Human Foods Dogs Can and Cannot Eat

Good Foods for Dogs

When you can’t resist the puppy doggy eyes asking for your food, make sure the food you’ll give them is safe!

Try the following foods in small amounts, every dog is different and they might react differently to certain foods.

1. Peanut Butter
   • It’s good for both you and your dog!
   • Enjoy an unsalted tablespoon of peanut butter.
   • It’s a great source of protein and healthy fats.
2. Oatmeal
   • Good source of fiber.
   • Great for dogs with bowel irregularity issues.
   • Safe for dogs with wheat allergies.
   • Serve it cooked without any added sugar.
3. Chicken
   • Great if your dog requires extra protein.
   • Great replacement if you’re out of dog food.
   • Serve it cooked and unseasoned.
4. Salmon
   • Source of omega 3 fatty acids.
   • Will make your dog’s coat shiner and healthier.
   • Serve cooked in your dog’s food bowl.
5. Pumpkin
   • Source of fiber or vitamin A.
   • Helpful addition to doggie diets if your dog suffers from digestion problems.
   • Serve raw or in a can.
6. Green Beans
   • Nutritious and low in calories.
   • Will load dogs up with iron and vitamins.
   • Serve only fresh beans or canned ones with no added salt.
7. Carrots
   • Low in calories and high in fiber and vitamins.
   • Crunching on carrots can be good for their teeth.
8. Eggs
   • Provides great protein boost.
   • Healthy snack.
   • Serve scrambled.
9. Fresh Fruit
   • Slices of:
     • Apples, Oranges, Bananas and Watermelons
   • Make sure to remove any:
     • Seeds, Stems and Leaves
10. Veggies
    • Healthy snacks include:
      • Carrot sticks, Green Beans, Cucumber slices, Zucchini slices and Plain baked potato
    • Make sure you don’t feed your dog raw potatoes!
11. Cooked White Rice & Pasta
    • Make sure you serve it cooked.
    • A serving of plain white rice with boiled chicken can provide relief from gastrointestinal upset.

Bad Foods for Dogs

Steer clear of and avoid giving these foods to your furry loved ones.

1. Caffeine
   • Caffeine-like stimulants known as methylaxanthines can be fatal.
   • Food that contain caffeine include:
     • Chocolate, Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Coals, Stimulant Drinks (Red Bull), Cold Medicines and Pain Killers
   • If ingested in large amounts it can cause:
     • Vomiting, Diarrhea, Restlessness, Rapid Breathing, Heart Palpitations, Muscle tremors, Fits, Bleeding, Seizures and Death
2. Chocolate
   • Besides containing caffeine, chocolate is also toxic.
   • The toxic part is theobromine, which is in all kinds of chocolate including white.
   • The most dangerous kinds are:
     • Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Mulch and Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
   • Even licking and icing bowl can cause:
     • Vomiting, Diarrhea, Excessive Thirst, Abnormal Heart Rhythm, Tremors, Seizures and Death
3. Grapes & Raisins
   • Toxic for dogs.
   • Can cause kidney failure.
   • Symptoms include:
     • Repeated Vomiting, Lethargy and Depression
4. Onions & Garlic
   • In all forms, powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated.
   • Can destroy dog’s red blood cells leading to anemia.
   • Symptoms of anemia include weakness, vomiting, and little interest in food, dullness, and breathlessness.
5. Avocado
   • Its leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxin called persin.
   • Toxin can cause upset stomach and breathing difficulties.
6. Alcohol
   • Even small amounts can cause significant intoxication.
   • Intoxication can lead to vomiting, seizures and even death.
7. Milk & Dairy Products
   • Milk and milk-base products like ice cream can cause:
     • Diarrhea, Digestive Upset and Set up Food Allergies (which often show up as itchiness).
8. Macadamia Nuts
   • Macadamia nuts or foods with them can be fatal.
   • As few as 6 raw or roasted can make them ill.
   • Symptoms of poisoning include:
     • Muscle tremors, Weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters, Vomiting, Elevated body temperature and Rapid heart rate.
9. Candy & Gum
   • Foods sweetened with xylitol such as:
     • Candy, Gum, Toothpaste, Baked goods and Some diet foods
   • Causing more insulin to circulate through the body; thus dropping blood sugar levels.
   • Initial symptoms include:
     • Vomiting, Lethargy, Loss of coordination, Seizures and Liver failure (can occur within just a few days).
10. Fat Trimmings & Bones
    • Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked can cause pancreatitis.
    • Dogs can choke on bones and can splinter causing obstruction and lacerations to the digestive system.
11. Salt
    • Salty foods like chips or pretzels can cause: Excessive thirst and urination and Sodium ion poisoning.
    • Symptoms of too much salt include: Vomiting, Diarrhea, Depression, Tremors, Elevated Body Temperature, Seizures and Death
12. Persimmons, Peaches & Plums
    • The problem with these fruits is the seeds or pits.
    • They can cause:  Inflammation of the small intestine and Intestinal Obstruction.
    • Peach and plum pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to both humans and dogs.