15 Surprising Foods to Never Feed Your Dog

Many dog owners are incredibly cautious about what they feed their fur-children, but unless you grew up with dogs or do your research, there are bound to be some surprising foods not to feed dogs along the way. It’s hard to resist the big puppy dog eyes that beg for a taste of whatever you’re eating at any given time, but when it comes to the following 15 foods you should never give your dog, you must learn to say no for your dog’s own benefit. Be sure to explain this to guests at dinner parties as well so they don’t end up sneaking grilled onions or macadamia nuts to your dogs under the table.

Xylitol

The artificial sweetener found in sugar-free sodas, gum and candy can make your pup’s blood sugar drop drastically leading to liver failure. Your dog probably loves the taste and smell of sweet things, even the artificially sweet kind, so be sure to keep the diet sweets far out of Fido’s reach.

Avocado

Avocados, while super healthy for humans, may contain a toxin called persin that can be harmful to dogs. Not all species contain the toxin, but persin is present in the skin, core and meat of certain types of avocado, so be extra careful if you grow avocados in the backyard. Don’t panic if your dog gets a hold of a little piece that jumps off your cutting board though!

Alcohol

It should be a no-brainer that alcohol shouldn’t be fed to dogs, but since pups love the taste of wine and beer, it’s worth mentioning that it can be highly toxic. Alcohol affects the liver and brain of dogs just like it does humans, but it takes a lot less to affect them. Avoid feeding your dog dishes that were cooked with alcohol as well.

Onions

Onions contain a toxin called thiosulphate that can damage your dog’s red blood cells leading to hemolytic anemia. Make sure any leftovers you feed your pup is completely free of onions.

Caffeine

Dogs are far more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than humans are, so it’s important to keep them out of your coffee grounds, used tea bags and more. If your dog drinks a little bit out of your coffee cup, it won’t be enough to hurt him, but if he gets a hold of a few caffeine pills the result could be fatal.

Grapes and Raisins

There is still some mystery as to what exactly it is in grapes that is so toxic to dogs, but even ingesting a small amount can lead to sudden kidney failure, characterized by anuria or the inability to urinate as well as many other awful side effects. Never feed grapes or raisins to your dogs!

Macadamia Nuts

Again, it is unknown why but only in dogs macadamia nuts can lead to weakness, difficulty walking especially in the hind legs, hyperthermia, depression and more.

Cooked Bones

It seems counterintuitive to keep a bone away from your dog, but cooked bones can splinter in your dog’s throat which can be highly damaging to your pup and even become a choking hazard.

Fat Trimmings

High fat foods like bacon, the fat trimmings from your steak or baked chicken skin can cause pancreatitis in dogs leading to severe digestive problems.

Yeast Dough

If you do a lot of baking and give in to your dog’s begging eyes, stay away from unbaked dough that contains yeast. The yeast rises in your dog’s stomach and ferments which can lead to alcohol poisoning.

Nutmeg, Baking Powder & Soda

On the subject of baking, do not feed your dogs any baked goods that contain a lot of nutmeg, baking powder or baking soda. These can all be toxic to dogs.

Chocolate

While most people already know that chocolate is poisonous to dogs, they may not realize why. The theobromine found in chocolate can lead to seizures, muscle tremors and irregular heartbeat when eaten in large amounts.

Dairy Products

Many dogs, like some humans, are lactose intolerant meaning they don’t have the enzymes to break down the sugars found in cow’s milk. This means feeding your dog cheese or other dairy products could lead to bloating, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal discomfort.

Apple Core

Traces of cyanide are found in apple seeds, which are toxic to humans too, but since dogs are smaller and more likely to be indiscriminate about eating the sides/cores of things, they are more dangerous to our K9 friends.

Peaches and Plums

Pits are a choking hazard to dogs and they contain the same toxin that apple seeds have. If you chop up the peach or plum and discard the pits, however, your dog will love the sweet treat.