
ultimately to coma.

How to react? There is
no antidote to alcohol. Do not hesitate to give your pet fresh water to drink
and contact a vet immediately for symptomatic treatment. If the animal is
treated promptly, the outcome is usually favourable.

In general, it’s not
advisable to offer walnuts or hazelnuts to your dog or leave them within reach.
In the eyes of our furry friends, these little balls look like toys or easy to
chew treats. However, their inedible shells are dangerous (risk of intestinal
obstruction), as are the edible parts, which are harmful in large doses.

Macadamia nuts (or
Brazil nuts) are one of the most dangerous nuts for our four-legged friends.
Fresh, dried, raw or cooked, nothing about them is safe for a dog. Just a few
are enough to poison a dog. No fatalities have been reported, but they cause
enough problems that you wouldn’t want to try!

Why not? The active
ingredient responsible for the toxicity of macadamia nuts has not yet been
discovered.

What are the signs?
Vomiting, weakness, excessive salivation and neurological problems (tremors,
difficulty moving, even convulsions in the most severe cases) usually occur
between 6 and 24 hours after ingestion.

Pet owners are largely
unaware of the toxicity of xylitol. However, this sweetener can quickly
endanger a dog’s life and lead to hospitalisation, even at low doses (0.1g per
kilogram of body weight). This high risk justifies taking an interest in the
composition of the industrial products around us, even the most common ones!
This additive, known as E967, is present in many food products: sweets,
sugar-free chewing gum, biscuits, industrial pastries… Xylitol is also
present in certain medicines and personal hygiene products (toothpaste,
mouthwash, multivitamin supplements…).

Why is this? In dogs,
xylitol causes rapid hypoglycaemia. In the medium term, this can lead to
serious liver damage (hepatic necrosis).

What are the signs?

The most rapid effects
occur within an hour: generalised weakness accompanied by diarrhoea, tremors
and loss of balance. In the following hours/days, jaundice is observed in the
most severely affected dogs. This yellowing (of the eyes and mucous membranes)
is symptomatic of liver dysfunction and should not be taken lightly.

What should you do?

The first reflex is to
call the vet. This precaution allows for medical advice and quick action.
Depending on the situation (and only if advised by your vet!), it may be
necessary to give your dog sugar to quickly raise his blood sugar levels. Go to
the hospital as soon as possible, where your pet will need to stay for a few
days while they receive the appropriate treatment and their condition is
monitored.

7. Expired food

Dogs are resilient, but not to the point of being able
to overcome anything! If a food is no longer safe for human consumption,
there’s little chance that a dog will be able to eat it. All expired food is
potentially toxic, even to our furry companions. To avoid an emergency trip to
the vet, it’s best never to offer your pet “old leftovers” and to
keep them away from rubbish bins, which inevitably contain spoiled food!

3 dangerous foods to avoid

• AVOCADO

If a dog swallows a whole avocado seed,
there is a risk of choking, intestinal obstruction and poisoning. Allowing your
dog to chew the skin of an avocado can also lead to poisoning. This
“fruit-vegetable” belongs to the family of foods that are toxic to
dogs and cats. The toxin responsible is mainly concentrated in the skin and
seeds of the fruit, but all parts of the plant are affected, including the stem
and leaves. The flesh of the fruit contains little of it, so most dog breeds
can safely eat small amounts of avocado flesh. However, it is best to keep your
pet at a distance and never let them play with the seeds!

 

Why not? The toxin is called persin.
Persin can disrupt the animal’s metabolism and cause dental problems,
gastrointestinal problems, oedema (lungs and mammary glands), pancreatitis,
etc. The most severe cases of persin poisoning can be fatal.

 

What are the symptoms? Diarrhoea,
vomiting, tachycardia, dyspnoea or difficulty breathing are some of the signs
that should alert you. They appear more or less quickly and up to 24 hours
after the incident.

• OS

We now know that giving your dog bones
is not recommended. Veterinarians, accustomed to emergency surgery for
digestive perforations or intestinal obstructions, believe that the benefits to
the animal are minimal compared to the risks involved. However, the cliché of
the good old dog gnawing on its bone is hard to die. It is possible to give
your dog a bone, but not just any bone: chicken, pork, rabbit or lamb bones,
cooked or uncooked, are a no-no! To please your dog, it is better to choose
large beef bones (marrow bones), preferably raw, which he can gnaw and chew for
hours with almost no risk.

 

Why not? All bones can be broken by
strong jaws and some are very brittle. The risks are many, starting with dental
trauma (cracks or fractures). Once broken, large pieces can cause tracheal
obstruction or intestinal blockage. As for sharp fragments, they are
formidable: once swallowed, their fragments can cause lesions and perforations
(oral mucosa, oesophagus, stomach, intestines, etc.).

 

What are the symptoms?
The signs vary according to the type of lesion, so you must pay attention to
your pet’s general condition and behaviour. Any abnormal sign should prompt you
to seek advice!

• CANNED TUNA

Fresh or canned, tuna is an oily fish
rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids (omega 3), which
are beneficial to dogs’ health. It can easily be offered as an occasional meal,
treat or reward, but precautions must be taken in the choice of product and the
quantities offered.

 

It is important to ensure that only
natural tuna is offered, as canned products often contain sauces and condiments
that are not recommended for dogs.

 

Furthermore, this fish cannot be the
only food for our furry friends: it is essential to vary their protein intake
to ensure a balanced diet. In addition, the high salt content of canned tuna
makes it a food that should be given in small quantities to avoid kidney and
heart problems.

 

What to do if you have a problem?

Whether caused by
potatoes, chocolate, alcohol or other foods, dog poisoning is always a
veterinary emergency. The first thing to do, whatever the cause, is to contact
a vet or veterinary poison control centre to describe the situation and find
out what to do. This will allow you to take the appropriate steps depending on
the specific circumstances of the incident and your dog’s condition. If possible,
do not try to make your pet vomit or regurgitate before seeking medical advice.
This advice also applies if an object, piece of plastic or hazardous product
has been swallowed.