When it comes to the health of the pet it pays to heed the experts advice. Food poisoning can be prevented if the dog is given foods specifically formulated for dogs. A pet parent will certainly prevent the pet from eating if it is known that the food is poisonous. However, not many dog owners are aware that some common human foods can have toxic effects on the dog.

Dogs are omnivorous thus they would eat just about anything. Dogs, like humans would gain a lot of healthful benefits from eating fruits. Fruits are loaded with vitamins that will enhance the immune system of the dog and also strengthen the intestinal muscles for easier waste elimination. Dogs owners can give the pet any kind of fruits but not grapes and avocados. An unknown substance in grapes and raisins is toxic to dogs as it can cause severe kidney damage. Avocado is very dangerous for dogs as ingestion of the fruit, leaves, bark and pit can result to the death when the toxin causes fluid to accumulate in the dogs chest, heart and abdomen.

The theobromine in chocolates and the caffeine in tea and coffee are naturally occurring stimulants that can have fatal effect on the dog as these substances when ingested in large amounts affects the nervous system and the heart. A dog lover would always be amused by dogs that have learned to do tricks. It would be a big accomplishment if a dog owner can teach the dog to drink beer from the can but ingestion of alcoholic beverages would have ill effects that can result to the death of the pet. The chemical compound in alcoholic beverages called ethanol cannot be tolerated by the dogs system. This substance that is rapidly absorbed by the dogs system will affect the central nervous system and cause respiratory depression. Inducing the pet to vomit will not be helpful as the toxin is readily absorbed by the body thus urgent medical attention is necessary.

Onion is another common human food that is poisonous to dogs. This human food has thiosulfate that destroys the dogs red blood cells. This substance is not destroyed by cooking thus the dog can be poisoned if regularly fed human foods that have onion as an ingredient. Onion consumption can result to the death of the dog.

Foods that are safe for humans may have harmful effects on the dog. Although it is said that humans and dogs have many genetic similarities, the difference in metabolism makes dog intolerable of some human foods.

Want to know more about what foods are poisonous to dogs. Check out Sarah’s Dogs as it has the answers to this and other questions related to dog food and dog first aid.

Dog owners spend thousands of dollars on pet food just to make sure that the pet that is considered as the baby of the family is provided with good nutrition. The begging expression on the dog’s face would be very difficult to resist thus anything the pet wants will be given by the owner. Because of the owner’s love for the pet, the master’s place on the bed or on the coach will be occupied by the dog. In most cases, the begging dog would have a bite of the food the master is eating. This kind of situation would do the pet no harm unless the food that the owner allowed the pet to eat is not tolerated by the dog’s systems.

A dog owner has to have an idea what foods are toxic to the pet. Fruits and vegetables are healthy food for humans. Dogs must steer clear of grapes, avocados, from tomatoes and potatoes as well as from mushroom and broccoli as these foods can cause poisoning. Because of a different metabolism; dogs’ systems cannot tolerate these fruits and vegetables. Dogs must be prevented from eating fruit seeds and pits because of the cyanide they contain.

Dairy products especially when consumed in large amounts would have dangerous effects on the pet. Coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages as well as chocolate and sugar-free candies are unsafe foods for dogs too. Onions and garlic are poisonous to dogs thus food containing these ingredients must not be given to the dogs.

Dogs in the wild eat their food raw. However, raw fish, raw eggs and raw meat must not be included in the dog’s diet. Thiamin deficiency results if a dogs is regularly given raw fish and this condition can result to seizures and the death of the dog. Raw eggs may contain Salmonella and e coli bacteria that can affect the dog. Moreover, dogs that regularly consume raw eggs can develop poor coat and other skin concerns because of the avidin, an enzyme that is found in raw eggs. Fat trimmings and excessively fatty foods must not be given to dogs either as it can trigger a pancreatitis attack. In dogs, fatty foods will cause the pancreas to get inflamed and to rupture and cause digestive enzymes to seep into the other organs.

Vomiting and diarrhea are the manageable consequences of giving the dog toxic human foods but some foods have more serious effects that results to the death of the dog.

Not all human foods are safe for dogs. Find out what foods are toxic to dogs at Sarah’s Dogs. Likewise you can learn about many common and not so common dog breeds.

Keeping a canine friend around for as long as possible is a must for every dog lover and if you are one, you know most likely would do every available precautionary measure you can take to ensure this.  Nutrition is one of the most important factors involved in prolonging a dog’s life and the good news is, you have complete control over it.  It is therefore only rational that you choose wisely what food to serve your dog and get better educated about commercially processed ones  that you vaguely know anything about.  You owe it to your dog because it heavily relies on you for its sustenance just as much as you rely on it for its loyalty and companionship.

Dog Food Secrets by Andrew Lewis is a no holds barred revelation of the “dog food conspiracy” that has kept many of us in the dark about how companies, especially big ones, make big profit out of selling dog food that not only have zero nutritional value but is actually killing our dogs.  Among the many ingredients of their products are decaying carcasses of animal that does indeed include dogs, road kill, plastic and other poisonous substances.  How they managed to stuff all those things in the products are detailed in the book which I, needless to say, strongly suggest you get a copy of.  To read is to believe and that is the one way you can confirm why I’ve thrown in such bold words there.

Among the many diseases and illnesses your dog may experience if you continue to feed it with these toxic dog food are: weak or deformed bones, chronic skin and ear infections, chronic flea and worm infestations, an impaired ability to heal from wounds, kidney failure, liver failure, immune system collapse, epilepsy, cancer and even behavioral alterations like aggression that makes dog unsafe around children.  And that’s not even an exhaustive list.  On a side note, if you think toxic dog food has nothing to do with your dog’s behavioral problems like aggression because you probably feed your dog homemade meals, this dog training book should do the trick: Secrets to Dog Training (Sit Stay Fetch) by Daniel Stevens. 

Getting back on track, the good news is you can identify or separate the bad dog foods from the good ones through a trick called “reading labels”.  The ingredient “animal sources” in dog food should give you an idea that the company behind the product can technically put any kind of animal in there.  There are some products that make it a point to specify in their label their animal source, meaning they put the words “chicken” or “beef” in the list of ingredients.  If this is the case, the maker will then be legally bound to put only the byproducts of these claimed sources.  It has to be emphasized though that this qualification can include the specified animal’s dung, carcasses, diseased meat and unusual organs, among others.  If you want to make sure you get quality meat, look for brands that have “human grade ingredients” in them.  This is just an example of how you can read and uncover label codes used by dog food companies.  To learn more tricks on how to read dog food labels, check out Product Reviews at ReviewMOZ.org.