What goes into dog food is critical to your pet’s health. Therefore, homemade dog food recipes are an excellent way to guarantee that you know what your dog is getting to eat, that being said there are a few ingredients that can make your dog very sick and there are even some that are toxic to dogs.
sick dog – @Chalabala via Twenty20
Here is a list that we have put together of the items that dogs must never eat.
Food List
Alcohol – Alcohol can result in not just intoxication, loss of co-ordination, poor breathing, and irregular acidity, but possibly even coma and/or death. You may think it would be funny to give your dog alcohol – DON'T DO THIS.
Apple Seeds – Apple seeds are harmful to a dog as they contain a natural chemical that releases cyanide when consumed. So, make sure to core and seed apples before you give them to your pooch. Apple is a healthy food for dogs though, so do not rule these out completely.
Avocado – Avocados contain Persin which is a fungicidal toxin, this can cause diarrhea, nausea, and may lead to congestion of the heart. The substance is not only in the fruit, but also in the seed, leaves, and the bark of the tree
Baby food – Its not that Baby food alone is bad, it is what can be added to baby food, one of these can be onion powder. Baby food also doesn't have all the nutrients a dog needs for a healthy diet.
Bones – Yes thats correct, people probably associate bones and dogs due to cartoons like Ton and Jerry. The risk with bones isn't the dietary content though, nor is it always the danger of chocking. Instead, you have to be careful with bones from otehr meat sources like chicken and fish since they may damage your dog's digestive tract as they can cause obstruction and internal bleeding.
Candy and Gum – Besides candy contain a lot of sugar; it often contains Xylitol, which can result in the over-release of insulin, kidney failure, and in the worst case scenari can lead to death. Just do not feed dogs any human candy.
Cat food – Not that your dog will want to eat this at any rate, but cat food has proteins and fats which are aimed at the diet of a cat, NOT a dog. The protein and fat levels in cat food are far too high for your dog, thus rendering it unhealthy for dogs.
Chocolate – This is a common one and you have probably heard this before, but chocolate is a DEFINITE NO for dogs. And it's not only about caffeine, which is more than enough to cause harm to your dog alone, but theobromine and theophylline, which is usually toxic, result in panting, vomiting, and diarrhea, and impair your dog's heart and nervous systems. KEEP CHOCOLATE AWAY FROM YOUR DOG.
Citrus Oil Extracts – Toxic to dogs and can cause an upset stomach, Grapefruit, Lime and Lemons are the most obvious examples
Coffee – The information and rules for coffee are pretty much the same with the info and rules above regarding chocolate. This is basically poison for your dog if consumed.
Corn on the cob – This is almost a guaranteed method of getting your dog's intestine obstructed. The corn is digested, but the cob gets stuck in the small intestine, and if it's not taken out surgically, can be fatal to your dog. Furthermore, excessive corn kernels can cause distress to the digestive tract as well.
Fat trimmings – Whether they are cooked or raw these are dangerous for your pet, as it can damage the pancreas. These unnecessary fats will also add to the excess weight that can put your dog’s health at risk for ailments and diseases. It may be tempting to give your dog some of these leftovers from your dinner – don't do it.
Fish – The principal fish you need to be cautious of are salmon and trout. Raw salmon can be deadly to dogs if the fish is contaminated with a certain parasite, Nanophyetus salmincola. The parasite by itself isn't harmful to dogs, but is usually infected with bacteria called Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which is often deadly to dogs if it is not dealt with correctly. that being said, cooked salmon is okay as it kills the parasite.
Grapes and Raisins – This is a food that a number of dog owners do not know about. Grapes have a toxin that can damage your pet’s liver and kidney. Grapes and raisin can lead to renal failure for unknown reasons. Eating these food items can make your dog vomit, lethargic, lose its appetite, and suffer from diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Human vitamins – Not sure why anyone would give their dogs these, other than they assume there dog needs a more balanced dite. Some human vitamins are acceptable to use, but the important thing is assessing every one of the ingredients to the vitamins your vet registers for your dog. Make certain there is no iron, as this can harm the digestive system lining, and turn out to be toxic for the liver and kidneys.
Liver – Prevent feeding too much liver to your pooch. Liver contains a substantial amount of Vitamin A, which can detrimentally affect your pup's muscles and bones.
Macadamia nuts – These have a toxin that can slow down locomotory activities, leading to weakness, panting, swollen limbs, and tremors along with possible injury to your dog's digestive, nervous, and muscle systems.
Milk and Dairy Products – While small doses aren't likely to kill your dog, you might get some smelly farts and some awful cases of diarrhea. This is because dogs are lactose intolerant like many humans are, and don't have enough of the lactase enzyme to effectively digest dairy foods. If you need to give them dairy, consider lactose-free products.
Mushrooms – Just like the wrong type of mushroom can be deadly to humans, the same information applies to dogs.
Onions, Garlic, and Chives – Regardless of what form they're in (dry, raw, cooked, powder, and also they acan be used in other foods), onions and garlic (in particular onions) are one of the absolute worst foods you may give your dog. These are poisonous to canines. They contain disulfides and sulfoxides (thiosulphate), both of these can cause anemia and destroy red blood cells. If you feed your dog with onions, be ready for the possibility of your pet needing a blood transfusion.
Persimmons, Peaches, and Plums – If you live in an area that is home to persimmon, peach, or plum trees, you need to be careful. Persimmon seeds and peach and plum pits can lead to intestinal obstruction and enteritis. You need to check that there aren't any wild persimmon or other fruit trees that leave seeds growing in your backyard.
Rhubarb and Tomato leaves – These contain oxalates that can detrimentally impact the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. You should remove the leaves from these.
Raw Eggs : These can cause food poisoning from bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella. In addition, raw eggs contain properties that interfere with the body’s ability to absorb vitamins, specifically vitamin B. This can trigger skin and coat problems in your pet.
Raw fish – Yet another vitamin B (Thiamine) deficit might result from the regular ingestion of raw fish. Appetite loss will be prevalent, accompanied by seizures, and in exceptional instances, death.
Salt – Much like salt isn't the healthiest item for people, it's even less healthy for dog. An excessive amount will lead to food poisoning from the sodium ion. Your pet will experience extreme thirst and the urge to urinate frequently resulting with dehydration. Salty food can also trigger the following symptoms: vomiting, depression, diarrhea, seizures, which can claim your pet’s life.
Sugar – This is applicable to any food that contains sugar. Make sure you confirm the ingredient label for human foods – corn syrup and various alternative names for sugar can be found in just about everything nowadays. Sugar is as bad for dogs just as it is bad humans. Some of the health issues arising from giving your pet food with unnecessary sugar are the following: weight problems leading to obesity, diabetes, dental issues, and the complications of obesity such as cardiovascular diseases.
Tobacco – We are not hear to preach to people an dsay what they should do but this is a primary toxic hazard for canines. The consequences nicotine has on dogs are considerably worse than on humans. Nicotine damages your pup's digestive and nervous systems, boost their heart rate, make them faint, and eventually lead to death. Try to avoid smoking near a dog.
Xylitol – A sugar alcohol which is present in gum, candies, baked goods, and other products where the sugar has been substituted, Xylitol, while triggering no apparent injury to humans, is incredibly toxic to canines. Even a small amount leads to low blood sugar, convulsions, liver failure, even fatality for your pooch.
Yeast (by itself or in dough) – Much the same as yeast rises in bread, it will likely expand and rise inside your dogs stomach. Make sure they don't get any. While mild cases will result in gas, plenty of farting, and distress – an excessive amount of it may rupture their stomach and intestines.
Summary
There you go a list of foods – we cannot stress enough consult your vet if you plan to make your own dog food, they will be able to advise you.
Keep an eye on your dog, accidents can happen so its best to be vigilant especially with some of the items above which may be in your garden or environment, especially fruit and vegetables