Dogs love to eat, but what can't they eat?
We're entering the holiday season, aka table scraps for dogs season, many visits to the vet season! Make sure you keep these foods away from your dog to avoid those unexpected (and expensive!) dog doc trips!
Xylitol - Keep your pup away from this sweetener that's found in many candies, gums, toothpaste, and more. It can cause dangerously low blood sugar and lead to liver failure.
Avocados - The skin, leaves, and seeds contain persin, a toxin that can cause digestive upset and heart damage. The interior of avocados contains less, but it's high in fat and the pits are a choking hazard, so it's best to stay away from avocados altogether.
Onions, Garlic, Chives, & Leeks - These all belong to the allium family, which contains N-Propyl Disulfide a chemical that dogs cannot digest. It damages their red blood cells and causes hemolytic anemia, a painful and sometimes deadly condition.
Fat Trimmings & Cooked Bones - As much as your dog puppy eyes you for those leftover meaty bits, throw them away! Fat trimmed from meat bones can cause pancreatitis and the bones can splinter and cause cuts and blockages in your dog's digestive tract.
Chocolate - Most pup owners know about this one! Chocolate contains theobromine, which stops your dog's metabolic processes. Small amounts can make your dog very ill, but large amounts can be lethal.
Macadamia Nuts & Walnuts - While vets still aren't sure why these nuts cause health problems in dogs, ingesting them can lead to digestive distress and nervous system and muscle damage.
Grapes & Raisins - Though it appears that these are only toxic to some dogs, a single grape or raisin can cause mild sickness to full kidney failure and should be considered poisonous to all pups.
Alcohol - Dogs are smaller than us and don't process foods quite the same, so even small amounts of alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning, liver damage, and cognitive issues.
Caffeine - Coffee and caffeinated beverages are toxic to dogs, so keep them away from your morning joe!
High Salt Foods - Your dog's body is not designed to ingest lots of salt. It can cause water deprivation or salt poisoning. Watch how many scraps that were previously salted your dog is eating this holiday season!
If your dog does get ahold of any of these foods, take them to your vet or call the National Pet Poison Helpline at 800.213.6680!
Sore Tummy Soother
If your dog's tummy gets upset this Holiday season (just like ours can!) add our Doggy Broth to their meals or homemade Pupsicles. We keep this stomach soothe in our cabinet at all times. It contains pumpkin and bone broth which both quickly calm and regulate the digestive tract.
