We know how hard it is to resist those big puppy-dog eyes here at your Kamloops veterinary clinic. Every day we see dogs who have mastered the art of getting their owners to let them have all kinds of treats, from a bite of fat trimmed off a steak, to a whole portion of whatever the family dinner is for the night. Leftovers are often a dog’s best friend, and who hasn’t tossed their dog a bit of hotdog to get them to take a pill? But the fact is that there are some human foods that are just horrible for a dog’s health, and can lead to serious medical issues. Here are four things to make sure that your dog never eats.
Chocolate
Most dog owners know that chocolate is very bad for a dog, but do you know what eating chocolate can really do? Chocolate of any sort, including dark chocolate, milk chocolate, baking chocolate, white chocolate, even powdered chocolate, can all harm a dog. It can cause excessive thirst and urination if the dog is lucky, or seizures and other serious conditions in worse cases.
Grapes and Raisins
Did you know that grapes have a specific toxin in them that is deadly for dogs and cats? It’s true. Even if your dog regularly scoops up a grape that you dropped with no problem, this is something that can harm a dog very swiftly and out of the blue. Raisins are simply dried grapes, so these can’t be fed to dogs either.
Excessive Salt
Any type of food that has a lot of salt should be kept away from dogs. This means chips, pretzels, gravy, processed meats (yes, hot dogs count!), and anything else with a lot of sodium. Dogs can actually get sodium ion poisoning from ingesting too much salt.
Onions
This last one on our list is something we don’t think many dog owners realize. Onions are dangerous for a dog’s health, and it’s so easy for them to get some in leftovers, cooked in gravies, and so on. Don’t let your dog have anything like sauce or gravy that you’ve put onions in, and be careful to keep them away from the trash if you’ve been peeling onions.
There are many other foods that we see dogs eating here at your Kamloops veterinary clinic that they should not. If you are interested in learning more, contact us at Twin Rivers Vet today.