Foods that are BAD for dogs

Thank you for posting this, it is a good reminder.

There's some glaring errors in the list tho:

OreoCookieMom

Acetaminophen, Amphetamines, Antihistamines, Decongestants, Aspirin, etc. - Poisonous for dogs. Of course. If your dog can reach it, your small child might be able to reach it, too. Of course, my niece's Great Dane can reach the top of the refrigerator...

They are not all equal.  Antihistamines and Aspirin are often given to dogs.  Acetaminaphen is POISON in very small amounts (kills the kidneys almost immediately).  Decongestants again are often given by vets -- dosing in tricky but it's not categorically a poison.  Amphetamines/  Duh.

OreoCookieMom

Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine including coffee grounds (in garbage) - Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems. The fat content in chocolate is dangerous, as well.

There is a caffeine-like substance in chocolate that's not well tolerated by dogs.  But the true poison is the theobromine -- humans digest it fine but not dogs -- in a dog's liver it turns into a substance VERY like cocaine -- and it damages the liver in a big way ... EVEN cumulatively.  so folks who think "Oh it doesn't bother MY dog" -- yeah -- it does.  Go get some blood done and see what the liver looks like!!

OreoCookieMom

Baby food (certain types) - Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. (Please see onion below.) Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts. Hmmmm...

Onion isn't categorically a poison -- it prevents the body from absorbing calcium is the problem with it.  A tiny bit of onion powder in baby food?  Not a huge problem if you're using baby food to give meds or as a stop-gap to feed to a sick dog.  But baby food really isn't a huge problem -- used in moderation.  And it can be an absolutely life-saver for a sick dog that won't eat.  But as far as onion -- you don't want to 'regularly' give your dogs onions -- but the occasional bit of onion isn't harmful.  Garlic, on the other paw, is GOOD for dogs -- it's nature's antibiotic and can be a great addition to their diet.  I put garlic in my dog's food every single week! 

OreoCookieMom

Milk and other dairy products - Some adult dogs do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in diarrhea. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets. Don't give it to your CATS, either!!

Some dogs are lactose intoleant, some aren't.  Again it's not a huge problem -- particularly if the animal tolerates it well.  Dairy can be a good answer to an easy probiotic or vehicle to give meds to a sick dog.  But it's another of those things that has been universally painted as "bad" when it's really not in certain cases.

OreoCookieMom

Mushrooms - Can lead to abdominal pain caused by liver or kidney damage. Vomiting and diarrhea followed by convulsion, coma and death is quite possible if eaten.

Only if it's mushrooms that are poisonous -- not edible mushrooms like people eat.  Now they ARE a fungus so you don't want to give a dog that already has a problem with something like a yeast infection extra mushroom -- but edible mushrooms can be extremely helpful.  Reishi and maitake mushroom in particular are often used in cancer treatment.

OreoCookieMom

Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems - Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. This is more of a problem in livestock.

Ugh -- another glittering generality -- LEAVES from the potato plant, rhubarb and tomato aren't edible.  But the potato, rhubarb and tomato ARE fine (and very beneficial).  Of the three, potato does contain oxalates and that can be a problem for the **arthritic** dog (worsens arthritis).  Rhubarb has some oxalates but mostly it's the acid in it that worsens arthritis.  Tomato is GOOD for dogs (yes, that goes in my dogfood as well) -- very good source of Vit C.

OreoCookieMom

Table scraps (in large amounts) - Not very nutritionally balanced for dogs. Scraps, along with store-bought or homemade treats, should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat; bones should not be fed if they've been cooked.

scraps are things that should be thrown away.  FOOD on the other hand is food.  My dogs eat 100% "table food" -- except it's cooked specifically for them in the proper proportions.  Scraps are things like leftover gravy and dead french fries -- they ought to be thrown away!

OreoCookieMom

Walnuts - Because of their high phosphorous content, walnuts can potentially give your dog bladder stones.

Most any nut is VERY difficult for dogs to digest.  Even the beloved peanut butter isn't good for dogs.  Be very sparing -- typically they just plain can't digest it.

OreoCookieMom

Xylitol - Can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, seizures and possible liver failure.

Absolutely poison -- veyr very poisonous.

You might want to get "The PIllbook Guide to Medications For Your Dog and Cat" -- Dell Reference, last pub 1998.  You can get it on Amazon.  SUPERB book -- and the first 75 pages of it are THE BEST list of poisons/first aid stuff that I've yet to find.

Also Giffen & Carlson's "Dog Owners Home Veterinary Handbook" -- another reference every home should have.

 I actually have a list printed out of the most common bad foods people give dogs on the fridge. Thanks for the info Callie! Simba is actually a lot less gassy when he's given yogurt with his food, so it really does depend on the dog.

Thanks Callie for clarifying the list because i feed garlic every other day and yogurt too.

Thanks everyone for your input! I just found that list online and thought it was a good start to point out some things that many people are not aware of.

 Also, I keep hearing that peanut butter is bad for dogs? Can anyone explain to me why it is bad? Other than the obvious that some dogs may be allergic to peanuts?

Thanks!

I'm sure it's possible for a dog to be allergic to peanuts, but I've never actually heard of one who was.  My guess is that whatever source said peanut butter is bad for dogs was probably alluding to the fat content.  But that's generally only a problem if you have a dog prone to develop pancreatitis due to dietary fat, or a dog who has a sensitive stomach.  One other possibility I can think of is that many brands of peanut butter contain soybean oil, and some dogs have trouble digesting soy or are allergic to it.  But my guess is that the overwhelming majority of dogs do just fine with small amounts of peanut butter as a treat.

OreoCookieMom

 Also, I keep hearing that peanut butter is bad for dogs? Can anyone explain to me why it is bad? Other than the obvious that some dogs may be allergic to peanuts?

Nope, we're not talking a food allergy like people have.  It's simply VERY difficult for them to digest and in the longer range it's very hard on the kidneys, in particular.

They love it -- truly they LOVE the taste of peanut butter but most nuts, full stop, just aren't good for dogs.

The one exception is sesame butter -- a/k/a Tahini -- that's actually GOOD for them.   And it tastes very similar in many ways TO peanut butter.  If you go to the ethnic foods aisle in the grocery store -- you can usually find Tahini in the Jewish stuff -- usually in a 1# can (Joyah) next to the Halvah (which dogs, and particularly some Gentiles like me find YUM -- A bit too much sugar in that for much doggie stuff and you don't want to give the chocolate halvah)

Nuts are just plain uber hard for them to digest -- too much fat and just plain undigestible for dogs (who don't have gizzards)

Myra

My guess is that whatever source said peanut butter is bad for dogs was probably alluding to the fat content.  But that's generally only a problem if you have a dog prone to develop pancreatitis due to dietary fat, or a dog who has a sensitive stomach. 

That likely would have been me -- my holistic vet in particular is always cautioning me against peanut butter simply from the kidney aspect.

I know a woman who breeds yorkies and she's lost like 3 of them to renal failure (I did not say this woman was one of the "good" breeders, please note that) -- BUT they're not all from her lines ... but she trains with peanut butter -- she's got a squeeze tube that she uses to "give them a lick" as a reward and she's trained all these same yorkies for agility with peanut butter.  I've tried to caution her but it falls on deaf ears ... and she keeps losing them to renal failure.  *sigh*

I never paid a lot of attention to the "don't use much peanut butter" thing until after this gal lost her third dog and I noticed the PB training and then realized it was likely proof in action --

My first dog that was "mine" had pancreatitis that recurred and just half of one pecan would spin her into pancreatitis, so I've always known nuts just aren't wonderful for dogs.  But as a 'flavor' it's so universally used --partly because most humans love it too.

Renal failure is *extremely* common in Yorkies, as a breed. Not saying that peanut butter is good (it's not even great for humans, the other nuts, like almonds, are MUCH better for us!). I think plant fats, in general, are rough for dogs to digest, aren't they?

Some are good -- like safflower oil and sesame oil -- and some can be good (like flax seed oil) if it's processed in a dog-friendly way (like cold-pressed flax oil is NOT easily handled by dogs). 

Some aren't.  I'll have to see if I can get Dr. D to share chapter/verse with me on the kidney un-friendly thing.