I have been getting a lot of website traffic to a post I wrote about my Dogs eating almonds . After wondering why, I did some research and it turns out that Almonds may be a real hazard to dogs. Not all, but some.
See my new Dangerous Food For Dogs post for a very comprehensive list of dangerous foods and an explanation of why they can be dangerous. It is much more detailed with lots of much more intenseley researched information. You can also download 245 Homemade Dog Food Recipes and really know what is in your Dogs food.
I admit to being completely unaware of this and it led me to do some further research in to what is dangerous for Dogs to eat.
This was also further inspired by a Twitter conversation I had where I said that the pupmonster Jet loved apples and grapes. It turns out that grapes and raisins are also dangerous for Dogs although the reasons why are hard to clarify.
There is a great book that lists loads of great treats you can make for your Dog at home and, as it is related to this blog by name I couldn’t resist. Three Dog Bakery Cookbook: Over 50 Recipes for All-Natural Treats for Your Dog
There are also a lot of great online resources on the perils of many commercially available Dog foods. This collection of e-books has a lot of great information. Ranging from how to make tasty treats to the safest Dog foods to buy. If interested Click Here!
There were certain things I knew about that you should not feed to Dogs, such as raw pork and pork bones (unless it has been frozen first), chocolate, alcohol and anything with caffeine in it.
Raw Pork is not toxic asa such but there small worms present that can harm your Dog. Freezing Raw Pork or Pork Bones for a few weeks is a safe way to ensure your Dog can then happily munch away.
There are however, to my surprise, a lot of other foodstuffs that you should try to avoid letting your Dog eat.
- Hops.Can case a seizure or even death
- Large amounts of Liver. Can cause a Vitamin A deficiency
- Macadamia nuts.As with Almonds the toxin is unknown
- Onions. Can cause aneamia and are toxic to dogs
- Avocados. Can cause vomoting.
- Tomatoe plants. Can cause heart tremors
Now during my research I came across quite a few things that I have a real problem with.
Chicken Bones. Many are saying not to give dogs chicken bones or bones from any meat. Cooked bones sure, because they are very brittle, but raw bones. Please! This is the basic diet that many dogs are almost exclusively fed ( Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health 
Fat trimmings as it may cause pancreatitis. I can’t believe a tiny bit of fat now and then would be a problem. If it was in large amounts then I understand but if we try to feed our Dogs responsibly then surely it is not really a problem.
Eggs. Because it may cause Salmonella. I know there is a very slight risk of salmonella in raw eggs but it is very slight indeed. Eggs on occasion are always given to our Dogs. Although not at the moment as our chickens are not laying (hurry up)! I don’t see an issue with this. Dogs in the wild would naturally scavenge for eggs and I don’t think there is sufficient risk to warrant this being a case. Also Dogs are much less likely to suffer from food poisoning than we are.
This is by no means a comprehensive list but I am glad the opportunity to find out about some of these dangerous foods for Dogs came up. Strange what a combination of Twitter and Google can result in. Make 245 Homemade Dog Food Recipes easily and your Dog will always have a great treat.
You may also like to look at other important things you need to know about looking after Dogs.
See my posts about how to clean Dogs Teeth , how to stop Puppy biting and how to Dog potty train.
May the Doggie Force be with you all.
I find the egg bit hard to understand as lots of people recommend scrambled egg for dogs as it gives them shiny coats.
I knew about Onions, Grapes and Garlic. :o)
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Thanks for this info! Whenever we cook eggs for breakfast I always make extra for our girls. They won’t allow us to cook eggs and not give them any (heheheee)
In all honesty I, like you knew about the major ones, but the rest I wasnt aware of, other than the onions thing – I definitely knew about that!!
Makes me cringe to think of the owners that feed their dogs whatever, and what might happen to the poor pooch as a result!
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I’d always heard that avocados can cause vomiting and possibly heart failure yet there’s an avocado dog food, AvoDerm, and people seem to rave about it. Maybe it’s just the pit, or the skin, or the quantity? Or a certain variety? That’s always puzzled me. I wouldn’t be eager to buy dog food with a giant vomity avocado on the bag (or chocolate, or grapes, or a skull and crossbones ;-).
I hesitate to give them fruits and vegetables or any type of nut because it seems like the “bad” list keeps growing. I’d like to see a “definitely safe” list.
Thanks for all the new posts so far. Hi to Wendy the newest contributor. It is always nice to have new feedback.
Skwigg, maybe you are on to a marketing ploy there! You never know. That, um, calendar I posted about is quite popular by all accounts so you never know.
I was aware of onions but many of the others are new to me. My two chihuahuas are now eating Halo since it seems to offer them a decent amount of veggies and protein.
Every once in awhile my husband will give them a few small pieces of bacon.
Funny story: Whenever we need to gone for a few hours in the morning and our little boy hasn’t pushed out a #2 yet, my husband will give him a small piece of bacon and within 1 minute the problem is solved.
Good guidelines provided here. I never know that giving almonds to dog can be so dangerous. The list of no-no food is very useful. I might need to get a copy of that in my kitchen.
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Thanks for this article… my dog eates everything and anything but I am certainly going to be far more careful in the future. I never thought almonds or grapes could be bad.
Our dogs have always loved baked squash. Our first lab would smell it baking then watch the compost bucket until the rind made it out to it. She would be happy for hours nibbling away on it. Our 16 week old lab loves it added to her puppy chow, just a tablespoon or two (No butter or sugar, just plain squash) and she will clean the bowl tell it shines. Does anyone know if squash is ok? I would hate to think we have been letting them eat it and it’s bad for them.
Anne, that’s Bacon-tastic. Strange what works sometimes!
Maria, glad the list was helpful to you.
London Tour, I was as surprised as you about the Grapes, it’s incredible how many things we have to watch out for.
Pat, I haven’t heard anything bad about Squash, i’m no expert mind you 🙂
During my research it was never mentioned so I think you will be fine. A bit of Veg now and again is good for the Dogs, especially if it saves you having to wash up the bowl afterwards!
When doing research for my site I checked out what the ASPCA said about raw eggs and they say the main reason to avoid them is because of avidin.
“raw eggs contain an enzyme called avidin that decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin), which can lead to skin and coat problems.” per aspca.com.
I must also admit I’ve been giving my dogs grapes for years, now they sit and stare at me wondering while I started holding out on them all of a sudden.
Hi Foodie, thanks for the information. I will look in to it.
my 5 mth old puppy loves shepherds pie is this ok
Peter,
I am sure a little bit of Shepherds Pie is fine 😉
My wife feeds our poodle a lot of baked chicken. Will this hurt our dog?
Hawkeye,
That should be fine as long as no cooked bone is included.
Please let me know any danger from my 3 yr.old puppy eating I think just 1 kernal of popcorn?
Marvelda, nothing to worry about it.