A dog is a valued member of many households in the Netherlands. For some, the four-legged friend is an indispensable element in their lives. You want the best for your pet and you might also want to spoil it. However, a dog is not human. There are big differences between the foods that are suitable for humans and dogs. And some food is downright dangerous.
There are a number of things that you should especially not give to your dog. It will make a dog sick. With certain foods, a dog can become so poisoned that it can kill him. Therefore, make sure you know what your dog should absolutely not eat. This will prevent your dog from getting sick or rushing to a vet for treatment that could have been easily avoided. An overview of food that is unsuitable for your dog.
Never give chocolate to your dog
Chocolate is very dangerous for a dog. A dog cannot process a certain substance in chocolate (theobromine). As a result, this substance continues to circulate in the blood for hours. This can cause seizures, internal bleeding and heart attacks. If a dog has ingested too much chocolate, it can even cause death.
An annoying aspect is that the dog himself likes chocolate very much. Therefore, be extra careful with chocolate around your dog. If you know or suspect that your dog has eaten a lot of chocolate, go to the vet immediately. This can, for example, empty the stomach to prevent worse.
Alcohol is poisonous
As with humans, alcohol is essentially a poison to the body. However, a dog’s liver has a lot more trouble getting rid of alcohol. In addition, the hops in the beer are also not good for a dog. The dog’s body temperature can rise due to the hop intake.
Grapes or raisins
Grapes and raisins seem like harmless or even healthy foods. However, a dog should absolutely not eat grapes or raisins. Ingestion of this food can lead to liver or kidney failure. A few raisins can be enough to kill a dog.
Nuts and seeds
Be very careful with nuts and seeds. It is best to never give them to your dog at all. In particular, macadamia nuts and peanuts are very dangerous. The macadamia makes the dog sick. The peanut is very difficult for a dog to digest. Walnuts are also unsuitable. In addition, it is important to only give raw nuts. So no smoking, baking, frying or the like. Salted nuts are also not recommended.
Onions, garlic and similar vegetables
All vegetables from the onion family are unsuitable for dogs. They are bad for the red blood cells and can cause anemia. Think of vegetables such as onion, garlic, leek, chives, shallot, mountain garlic and wild garlic.
Fruit also healthy for a dog?
Certain fruits and seeds are bad for your dog. Unlike humans, a dog produces vitamin C itself when its body needs it. Therefore, it is not necessary to let your dog eat fruit, as is the case with humans. There are many fruits that a dog can eat with impunity. The types you should not give to your dog are:
- Avocados
- Grapes
- Currants
- Raisins,
When a dog eats fruit in combination with other foods, it can lead to gas in the intestines. So keep this in mind.
In addition to the fruit itself, the seeds are often unsuitable for a dog. Apple seeds, for example, can cause hydrocyanic acid. So never let your dog eat an apple core. Stone fruit seeds are also unsuitable for your dog. Examples are: apricot kernels and peach kernels.
Nightshade family: tomatoes, pepper, eggplant and potato
The nightshade family contains all kinds of poisonous plants, which are used as medicine, among other things. But in this family you will also find tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and potatoes. Not all dogs react equally strongly to the vegetables from this family. This is often not so much about the fruit itself, but the leaves or skins. Some dogs get diarrhea or itching. The substances can also worsen any pre-existing inflammation.
Most dogs can tolerate potatoes very well. But watch out with the potato skins. Some dogs can’t handle that very well. It can result in gas, flatulence and diarrhea. Incidentally, the sweet potato does not belong to this family. There is dog food that is based on these types of potatoes.
Can a dog drink milk
A dog is not very good at breaking down lactose. Therefore, a large amount of milk or milk products is not recommended. Lactose is broken down by means of the enzyme lactase. This enzyme is abundantly present in puppies and young dogs. But as the dog gets older, the dog does not make this enzyme more or less and less. Therefore, milk is not recommended for older dogs. Too much lactose will have a laxative effect and can cause severe diarrhea.
Difference between dogs
Not all dogs are the same. One dog reacts much more strongly to certain foods than the other dog. Some dogs have certain allergies, so they cannot tolerate certain foods. It is best not to give the foods mentioned in this article at all. If you do, give a very small dose to see how your dog reacts. An exception is chocolate. Never give that to your dog.