Do you feed your dog off the table? Scary!

I was surprised to find out a couple days ago that grapes are really bad for dogs! My family always feeds the dogs stuff from the tables (sometimes even off the fork-gahh I know) So I decided to do a little research to make sure I don't harm my baby! Here is some scary stuff I found. Please be careful of what you feed your pooch!!!

Bad news foods!!!!!!!!!

Avocados
They contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. This fruit is very toxic to dogs, cats and most animals.

Beer
Alcoholic beverages can cause the same damage to an animal's liver and brain as they cause in humans. But the effects can be deadly on animals since they are much smaller than us. The smaller the animal, the more deadly the effects can be. Even a small amount of alcohol may cause vomiting and damage the liver and brain.

** (Who knew?)Nuts
Walnuts and macadamia nuts are especially toxic. Effects can be anything from vomiting to paralysis to death. Within 12 hours of eating the nuts, pets start to develop symptoms such as an inability to stand or walk, vomiting, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), weakness, and an elevated heart rate. These symptoms can be even worse if your dog eats some chocolate with the nuts. The effect can cause kidney failure, often leading to death.

Chocolate
Chocolate contains theobromine, which can kill your pet if eaten in large quantities. Dark and unsweetened baking chocolates are especially dangerous. Giving your pup a piece of chocolate cake or even letting him lick the chocolate icing on the cake could cause him to become ill. Theobromine can also cause a dog or cat's heart to beat very rapidly or irregularly, which could result in death if the pet is exercising or overly active.

Candy
Candy or anything containing Xylitol (a common sweetener found in some diet products) can cause a sudden drop in an animal's blood sugar, loss of coordination and seizures. If left untreated, the animal could die.

Caffeine
Coffee, tea or any product that contains caffeine stimulates an animal's central nervous and cardiac systems. This can lead to restlessness, heart palpitations and death, depending on how much the animal consumes.

**(yikes!)Grapes and raisins
Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill them. And the effects are cumulative, which means that even if a dog eats just one or two grapes or raisins regularly, the toxin that builds in his system will eventually kill him.

Onions
Onions are another common food that can be highly toxic to pets. They can destroy an animal's red blood cells and lead to anemia, weakness and breathing difficulties. Their effects are also cumulative over time.

Medicine
Hide medicine from your pets just like you would from your children. The most common cause of pet poisoning is from animals ingesting a medicine or drug normally prescribed for humans.

And this is not just because furry pals are getting into their pet parent's medicine cabinets. In many cases, pet owners give their feline and canine friends an over-the-counter medication to ease an animal's pain. But acetaminophen and ibuprofen, the active ingredients in many common pain relievers, are extremely toxic to dogs and cats. They can cause gastric ulcers, liver damage, kidney failure and sometimes death.

Despite all the precautions you take to keep your pet pals safe, accidents do happen. That's why the ASPCA, Humane Society and animal advocates advise pet owners to keep the telephone numbers of their local veterinarian and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — (888) 426-4435 — in a prominent location.

Common signs of poisoning include muscle

Nope. I never feed my dog table scraps. My parents do with their lab though... not something I agree with.

That is very helpful.  A lot of people don't realize what can harm a pet. 

What chaps my hide is when someone (not meaning to be malicious) automatically assumes it's OK to feed your pet scraps!  I do not feed my baby table/people food, please do not come to my home and think you can.

I always ask if someone brings their pet to my home or a similar situation, if their pet can have a snack-puppy treat- before arbitrarily feeding the pet.  Come to find out last week my neighbor's dog only eats a certain diet due to a tummy problem.  Good thing I asked or I would have been the pooper scooper for the evening.

Also, garlic and raw potatoes should be avoided.

Table scraps are the bomb.  They're almost as good as raw meat.  Yum.

I dont usually but once in a while i give in to their cute smooshie little faces.

we have done lots of research on what not to give them though.

Its funny alot of dog food contains onions and garlic!

Helpful list, but it doesn't mean you should not feed your animals real food. We cook our cats oatmeal/rice with raw meat (among other things). What I most certainly do not feed them, is euthanized pets found in processed cat/dog/hampster/guinea pig/rabbit foods.

Original Post by reila_and_my_chrome_heart:

Helpful list, but it doesn't mean you should not feed your animals real food. We cook our cats oatmeal/rice with raw meat (among other things). What I most certainly do not feed them, is euthanized pets found in processed cat/dog/hampster/guinea pig/rabbit foods.

you got this where?

In my experience, if you feed a dog from the table, you're basically gving them the okay to beg. I can't STAND it when I'm trying to eat & a dog's looking at me with those big eyes, waiting for me to give something off of my plate. I end up giving away all of my food haha.

We never fed my dog from the table & she never ended up begging. We did often give her some of what we were eating, but we always walked over & put it in her bowl so she definitely understood that that was the only place she should be expecting food.

 

But yeah, great post. So many people just assume their pets are the same as they are, so hopefully this will help some dogs =]

There are no laws to prevent it Vice. 

Many pet food companies' foods have tested positive for phenobarbital (which is used to euth companion animals).  So they are either using companion animals or downed food animals.  I tend to think they are just using downed animals.  But legally, they can use euthanized cats and dogs.

Original Post by kankan213:

Avocados
They contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. This fruit is very toxic to dogs, cats and most animals.

That's crap. The skin, bark, leaves and seed are toxic, but I have never seen a study that has shown avocado fruit is toxic to dogs or cats.

My fat dog eats about 3 grapes a year, and I make all my dog food, which is all human food. They eat all kinds of human fruits and vegetables. In a lot of things, toxicity is to do with how much you feed the animal, and the weight of the animal. This (obviously) doesn't apply to medicine, which you should never, ever feed your animals (with the exception of things like pepto) without consulting your vet first.

I've done my research and I'm extremely comfortable with what I feed my dogs - and they seem pretty happy with it too.

By no means am I saying it is good or bad to feed a dog table scraps! Thats sort of a personal decision!

 I just hope everyone becomes informed with what is good and not good TO feed them. Everyone knows dogs shouldnt eat chocolate but grapes and nuts? I had no clue!

SO I will add this, it is from the same article off of CNN!

Good news foods
There are a few things that you CAN give to your furry pal. However, you should always consult a veterinarian before introducing a new food item to your pet.

Although these foods are normally harmless, some animals have sensitive gastrointestinal tracts. So even these healthy treats should be avoided if they cause gastrointestinal upset for your pet. Keep in mind that these and other "extras" should not make up more than 5 to 10 percent of the pet's daily caloric intake.

Lean meats
Any cooked lean meat should be fine for most dogs. High-fat meats, chicken skin and fat from steaks or roasts are not recommended. Ingestion may lead to gastrointestinal upset or even pancreatitis. This can be a very painful condition for dogs. In addition, most companion animals do not need extra fat in their diets. Never give your pet meat with the bone in it. Animals can choke on the bones, and they can splinter as well.

Vegetables
Carrot sticks, green beans, cucumber slices and zucchini slices are all OK.

Fruit
Apple slices, orange slices, bananas and watermelon are all OK. Make sure the seeds have been taken out; seeds are not good for your pet!

Baked potatoes
Plain baked potatoes are fine, but make sure they are cooked — no unripe potatoes or potato plants.

Bread
Plain cooked bread is fine; just make sure there are no nuts or raisins added.

Rice and pasta
Plain, cooked pasta and white rice are OK. Often veterinarians recommend plain rice with some boiled chicken when gastrointestinal upset is present.

 

I don't feed my cats any people food (on purpose), but those sneaky little buggers are pretty impressive thieves.

 

Just sayin'

Never give your pet meat with the bone in it. Animals can choke on the bones, and they can splinter as well.

Not if you feed it raw.

reila - I know you probably know, because you are such a smart girl, but your cats don't need a lot of oatmeal or rice, they derive most of their nutrients from meat. Too much fibre can lead to poor nutrient absorption so it should constitute no more than 10% of their daily diet.

Definitely p0nda, it is nice for bulk though. Raw meat gets pricey O_O

You could fed whole prey mice, if you can stomach that.  You can get pinky rats and mice pretty cheap.  It'd be a good addition.

Damn right it does reila, my dogs now get supplemented with tofu to cut costs, especially since the price of chicken has gone up.

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

You could fed whole prey mice, if you can stomach that.  You can get pinky rats and mice pretty cheap.  I'd be a good addition.

I have mice in my freezer, they cost between $1.77-$5(rats) apeice!!!

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

You could fed whole prey mice, if you can stomach that. You can get pinky rats and mice pretty cheap. I'd be a good addition.

;_;

I remember seeing a guy at the pet store with a plastic bag (the kind you put fish in) and it had a pinky in it, poor thing :( I've had pet rodents my whole life (<3 rats), I've bred them too, so I have a soft spot for them.

but how is that cheaper though? I don't know how much babies cost, but a few dollars for an adult isn't cheaper or more filling than a hunk of meat.

anyway to the OP, I don't have a problem with feeding my cats scraps. My boy cat loves peas and corn as much as meat, but other than that, meat is all we'd really give. Oh he also loves yogurt (we let him lick the yogurt cups after we eat it), and licking your dish after pea soup, tomato soup and baked beans.

edit: to add to the first part of my post, I used to feed my snakehead chunks of beef heart (bought whole and cut myself), my other meat eating fish liked it too and I'm pretty sure it was cheap. Maybe go for cheap cuts like that.

I've seen pinkies for $0.79 a pound.  That's pretty cheap for a whole prey animal (organs and all).

i try not to even look at my dog when i'm eating, and she's pretty good about not looking at me.  sometimes i put some leftovers in her dish, though.  and i can't slice cheese without tossing her a piece.

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

I've seen pinkies for $0.79 a pound.  That's pretty cheap for a whole prey animal (organs and all).

O_O where?! My snake costs me a small fortune - especially during breeding season when he's horny as a toad and won't stop pacing his tank for 5 minutes to eat. THREE MONTHS of giving him a mouse every week only to find it still there in the morning. I don't mind the cost when he's eating them, but throwing away $2 is annoying. Happily he is back to eating now or I would be tempted to toss him out the window.