What 6 foods can dogs not eat?
If you own a dog, chances are that they are a huge part of your family and that you only ever want the best for them.
And as well as feeding them a balanced and nutritious diet it is really important that there are certain foods you should avoid letting your dog eat to prevent making them sick.(You can also check our pet nutritionist created recipes and meal plans here to give them the best nutrition possible)
So let's take a look at what 6 foods can dogs not eat
What 6 foods can dogs not eat
1) GRAPES & SULTANAS
Despite being the perfect treat size, grapes and grape products are toxic to dogs as they can cause kidney damage.
2) MACADAMIAS
While nuts are generally safe in moderation, macadamias are the exception and can cause nausea, vomiting and muscle weakness.
3) ONIONS
Unlike garlic, which is perfectly safe in moderation, (despite many people thinking it is toxic - which is only true in very very large doses) onions should never be fed to your dog. This is due to a compound called thiosulphate that can cause haemolytic anaemia.
4) CHOCOLATE
A commonly known no-no, chocolate contains the toxin theobromine, as well as caffeine and sugar, neither of which are good for dogs.
5) XYLITOL OR BIRCH SUGAR
An increasingly popular sugar substitute, xylitol is highly toxic to dogs and can quickly cause liver damage if ingested - be especially careful if feeding peanut butter as some brands have this in so check the labels.
6) ALCOHOL & CAFFEINE
This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but always keep alcoholic or caffeinated food and drinks out of reach of your pooch.
6 foods you CAN feed your dog
But what about safe foods for dogs that are commonly thought to be unsafe? Let's unpack these below and some may surprise you!
AVOCADO
This fatty fruit almost always ends up on unsafe food lists due to a toxin called persin. However, persin is present almost entirely in the leaves, peel and stone of the avocado plant, not the nutritious flesh. There have been no recorded cases of persin toxicity in dogs from eating the flesh of avocado and many enjoy it without issue.
GARLIC
Another common toxicity myth, garlic is therapeutic in small amounts and is highly unlikely to ever cause anaemia due to the enormous amount that would need to be consumed in order for this to happen. A clove here and there won’t do any harm.
DAIRY
Contrary to popular belief, not all dogs are lactose intolerant. Some are – like some humans – and obviously in this case it should be avoided. But a little cheese treat or the probiotic goodness of fermented dairy won’t do any harm if your dog digests dairy without distress.
MUSHROOMS
This is maybe the weirdest myth, because when people say ‘mushrooms’ are toxic to dogs, they mean the same mushrooms that are toxic to people. Poisonous mushrooms. Don’t feed your dog poisonous mushrooms … or any other poisons please. Button mushrooms are perfectly safe and medicinal mushrooms are a wonderful addition.
So we've looked at the what 6 foods can dogs not eat and 6 foods that are ok to eat too - but it is also VERY important to follow balanced and healthy raw dog food recipes if you are feeding a raw dog food diet.
If you are interested in a raw food diet for dogs but don't know where to start then this raw feeding recipe for dogs is a great one to make for your dog.
We are passionate about helping to support dog owners to help their dogs be in their best health possible!
We have so many raw feeding dog food recipes to try and you can also see our raw feeding dog food recipe book here.
