Everyone loves a happy dog, and wanting to give your dog treats from your plate can be tempting, especially when he’s giving you those sad puppy dog eyes that say, “please, please, please!” However, it can be very detrimental to your pet’s health to feed them certain foods. What’s good for you isn’t necessarily good for your dog. Here are six foods you should never feed your dog.
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Garlic
Garlic contains a chemical compound that can directly damage your dog’s red blood cells. If they eat too much garlic, it can make them very ill and lead to anemia. In a worst-case scenario, if your dog ingests large quantities of garlic in any form (raw, cooked, or powdered), he will need to go to the animal hospital for a blood transfusion.
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Chocolate
Everyone knows that dogs should not eat chocolate. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate or baking chocolate, can cause dogs to have seizures, heart palpitations, and excessive thirst. If your dog ingests a small amount, he’ll probably be fine. If eaten in large quantities, though, chocolate can cause death in smaller dogs.
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Fatty Meats
Dogs love meat. It’s a fact. However, ham and other fatty meats can cause pancreatitis, which is fatal in dogs. Any food that is high in animal fat is very detrimental to your dog’s health. Most meats, especially lunch meat that is highly processed, contain very high amounts of sodium. Excessive salt is also bad for your pet and causes sodium ion poisoning or bloat.
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Ice Cream/Milk
Dogs love ice cream, and we love to give it to them. What we don’t know, however, is that our furry companions lack the enzyme that helps them break down milk sugars. Ice cream, milk, cheese, and other dairy products can really hurt our dogs. Most dogs have some form of lactose intolerance or milk allergy so keep your pups away from dairy.
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Caffeine
It may seem odd, but some dogs love soda and coffee. This is extremely dangerous for your pet to ingest. Caffeine affects humans by increasing the heart rate and causing restlessness. When ingested by a dog, it can cause the same reaction, only in a much smaller body. If you allow your dog to finish your Frappuccino, you could give him a heart murmur, muscle tremors, or even seizures.
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Macadamia Nuts
These nuts are toxic to your pet. If ingested, it can damage their skeletal, muscular, and digestive systems. Dogs can get fevers, muscle tremors, paralysis, and intolerable pain from eating even a small amount of these nuts. Keep them away from your pet just to be on the safe side.
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