A dog fan has revealed seven human foods that can harm your canine friends.
Dogs will eat everything and those big, begging eyes can make it hard not to share a taste of your good with your pet. However, it is wise to keep certain treats to yourself, according to TikTok user Dogs Discovery’s (@dogsdiscovery).
Here are just some foods you might want to think twice about before feeding them to your dog.
Ice cream
Dogs Discovery highlighted that one ingredient in ice cream can be seriously dangerous to dogs. “Most ice cream contains xylitol, which is a common sweetener that is incredibly toxic to dogs,” the account cautioned. Xylitol, a plant-derived sugar alcohol found in some fruits and vegetables, is frequently used as a sugar replacement.
VCA Animal Hospitals also warned: “Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure, or even death in dogs.”
Milk
Milk also came under scrutiny as Dogs Discovery advised about its potential harm. “Most dogs are lactose intolerant meaning they can’t break down the sugar in milk,” they said.
According to the American Kennel Club, milk can be safe in small doses – but this is not the case if your dog is indeed lactose intolerant. “You should probably hold off on offering your dog an entire bowl in one sitting, as it can cause unpleasant reactions, including diarrhoea, vomiting, and loose stools,” the web site recommends.
Chocolate
Many are aware that chocolate can be harmful to dogs, but did you know this is due to a substance called theobromine?
Dogs Discovery explains that this can poison their nervous system. Wag Walking supports this, stating: “Dogs are unable to metabolise theobromine and this makes it toxic to them. The darker the chocolate or the more bitter the taste, the more toxic it is to dogs.”
Crisps
Hounds “can’t handle sodium as well as humans,” thus the overconsumption of salt can lead to “fatal ion poisoning,” according to Dogs Discovery.
Wag Walking adds that while a small amount of sodium is necessary substance for your dog’s well-being, too much can indeed be dangerous. “Sodium toxicity is caused by sodium chloride, which is used to maintain the levels of water in the body; an essential part of your dog’s metabolic system,” its website states.
Cookies
Much like ice cream and chocolate, many cookies contain xylitol and theobromine too. “Additionally excess sugar and fat [in cookies] leads to pancreatitis in dogs,” Dogs Discovery warns.
Junk food
Processed foods, such as burgers, can be particularly harmful as humans may not know what is in them. Hidden ingredients such as garlic and onion powder can prove dangerous to your pooch.
“Both cause irreversible damage to red blood cells,” they caution. The PDSA notes that “onion and garlic poisoning can also lead to anaemia (low red blood cell count). Symptoms of anaemia include trouble breathing and lethargy (low energy). These symptoms may occur 1-5 days after eating the onion, garlic or leek.”
Cooked bones
The final item dog owners were warned to avoid was cooked bones. While raw bones might be safe, Dogs Discovery points out that cooked bones “can easily splinter into sharp fragments, which when chewed, cause internal bleeding”. PetMD reinforces this warning on its website, declaring: “Cooked bones should always be off-limits. They become brittle and easily break into sharp shards that can do a lot of damage when they pass through the gastrointestinal tract.
“Never feed your dog cooked bones. This includes those that originate in your kitchen and those that can be purchased.”
TikTok users were quick to react to the warnings, with one sceptic commenting on the information shared: “My dog eats all this except chocolate.” Another added a touch of humour: “My dog must be human,” quipping, “because whatever my toddler eats…he’s right behind him waiting for leftovers!”
Other individuals took the warning seriously, however, with one person responding: “Just because a dog doesn’t die when they eat something doesn’t mean its not bad for dogs. All dogs are carnivores.”
And a second concurred, adding: “My dogs have doggy ice cream specially made for dogs but no way I’m feeding them chocolate or any other human food.”