There are certain commands in a dog’s life that they should be taught from a young, puppy age. Leave is one of these – and this forms the basis of today’s article.
In short, if you are mulling around in the kitchen and drop one of the foods that we are about to mention, make sure that they avoid touching it under any circumstances. Or, in relation to some owners, make sure you are not making some of these foods part of your dog’s regular diet.
Of course, let’s not forget that there are a whole host of other variables when it comes to feeding your dog the wrong foods. The ones we are about to discuss today are toxic, but if your pet pooch does accidently consume a very small quantity, they may not suffer any effects. You might have to consult this guide by Scrumbles about what it may have done to their stomach, but they are not guaranteed to create some of the symptoms we will document.
Following on from the above, let’s now jump into those four foods that your dog should not be going near.
Chocolate
There’s no doubt that chocolate is the most obvious one on our list, and you’ll hopefully be fully aware about the reasons why your dog shouldn’t be touching it.
It contains something called theobromine, which is a stimulant, and in short is poisonous to dogs. The side effects tend to occur after four hours of eating chocolate, and can include anything from vomiting to seizures.
Grapes or raisins
The worst part of this next food is that so many other foods contain grapes and raisins. For example, if it is Easter time, hot cross buns fall into this category.
Nobody quite knows which toxin in particular in these foods affects dogs, but what we are aware of is that it can impact their kidneys and even cause them to fail. If your dog already has a kidney condition, they are even more at risk from this food.
Corn on the cob
This next food might raise a few eyebrows, as corn on the cob is seen as being traditionally healthy. Unfortunately, it happens to be something that dogs struggle to digest, meaning that it can cause problems if they swallow a large section.
In the worst cases, intestinal blockages can occur and this is when they will require medical attention. There are a whole host of side effects to look for here, including a loss of appetite or vomiting.
Onions and garlic
Fortunately, most owners are fully aware that their dogs aren’t going to appreciate the above foods, but considering the fact that they can easily get pushed off the worktop counter and onto the floor – they can be easily picked up.
The problems with onions and garlic surround the gut and they tend to irritate it significantly. Worryingly, symptoms can sometimes take days to show, which means that diagnosing this issue can be difficult for veterinarians.
