DANGEROUS "people food" and Commercial Pet Products YOU SHOULD NOT FEED and a list of some of the good human foods they can safely eat!

    also the SAFE & Healthy "TREATS" ALTERNATIVE!

   These are just some foods dogs should not eat and could be deadly, so read closely.

~If your dog has ingested any of these foods, get veterinary help immediately~

*Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs.  As little as a single serving of raisins can kill a dog.

*Onions: Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia.

*Chocolate: Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous.

*Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms chocolate causes

*Macadamia Nuts and Walnuts: Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis.  Limit all other nuts as they are not good for dogs in general, their high phosphorous content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. 

Xylitol is DEADLY. Never give an animal any food containing even a trace of the new 'healthy sugar' that is now so popular in gums and mints - great for people but virtually arsenic for animals.

Exception to this rule seems to be PEANUT BUTTER.

{ However, always use Salt/Sugar free ORGANIC Peanut butter (sugar encourages cancer growth) free . Use only ORGANIC peanut butter as regular peanut butter has lots of toxins and is full of pesticides!}

*Animal fat and fried foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.

Bones: Cooked bones can splinter and damage a dog’s internal organs. Raw Bone should always be supervised as a piece can always break off and cause problems. Try frozen oxtails or frozen knuckle bones then take the bone away before the dog can swallow a final small piece whole. It's a good natural way to clean teeth, too.

*Tomatoes: Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe.

*Avocados: The fruit, pit and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart.                    
*Nutmeg: Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death

*APPLES, CHERRIES AND PEACH ‘PITS’ 

Actually, this needs to be clarified further.

These fruits( and similar fruits )are great for your dog!

 HOWEVER, the seeds of these fruits contain ‘cyanide’, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans.

Unlike humans, dogs do not know to stop eating at the core/pit and easily ingest them. It can also become lodged in the intestines and kill the dog in 24 hours with no warning.
RAW EGGS: Raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning in dogs. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans and are not as likely to suffer from food poisoning, but it is still possible.

BEST to use ORGANIC EGGS if you do prepare eggs raw. Scrambled lightly is best!

SALT: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems.

MUSHROOMS: Can be deadly- never let your pets chew on mushrooms found in your yard. The only safe "food" mushrooms are shitake, maitake and reishi.

SUGAR AND CORN SYRUP. EVEN ORGANIC IS BAD!  (Honey or Molasses not as bad, though they should only be in small amounts and never for cancer dogs) Agave is ok in small amounts. NEVER give your pet XYLITOL or Splenda. XYLITOL is like arsnec to an animal and will kill with just a trace of it in a very short time, causing liver failure. Be careful of sugarless gums in particular that now contain Xylitol. Read this article.


             Any food that causes stomach upsets or digestive problems in your dogs should be avoided. Like people, some dogs cannot tolerate certain foods  


FOODS THAT DOGS CAN EAT: Some “human” foods are good for dogs. Most of these are healthier than the boxed treats you buy in the grocery store. . This is just a small list of examples of foods dogs can eat, not a list of every food they should eat. Dogs won’t necessarily get all the nutrients they need if they eat these foods exclusively, so check with your veterinarian if you are interested in feeding your dog a home cooked diet.

MEATS:
Meats should be boneless and its best if the skin is removed.  Some people like a RAW diet. Some people rather cook. If you cook meat do not over cook. Keep it 'rare' so you don't kill the enzymes.  ESPECIALLY FOR SICK animals.

However, all Fish and Pork must be well cooked. 

*Also note - totally Raw and cooked diets should never be mixed at the same meal as they digest differently.

Skinless, boneless chicken breast

Skinless, boneless turkey breast

Fish
-do not feed TUNA as high mercury content - be careful of small bones.

Do not feed 'cold cuts'. They are high in salt and nitrates. Can lead to kidney and digestive problems.

So what's GOOD for your Dog? 

(for more specific info see our our FOOD page)

Vegetables most are GREAT for your dog and they should have them!

Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans and cannot digest most vegetables whole or in large chunks.

AND NOW FOR THE GOOD ‘HUMAN FOODS’ YOUR DOG CAN ENJOY!

VEGETABLES!

It’s best to put them through a food processor before giving them to your dog- best veggies for your dog are:

*Green Beans - Brussels Sprouts
*
Carrots (for healthy dogs) (not for cancer dogs though as high in sugar)
*Lettuce
*Yams/Sweet Potatoes


Grains:
Grains should be given in only small amounts or not at all, organic brown rice/ millet and quinoa are best choices.

Rice
Bread (not white breads or anything sugar or that converts to sugar) remember the simple rule feed no WHITE colored foods!

Dairy products
Use caution with dairy products as they are high in fat and can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. Usually, nonfat plain yogurt is good to add in small amounts as is cottage cheese in small amounts.

Dangerous & Unhealthy Commercial Dog food treats and foods!

Keep in mind that you are best to only give treats that are made with all HUMAN GRADE ingredients. Keep in mind the mass recall that killed so many pets Mar 07'. This was due to NON HUMAN GRADE ingredients. Much of it wheat gluten, which is in many treats. Make sure ALL the ingredients are HUMAN GRADE before purchasing. The web is a great resourse. Email the companies for specific info if you need.

For more on this read our food page.

Other dangers and non human grade treats include:

 Rawhides and dog treats- HOOVES and OTHER TREATS: are generally NOT recommended. Most rawhides have chemical that cause cancer -However - if you do still want to use them from time to time as a treat it is important that if you do give them that they are of the highest grade and US manufactured.

Therefore, make sure you buy ones made in the USA and are UNBLEACHED. Do not buy the white ones as they are full of chemicals. Good quality rawhide should only get gooey and gum up when chewed, never chip off. If they chip -the chips can get lodged in the little dip in their esophagus and they can choke on that. As many as 40% of all dogs are allergic to cow skin rawhide chews.

NEVER give COW HOOVES! They splinter and sharp pieces have killed many dogs.

Better alternatives are pig ears, "edible" nylabones, and American made bully sticks. Greenies also are NOT HUMAN GRADE

However, ALWAYS be with your pet when they are eating these as there is always a danger of a piece breaking off and splitting.

Regular 'chew' nylabones can be a problem, use them with caution as peice can break off and are not detectable on an x-ray-  Also when giving Pigs/Cows ears it's best to give basted or natural - NOT SMOKED. That puts a carcinogenic coating on it. Unbleached/natural lambs ears are another better choice.

 Always supervise your pet when chewing these types of things.

For more on Rawhides click here.

Also, remember, supervise any chew treats. BE SURE TO READ LABELS

 Many commercial dog treats contain: BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin & propylene glycol– menadione aka dimethylprimidinol sulfateand corn syrups/sugars that cause cancer.

 Do NOT use treats with ANY OF THESE THINGS!

SAFE ALTERNATIVES!

KONG TOYS - the 3 hole KONG GOODIE SHIPS-or our personal favorite the KONG DENTAL STICK and other STUFFABLE HARD RUBBER TOYS. Fill them with frozen meat, cheese, and peanut butter for a long lasting SAFE & HEALTHY TREAT! Also give your dog frozen carrots to naturally clean teeth. Organic carrots are best, if not scrub and wash well and then freeze.

Very bad but not 'dangerous foods and treats include anything with CORN SYRUP** and Sugar. "Cane" sugars and molasses are also not good - even if "organic" some 'organic treats have this and we do not recommend you feed this to your dog'. Refined sugars can bring on cancers.  Honey &  Black Strap Molasses is ok and even healthy in small doses (except for cancer dogs which should have NO sugar in any form).  Read more on our food page or visit the dogfoodproject.

Most treats and food sold in supermarkets are what are making our animals die young and get cancer and diabetes. READ the LABELS!

IMPORTANT EXCEPTION TO THE RULE :Corn Syrup** A DOG THAT BECOMES HYPOGLYCEMIC  IS OKAY TO OFFER CORN SYRUP OR HONEY TO. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE THE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS MUST BE BROUGHT UP FAST- especially for diabetic dogs.

When in doubt check the web and research before giving any food or just avoid it!

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