My dog, Penny, loves to play frisbee. Our trips to the park consist of a little fetch and a lot of me chasing her around yelling, “Penny, no! Stop!” while she eats everything she can find off the ground. Penny has pica, which means she eats non-edible items. That means my search history consists mostly of, “My dog ate _____. Will she die?” She has been to the ER many times for eating weird things that I didn’t even know were dangerous. So, I thought I would compile a list of foods that are dangerous for your dog to eat.
1. Corn Cobs
The last time Penny went to the ER was because she took a corn cob off a plate when my mom left the room. I learned a $400 lesson that day: dogs can’t pass corn cobs. Luckily, Penny chewed it into small enough pieces so she didn’t die. Not for lack of trying.
2. Caffeine
I don’t drink coffee, but my mom is addicted to it (shout out to my mom). We’re lucky that Penny is 80lbs because she’s definitely eaten coffee grounds from the garbage before, and that could have really hurt a smaller dog. Caffeine can cause vomiting, elevated heart rate and body temperature, and seizures in dogs. They’ll just have to find some other way to wake up in the morning.
3. Grapes/Raisins
People seem to know about this one. We don’t know exactly why it happens, but grapes/raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. My dogs have eaten grapes before and been fine, but it’s not worth the risk because dogs don’t need to eat them.
4. Advil (Ibuprofen)
I’ve heard horror stories of people giving their dogs Advil thinking it was safe, and the dogs end up getting dangerously sick. I’ve never given Advil to Penny and luckily she’s never gotten into a bottle. It’s important to always ask your vet before you give your dog any human medication.
5. Anything with Xylitol
Xylitol is a sweetener found in some chewing gum (not necessarily the ones pictured above), mouthwash, toothpaste, vitamins, and some brands of peanut butter. It is extremely dangerous for dogs to eat and can cause liver failure. It doesn’t take that much Xylitol to kill a dog. Make sure you check the label on your peanut butter before you give some to your dog!
6. Peach pits, apricot pits, cherry pits, etc.
These pits have cyanogenic glycosides (a form of cyanide) in them. This toxin “slows down the enzymes in your dog’s body that are essential to transport oxygen in the blood.” Avocado pits are also dangerous because they can cause an obstruction. Just keep your dog away from pits.
7. Cooked bones
Penny loves raw marrow bones; they satisfy her need to chew and they kept her teeth healthy. Cooked bones, however, are a problem. Once meat and poultry bones are cooked, they can splinter and damage your dog’s throat and intestines. They smell and taste like meat so dogs will be tempted to eat them
The moral of the story: if your dog likes to eat things they find around the house or on the ground, make sure they don’t have access to any of these items. Also, note that this is not a full list of foods that are dangerous for your dog to eat. Call your vet if you notice your dog acting odd, vomiting, shaking, or refusing to eat or drink.