Foods Your Dog Cannot Eat

Most of the foods you eat every day are unsafe for your dog. Because dogs have different digestive and metabolic systems from humans, what's healthy for you probably isn't healthy for Fido. While some human foods cause mild digestive problems in dogs, others can lead to more severe illness or even death. It's important to resist the urge to feed your dog table scraps, even when he turns on the puppy dog eyes. If you want to give your dog a special treat, look for pet supplies designed specifically for dogs, like rawhide bones and beef jerky treats. While you should never feed your dog human food, there are certain foods that are more dangerous than others. The following list covers some of the more common -- and more dangerous -- foods you'll want to avoid feeding to your dog.

Foods Your Dog Should Not Eat:

1. Alcoholic beverages: Alcohol can cause intoxication, coma and even death in dogs. Alcoholic beverages made with grapes, such as wine, also contain a toxin found in grapes that can cause kidney damage.
   
2. Chocolate, coffee and tea: These contain caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, which can damage the heart and nervous systems in dogs. In large quantities, chocolate, coffee, tea and other caffeinated foods and drinks can be lethal to your dog.
   
3. Citrus fruit: Fruits and other foods containing citrus oils and juices are hard on a dog's digestive system and can cause severe vomiting.
   
4. Fat trimmings: The fat trimmings from meat can cause pancreatitis in dogs. While meats themselves can be good for your dog, all fat should be trimmed off before fed to your dog. Meats heavy in salt, spices and sauces should be avoided.
   
5. Bones from fish, poultry or meat: Bones can lead to choking, digestive system obstructions or laceration of the digestive system in your dog.
   
6. Onions: Ingesting onions can cause anemia due to high levels of sulfoxides and disulfides, which affect red blood cells. Be careful of foods and spices containing dried onions and onion powder, as even small amounts can be dangerous.
   
7. Moldy or spoiled foods: Spoiled food can upset the stomach and cause vomiting and diarrhea. It may be hard to keep your dog from rooting through the garbage, so keeping a tight lid on garbage cans with food waste is important.
   
8. Foods sweetened with Xylitol: This sweetener can cause liver failure in your dog. While Xylitol is the most dangerous, other artificial sweeteners can have similar effects on your dog.
   
9. Macadamia nuts: These nuts contain a toxin that can affect the digestive system, nervous system and muscles of dogs.
   

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This article was written by Andrea Sparks from Overstock.com