4 Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a dog begging for food at the dinner table. Not only is it rude, but it can also be dangerous to the dog’s health, if you feed it the wrong food. Most people don’t know which foods are safe for dogs and which can be fatal (the list is different than for people), so feeding your dog “people food” scraps is just an all-around bad idea. And too many others take the attitude that they know enough about health not to poison their dog. People health is different than dog health. I just wanted to get that out there. Just because you’re a registered nurse doesn’t mean you know what your dog can and cannot eat.

Chocolate is one of the most dangerous foods for dogs to eat, causing symptoms of toxicity that range from mild to severe. Just how severe the symptoms are depends on the weight of the dog and how much chocolate he ate. Milk chocolate will cause dogs to become sick, but unsweetened chocolate is much worse. It can be 10 times more toxic and can really cause a severe reaction. Chocolate contains a chemical known as Theobromine, which is similar to caffeine. When dogs eat even small amounts of chocolate, they may start vomiting and have diarrhea. If your dog happens to get into a full bag of unsweetened chocolate, she may experience increased urination, irritability, tremors, and seizures – she may even die. So, keep Fido as far away from the chocolate.

Raw fish is another food dogs should never eat. Salmon is especially dangerous because it often contains the Neorickettsia salmincola parasite. Symptoms commonly associated with fish poisoning include diarrhea, weakness, loss of appetite, fever, dehydration and swelling of the lymph nodes.

Avocados are delicious, but are often responsible for animal poisoning. The fruit and skin contain persin, which is poisonous to dogs. When dogs eat large amounts of avocado, the heart can become damaged, which may lead to heart failure.

Raw bread dough is especially dangerous to dogs because their warm stomachs can cause the dough to expand, causing reduced blood flow to the dog's stomach wall. Yeast also produces alcohol inside the stomach, which can be absorbed into the body. Dogs that have eaten raw bread dough often have distended abdomens, disorientation, vomiting and a loss of coordination. Eating raw bread dough can lead to seizures, coma and even death.

These are a few examples of the worst foods you can feed your dog, but there are plenty others that can hurt your four-legged friend. To be safe, avoid feeding your dog anything that isn’t dog food – or learn what the best foods are for dogs. Remember, only a few are mentioned here; there are many more foods your dog must avoid in order to stay healthy.