One of the great things about having dogs as pets is their boundless enthusiasm for everything. However, there is one area where this can be a problem – food. Indeed, the canine enthusiasm for food is legendary and as such most dogs will not think twice about what they consume. Therefore it is up to responsible pet owners to ensure their dogs do not eat anything which could turn out to be harmful to them.
In short, owners must make sure their dogs eat approved pet food and avoid human foods like:
Chocolate
It may seem unlikely but chocolate can be extremely dangerous for dogs. The reason for this is that it contains a chemical called theobromine which can have significant detrimental effects on the heart and kidneys of canines. In fact, it can actually be fatal if it is consumed in large enough quantities. Chocolate treats which are made specifically for dogs don’t contain theobromine so they are completely safe.
Grapes and Raisins
Although scientists still don’t fully understand why, grapes and grape products (like raisins) can cause potentially life-threatening renal failure in dogs. Therefore dog owners must make sure they never feed their animals any type of grapes, seeded or otherwise.
Macadamia Nuts
Research has shown that even very small quantities of macadamia nuts can cause severe canine mobility issues, such as muscle tremors, weakness, muscle pain, swelling of the limbs and paralysis of the hind-quarters. Fortunately, all of these effects seem to be temporary.
