You probably already know some of the foods people eat that can be dangerous for dogs, such as chocolate, but you might not know that a number of seemingly healthy fruits and vegetables should be avoided as well.
Here is a list of eight different types of produce that can be toxic food for dogs.
Toxic Foods
Grapes, Raisins, and Currants
They’re a great human snack, but grapes and raisins are one of the most dangerous types of foods your pup can eat. Consuming as few as four grapes or raisins can cause irreversible kidney damage to a 20-pound pooch. Within hours after consuming grapes or raisins, your dog may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. You may also notice that she stumbles when she attempts to walk.
Onions, Garlic, and Chives
Consuming a teaspoon of powdered, raw, cooked, or any other form of garlic, onions, or chives can cause some serious health problems for dogs. Eating them can destroy your dog’s blood cells, causing anemia and irreparable harm to their kidneys. After eating onions, garlic, or chives in any form, your dog may exhibit signs of weakness, breathlessness, tiredness, and experience vomiting and bloody urine.
Avocado
It may be great on chips and tacos, but guacamole should always be kept far from your curious pet. Avocado trees contain persin in their fruit, leaves, seed, and bark. This substance is harmless to most humans, but can cause a variety of dangerous side effects for dogs — including vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing.
Persimmons, Peaches, Plums, Apricots, and Cherries
The seeds in persimmons can cause inflammation of the small intestine if consumed by your dog. Similarly, the seeds or pits in peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries contain cyanide — a chemical poisonous to humans and dogs alike. Intestinal obstruction and respiratory failure are possibilities for dogs who have swallowed the pit of any of these fruits.
Mushrooms
Certain types of wild mushrooms can be poisonous and even fatal if consumed by dogs. If your dog has eaten a toxic mushroom, he may begin to exhibit symptoms such as wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, and changes in heartbeat. Depending on the type, mushrooms can induce organ failure, seizures, and comas in dogs.
Tomato Plants
The stems, vines, and leaves of tomato plants may contain atropine and tomatine, which can be poisonous to dogs and cause symptoms such as dilated pupils, tremors, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, and drooling. In some cases, consuming the plant part of tomatoes may even cause comas and death in dogs. In addition, consuming unripe tomatoes may cause gastronomical pain for your pup, though eating ripe tomatoes is unlikely to cause problems. If you do give your dog tomato, do so in small amounts, and give her the fruit part only (the vegetable part if you’re a cook instead of a botanist). It’s safest if the tomato is ripe and red.
Potatoes
Neither humans nor dogs should eat raw potatoes if they are green or have a green rim. Raw and green potatoes may contain solanum alkaloids (solanine) that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and irregular heartbeats in dogs. Like their relatives tomatoes, raw potatoes contain harmful oxalates, which can cause problems in her kidneys, digestive tract, and nervous system.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb also contains oxalates, and consuming this type of plant can cause problems with your pet’s nervous system, digestive tract, and kidneys. Rhubarb can also reduce the calcium in your dog, causing renal failure and other health issues.
If you believe your dog may have eaten any of the aforementioned foods, you should take him to the vet or emergency clinic immediately. Your vet or animal care professional may be able to prescribe an appropriate treatment, such as oxygen therapy, blood transfusions, or induced vomiting.
What are some of your dog’s favorite veggies and fruits?
