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Toxic foods for dogs: do you know the 7 tasty human treats which are harmful to animals?

Many common foods in Spain can be dangerous for dogs

It’s often difficult to resist the pleading eyes of our pampered pooches, but there are many foods which, while extremely tempting to dogs, can result in a lot of discomfort and even harm our pets.

After puppyhood for example, most dogs become lactose intolerant and so shouldn’t be given milk, sugary treats can cause tummy upsets and animals should never be given cooked bones, which can easily splinter and choke them.

However, a little sausage or cheese on occasion isn’t going to do any irreparable damage, as confirmed by Gaspar García, a vet at Mundo Animal, who explained that dogs would have to eat enormous quantities of the food in question for it to prove harmful.

“To give an example,” says the vet, “a dog would have to eat two or three whole bars of chocolate to ber poisoned,” and the likelihood is that it would be sick long before this point.

Nevertheless, it is best for dogs to eat only their own food, and the following treats should absolutely be avoided.

1. Chocolate

Theobromine is an alkaloid found in every type of chocolate and can be very harmful to many animals, especially dogs. Not all sweets are created equal, however: white chocolate, for example, contains 0.9 mg per 100 grams, while milk chocolate has between 150-220 mg per 100 grams and dark chocolate has between 450-1,600 mg per 100 grams.

This means that a standard bar of dark chocolate contains between 563 mg and 2,000 mg of theobromine, a definite no-no for dogs.

2. Coffee and tea

Caffeine and theine, as well as energy drinks, affect the nervous system of animals and can cause the same effects in them as chocolate.

Methylxanthines present in these products act on the central nervous system of dogs, accelerating the cardiac and nervous systems, which can result in tachycardia.

3. Grapes and raisins

It is still unknown why grapes are toxic for dogs, or if in fact they are for all breeds, but it has been proven that these food items are generally harmful.

Dogs that eat grapes or raisins show a higher concentration of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, which can trigger kidney failure, a disease characterised by impaired kidney function that affects the proper elimination of fluids from the body.

4. Dried fruits

Peanuts, macadamia nuts or unripe walnuts in particular are quite bad for dogs. Their high fat content can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and even pancreatitis if they are eaten often or in large quantities.

5. Avocado

Again, because of its high fat content, this fruit can lead to digestive disorders in dogs. Avocados also contain persin, a fatty acid derivative that is generally harmless to humans, but dangerous when consumed by pets in large quantities. Symptoms of persin poisoning are shortness of breath, diarrhoea, vomiting, and cough.

6. Onions

Onions, whether raw or cooked, contain allicin, and excessive consumption can result in a reduction in red blood cells in dogs. Symptoms include a whitish mucous membrane and increased pulse and respiratory rate.

On the other hand, although garlic also contains allicin, it is not believed to be harmful and recent studies have suggested that moderate consumption could have potent antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic effects on the dog's immune and cardiovascular system.

7. Alcohol

Alcohol contains ethanol, which acts like a poison it dogs. Animals that have consumed alcohol will become agitated and wobbly, will pee more (thus tending to become hydrated) and, in more severe cases, can develop slow breathing and even cardiac arrest.

You might also like: 7 popular plants in Spain that are poisonous to dogs and cats

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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