What foods are safe to feed my cat and dog, I hear you ask!
Easter is just around the corner and therefore I’m sure your home will be filled with chocolate eggs and rabbits. We all know that chocolate is poisonous to dogs right? But as vets we often get asked – “What foods are poisonous to my dog and cat?”
Chocolate
So we’ll start with chocolate as it is the most commonly encountered foodstuff that is poisonous to your pet. Chocolate is very toxic to dogs due to a compound called theobromine found within it. While we as humans are able to tolerate this chemical, your dog is not. This can cause vomiting, diarrhea, heart rhythm disruptions, seizures and even death. Please consult your vetereinary surgeon if your pet consumes any chocolate.
Xylitol
Xylitol is another potentially lethal foodstuff which is safe for humans. I unfortunately have personal experience of this nasty poison. It is a commonly used sweetener in chewing gums and peanut butter. My husky managed to break into a friends bag and ate a large quantity of sugar free chewing gum. We immediately got her to a small animal vet who gave her medicine to make her sick. She survived this nasty poison with no long term damage but some dogs have not been so lucky. Xylitol causes your dogs blood sugar to drop dramatically and then also causes severe damage to their liver. It is vitally important to check any foods for presence of xylitol due to the level of toxicity it causes. Xylitol good for humans, baaaaaaaaaad for dogs.
Onions and garlic (including the powdered versions)are a big no no too. They contain a substance called thiosulphate. Damage can be done to their red blood cells and lead to nasty anaemia.
Grapes and raisins while may be tasty are definitely not something that should be fed to your dog or cat as they can damage their kidneys. In severe cases they can cause kidney failure and death.
There is much debate about feeding bones to dogs. Cooked bones are particularly dangerous to feed as they can splinter and lodge in your dogs throat or intestines.
But, what is safe to feed to my dog? Quickfire round!
Can my dog eat carrots? – Yes!- Can my dog eat bananas? – Yes!
- Can my dog eat sweetcorn? – Yes!
- Can my dog eat tomatoes? – NO!!
- Can my dog eat strawberries? – Yes!
- Can my dog eat blueberries? – Yes!
- Can my dog eat apples? – Yes!
- Can my dog eat avocados? NO!!
- Can my dog eat cucumbers? Yes!
- Can my dog eat green beans ? Yes!
- Can my dog eat broccoli? Yes!
So, the moral of this story is – feed your cat or dog a diet that is appropriate for them. If you are planning to feed treats, then make sure they are pet friendly. There are lots of recipes out there to follow allowing you to make your own safe treats for your pets. Find some great recipes here
As always, if in doubt contact your veterinary surgeon for advice!
If in doubt, we have some great dog treats you could buy here
