Most people think that dogs love humans unconditionally. But if you own a dog, you know that it’s not the full truth. The real truth is that it’s not just the dog who loves his human unconditionally, but the human loves his dog unconditionally as well.
A dog is not just a pet but practically a family member. So, if your dog becomes sick, you will definitely start to worry. Moreso, if you are the reason why your dog became sick. So, many dog owners take care of their dogs properly. But unfortunately, sometimes, even an experienced dog owner might give something to their dog that might make him sick.
But this blog post can help you prevent that situation. It lists the five foods that can make dogs sick. So, you must never give your dog any of these five foods.
1. Grapes
Grapes are a tasty, nutritious fruit. They are a low-calorie, fat-free food rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and antioxidants. So, they can boost your health.
However, even though grapes are healthy for humans, they are toxic for dogs.
In dogs, grapes can cause kidney damage. In worst cases, they can even lead to kidney failure. So, dogs cannot eat grapes in any form (red, green, raisins, peeled, seedless, etc.) and amount. The health, age, sex, and breed of your dog don’t change this fact.
But the funny fact is that grapes aren’t toxic to all animals. Indeed, many small pets, like hamsters, can eat grapes without getting poisoned.
So, it is not 100% clear as to why grapes are toxic for dogs but not for many smaller animals. Dogs cannot metabolize the antioxidants in grapes properly. Maybe this is the reason why grapes are dangerous for them.
The main symptoms of grape poisoning in dogs are loss of appetite and weakness within 24 hours of eating the fruit. After 24 hours, more serious symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, excess urination, dehydration, mouth ulcers, and seizures might occur.
If you find out that your dog has eaten grapes, you should immediately take him to a vet. A vet can induce vomiting to remove the grapes your dog had eaten. If that doesn’t work, he might also give activated charcoal to your dog, reducing the intestinal absorption of toxins.
2. Milk
Unlike grapes, milk is not a strict ‘No-Go’ for dogs. But for many dogs, milk consumption can cause skin irritation, itching, and redness and upset their gastrointestinal tract causing vomiting and diarrhea.
Now you may be thinking, “But don’t pups drink their mother’s milk? How can they be immune to these problems?” Well, the reason why pups can drink their mother’s milk without facing any issues, but adult dogs face problems when they drink cow’s milk is that pups contain an enzyme called lactase in abundance. But as they grow up and stop drinking their mother’s milk, the amount of lactase present in their bodies declines.
Lactase helps break down lactose, the sugar found in milk. Since adult dogs have less lactase in their bodies, they face difficulty digesting milk. The lactose in milk enters their gastrointestinal tracts and colons undigested. Once there, the lactose attracts water causing diarrhea.
But the reaction to milk consumption is not the same for all dogs. Some dogs might suffer from severe clinical problems, some others may suffer from mild distress, while others may not develop any health issues at all. So, caution should be exercised while giving your dog milk and other dairy products.
While milk might be a problem-maker for dogs, you don’t have to worry if your dog occasionally licks an ice cream or the milk from your mug. But if he drinks more than that amount, monitor for any symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea for the first 12 hours, as that is when Gastrointestinal problems will occur. If he shows any such symptoms, take him to a vet immediately.
3. Macadamia nuts
Tasty, expensive, and good for health – This is what we consider macadamia nuts to be. But unfortunately for dogs, they are toxic. However, just like in the case of grapes, we haven’t yet discovered the exact mechanism that makes Macadamia nuts poisonous to dogs.
The most common symptom that dogs depict upon eating Macadamia nuts is weakness, particularly in the hind legs. Other symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and tremors, can also occur.
In the case of mild poisoning, only a few of these symptoms might show up and could go away by themselves within a few days. But in the case of severe poisoning, constant shaking, inability to walk, and high fever can persist. So, if you suspect that your dog might have eaten macadamia nuts, take him to a vet. The vet might recommend giving activated charcoal to reduce the intestinal absorption of these nuts. In more severe cases, the vet might take an aggressive approach. But if treated promptly, your dog will recover from poisoning and become healthy once again within a few days.
4. Salt
Another food item that we commonly consume, which can prove deadly to dogs, is salt.
But unlike grapes or Macadamia nuts, salt doesn’t necessarily poison your dog if taken at moderate levels. It just makes him thirsty, wanting to drink a lot of water. But if there isn’t any water available nearby for him to drink or if your dog has consumed too much salt, then your dog’s body starts to release water to even out the excessive water in the bloodstream.
Therefore, hypernatremia (too much salt in the blood) can cause your dog’s muscles to lose water. So, they may become stiff, which causes jerking and shaking.
Sodium Chloride (salt) can make the brain cells dry out to release water into the bloodstream to dilute the excessive salt. So, hypernatremia could also destroy the brain cells due to lack of water, causing headaches, dizziness, and seizures. In extreme cases, it could even lead to coma and death.
Hypernatremia also leads to dehydration. And if your dog doesn’t drink enough water immediately, its heartbeat can increase, and it might have difficulty breathing. Confusion and fainting could also occur.
So, you must be cautious in how much salt or salty food you give your dog to eat.
What other foods should dogs never eat? Share your views in the comments below. It might help someone in need.
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