Your pet dogs will eat almost anything that is fed to them. However, owners should be knowledgeable about foods that can produce unpleasant or even harmful effects to dogs.

Know what you need to avoid and refrain from feeding them to your pet.

Onions and garlic. One should also avoid allowing their dogs to eat onions and garlic. Both of these contain substances that can damage the red blood cells. When RBCs are damaged there is a deprivation in the amount of oxygen that is left in the blood. This, in turn, leads to anemia.

Grapes and raisins. The substances in grapes and raisins that create unpleasant effects to dogs are still unknown. However, when ingested, these can cause damage to the kidneys.

Sugary foods. This is a no-brainer as feeding them with too much sugars can lead to problems like being overweight and/or having problems with their teeth. You also have to take into consideration the possible development of diabetes.

Dairy products. These products do not generally cause health problems. Some puppies can even survive after ingesting milk. These situations can be experienced when the mother is not able to provide milk for her children. However, there is a considerable number of dogs that develop diarrhea after being fed with milk or other dairy products in significant amounts.

Alcohol. This pertains to beverages that contain alcohol. As these are intoxicating, allowing dogs to drink them can lead to the same effects as when a man has too much to drink, but, it can be more serious. Its effects include coma and can even lead to death.

Although I haven’t heard of an owner who gave his dog liquor, knowing this is still helpful. You might have some bottles of beer or wine lying around somewhere after a night of partying and your dog can chance upon these drinks. It always pays to be extra careful and be organized.

Chocolate and coffee. These food items can cause toxicities in the cardiovascular or in the nervous system. Actually, those that produce such side effects are not limited to chocolate and coffee only but extend to foods that contain caffeine.

Dark chocolates are the most ruthless and can cause more problems than when giving milk chocolate to your dog.

Avocado and citrus extracts. Although you might think that the extra vitamins from these fruits and derivatives can be helpful, the adverse effects that accompany them outweigh the benefits. Avocados contain persin.
This has been observed to produce unsafe effects to the gastrointestinal system with symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.

Macadamia nuts. This is another of those food items that have been known to produce negative effects to the health of our dogs but are unclear how or why. However, it is worth avoiding these as they can cause fever, seizures, and even paralysis.

Raw fish. Dogs, like humans, are susceptible to attack of parasites. This is the reason why you should not allow them to ingest raw fish. These can contain flukes and will infect your pet. When serving them cooked, you still need to make sure that it is properly prepared or heated to eliminate these parasites.

Author Bio: Jerri Nice D. Torres enjoys writing for Petflow.com which sells Blue Buffalo brand dog food as well as a host of additional products.

Category: Pets
Keywords: dog food,dogs,pets,pet food