Dog's Help

To keep your pet dog free from illness, it is important to know about the good and bad foods for him. Some foods can distress a dog’s gut. Some other foods may cause allergic reactions in dogs. So let’s find out common foods that most dogs cannot tolerate.

Dairy products: Milk, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, cheese, butter, and cream cannot be digested by dogs as easily as humans. The canine’s digestive system lacks the enzymes that facilitate the breakdown of dairy products into simpler molecules. Casein in milk is believed to interfere in the absorption of food items. It is only at the pre-weaning stage that dogs ingest milk products.

Chocolate: Children eat chocolates so they sometimes try giving chocolate to their pet dog. However, chocolate contains an alkaloid, theobromine, which is toxic for canines. Chocolate contains caffeine and sugar. Both of these are not good for dogs.

Raisins and Grapes: It has been found that after some dogs ate grapes and/or raisins they displayed the symptoms of toxicity. Investigations are under way to determine the cause of it. Till the results are known it will be a good precaution to not give these fruits to your pet dog.

Garlic and Onions: The canine gastrointestinal system reacts irritably to the presence of garlic and/or onions in the gut. These items spark destruction of red blood corpuscles in a dog’s blood circulation system.

Houseplants: Do not let your dog nibble at any of the houseplants in your home environs as they can prove to be poisonous for his system. Train and discipline him to avoid eating the leaves of houseplants. If your dog takes a fancy to, let him nibble at fresh wheatgrass.

Soy and soy products: They contain proteins and are allergens. So do (and are) corn, chicken, pork, beef, and fish. You should avoid giving these foods to your pet dog as they interfere in the process of nutrient absorption. They also adversely affect hormonal development in dogs. The thyroid gland is especially affected and as a result the normal growth rate is decelerated.

Yeast: Many commercial dog foods may contain yeast. Brewer’s yeast, baker’s yeast, nutritional yeast, and torula are some yeast forms. The fungus causes urinary issues, indigestion and consequential bloating in dogs. In some canine breeds it causes an allergic reaction.

Sugar: It is available in various different forms such as fructose, glucose, dextrose, and Xylitol, a carbohydrate based sweetener. It is contained in cane, barley malt, corn syrup, honey and maple syrup.

You need to remember that salmon fish is affected by parasites and they in turn can cause serious illness in canines or even their death. Therefore avoid providing dogs with salmon, especially the raw variety.