13 Foods That Could Kill Your Pet

1. Grapes and Raisins: These cause kidney failure and death when ingested by dogs. Even a small serving can be lethal.

2. Onions: Onions kill red blood cells, resulting in anemia in your pet. High intake can result in death.

3. Chocolate: Seizures, coma, and death can result from your dog consuming chocolate. Highly concentrated chocolate such as baking chocolate is the most lethal to your pets, but even milk chocolate can be quite dangerous.

4. Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause problems similar to the problems caused by chocolate.

5. Macadamia Nuts and Walnuts: Muscle tremor, paralysis, and weakness are a result of macadamia nut and walnut consumption. Other types of nuts can cause bladder stones, so it is recommended that you avoid feeding your pet nuts altogether. Peanut Butter seems to be the exception to the rule. Make sure to use organic (salt free/sugar free) peanut butter. Regular peanut butter contains toxins, and is full of pesticides.

6. Animal fat and fried foods: Pancreatitis can result from too much animal fat or fried foods, so avoid feeding your pet things like fried chicken, too much red meat, etc. It can also lead to obesity as well if too much is eaten, which can lead to diabetes.

7. Bones: They can splinter and, if swallowed, lead to internal organ damage.

8. Tomatoes: Heart arrythmias and tremors may result from your pet consuming tomatoes.

9. Avocados: Found in guacamole, this fruit is very toxic to your pet. Avocados cause difficulty breathing and leas to fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen, and heart.

10. Nutmeg: If consumed, nutmeg can lead to tremors, seizures, and possibly death.

11. Pits and Seeds of Apples, Cherries, Peaches, etc.: These are extremely poisonous to both dogs and humans. The fruit itself is great, but dogs will not stop eating once they reach the core/pit. Dogs have reported being dead within 24 hours of consumption.

12. Raw eggs: Just like in humans, eating raw eggs can poison your pet with samonella.

13. Salt: Large amounts of salt can lead to kidney issues for your dog or cat.

…and there you have it. Remember, this is not a complete list of all foods that can be harmful to your pet. As always, consult your vet if you have any questions. Play it safe and stick with regular dog or cat food. Also, if you wish to take things a step further, ensure your dog or cat’s health by investing in an automatic pet feeder that will precisely control the amount of food your pet consumes.

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Dry dog foods, on the other hand, contain only about ten percent moisture – the other sixty five percent having been removed intentionally during the dehydration process. The dog owner is expected to replace the moisture either by providing the dog with ample amounts of water alongside the feeding dish, or by adding it directly to the dry food. Feeding directions on labels of dry dog food are very explicit about this.

The drawback in feeding dry dog food usually has been caused by the dog owner having allowed the family pooch to enjoy table scraps. Eating people-food accomplishes absolutely nothing for Sparky’s nutritional needs, and simply creates the problem of the finicky eater.

Under the mistaken belief that he’s doing the dog a favor, the dog owner is really robbing the animal of nutrients that are rightfully his – taking food right out of his mouth, so to speak.

In the middle of the scale are the “soft-moist” products which contain more moisture content than dry foods, but considerably less than the canned foods. They are the easiest of all three types to prepare, but are far and away the most expensive. Probably, they are economically most suitable for the small dog.

A compromise solution for the family with the finicky eater as well as the family with a limited dog food budget might be a combination of both canned and dry. Mixing two types – each balanced nutritionally – does nothing to upset the interrelationships of the nutrients.

It’s much easier to control the weight of the family dog when this combination is used. Rather than cut down on the volume intake of the obese dog, a decrease in the amount of dry food, with corresponding increase in canned food will accomplish this without having a constantly hungry dog begging for handouts.

On the other hand, increasing the amount of dry food, with a corresponding decrease in canned, may help to bring the weight up on the dog that has a tendency to be skinny.

The diet of today’s pet dog has come quite a long way from the old days of being fed whale blubber, potatoes and cornbread. Now if manufacturers would take just as much interest in human foods… but for now, if your dog’s choice between caviar or a commercially prepared, balanced dog food, he’d be wise to select the dog food. Pound for pound – and dollar for dollar – the dog and his owner would be way ahead.

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Since it isn’t possible for manufacturers to list all of the nutrients and their required percentages as published by the NRC (National Research Council) on their labels, the terms “complete diet”, “nutritionally complete”, “balanced”, and “balanced diet” are used.

This tells the consumer that the product inside the can, bag or box, contains all the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats the average dog needs to satisfy his daily requirements.

The nutritional requirement for puppies, however, is somewhat different than that required for adult dogs. The diet of the adult dog is usually referred to as a “maintenance diet” where a puppy diet is referred to as a “growth diet”.

In 1974 a regulation went into effect that required all dog food manufacturers to specify on their labels whether the product is complete and balanced for the adult dog (maintenance), complete and balanced for puppies (growth), or complete and balanced for growth and maintenance both. Since all manufactures comply with this regulation, the only thing left to the consumers is to read the label.

Among the varieties of canned, bagged, or semi-moist dog foods, there are certain drawbacks, as well as advantages. This is true even though they are nutritionally identical if advertised as “complete” and/or “balanced”.

Because canned dog food may contain up to 78% moisture, a dog necessarily has to eat a larger quantity of a canned product to get the same volume of food that he would get if fed a dry product. It takes three pounds of commercially prepared canned dog food to be equivalent to one pound of dry food.

But manufactures do not fill a can two-thirds of the way with water, then top it off with a little dab of dog food. The moisture content inside the can is there by the very nature of the ingredients. For example, when a human buys a thick juicy steak, he’s buying well over fifty percent moisture. The butcher didn’t inject that moisture into the steak with a hypodermic needle.

The moisture content in canned dog food serves a definite and useful purpose, both in processing and in the dog’s digestive system. The drawback to the consumer insofar as canned dog food is concerned, is usually one of economics. It can be very expensive due to the large quantities of canned food most normal to large sized dogs will need to eat to get in their daily caloric and nutritional needs.

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Because the nutrients interact with each other, they must be included in precise ratios. If a large excess of one nutrient occurs, then the quantities of other nutrients in the ration must be increased accordingly. Otherwise, a deficiency of certain nutrients exists.

This can be a dangerous situation.

A good example of this is the relationship between calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. All effects are interrelated. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus must be maintained at 1.2 or 1. If additional calcium is added, creating an imbalance, there would be an inefficient assimilation of these minerals.

The result could cause a disease known as rickets.

Considering that vitamin D acts as transportation for calcium, one can begin to see how these three elements are connected. While a deficiency of calcium predisposes to rickets, an excess of calcium will do likewise.

In adult dogs, the condition would be referred to as “paper bones”.

A more common example is an excess of fat in the diet. If fat increased to high levels, then fat will satisfy the energy requirements of the dog before the requirements for other nutrients are met. The result would be a nutritional imbalance. An increase of fat requires a corresponding increase in vitamin B12.

Of particular concern are those professional breeders who attempt to bred over-sized, large boned “super dogs”. Nutritional experts state that certain supplements such as oils, enzymes, and minerals should be used only under a veterinarian’s supervision or recommendation. This is especially true of calcium and cod liver oil (vitamin D), both of which are frequently used by breeders during growth. In excess, they can cause serious problems, particularly with bone development.

In this regard, it should be added that excess vitamin and mineral supplements may be the aggravating cause of heart problems, hip problems, and lower the all-around health of a dog.

With the hip dysplasia problem being so rampant, and no longer confined to just one or two breeds, professional breeders must become more aware of the dangers up upsetting intricate balances with their “home treatments” and super “bone builders” (genetic inheritance notwithstanding).

Drugs have a very definite place in our society. It is the misuse and abuse of drugs that creates a problem. Likewise, vitamin and mineral supplementation has an important place in the dog world, but misuse and abuse creates a dangerous problem.

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These ingredients show the consumer – among other things – the source from which the required nutrients were derived.

The twenty six nutrients that are required can be derived from many sources. The manufacturer’s source of protein, for example, may be soybean meal, fish, cottage cheese, yeast or other plant or animal protein.

Since meat does not offer all of the energy that dogs need, and is extremely low in carbohydrates, and carbohydrates supply energy to a dog, some manufacturers will use grains, such as corn and rice, to supply needed carbohydrates.

Liver and brewers yeast are common sources of riboflavin, while niacin can be provided by the inclusion of certain meats, poultry, cereals, and even peanuts and yeast. Wheat germ, egg yolk, fish and whole wheat are sources for vitamin B6, while meat, meat by-products, certain vegetables and cereals supply necessary amounts of pantothenic acid.

When all twenty six nutrients are present in their proper amounts and ratios, it can then be said that the dog food ration is “complete, “balanced”, or “complete and balanced nutritionally”. Nutritional balancing is the responsibility of the manufacturer’s canine nutritionists, technicians, and laboratory scientists.

A sad note in the whole process often occurs when the dog owner finally makes his selection from the grocer’s shelf and takes the product home. He promptly mixes the balanced dog food with table scraps. The manufacturer’s entire research staff of highly paid dietitians and scientists have wasted their time and professional skill as far as that dog and owner are concerned.

By adding to what has already been scientifically prepared, the dog owner upsets the intricate, interrelated balance of nutrients. While many people think they know what is best for their pets, they forget that millions of dollars and thousands of hours of research have went into combining the perfect nutritional balance for your dog, which of course is what pet food manufacturers go by.

This is not to imply that the vitamin and mineral supplementation – if needed – should be ignored. Vitamin and mineral supplements have a very definite and useful place in dog society – just as they do in human society. If it were not for vitamin and mineral supplements, we could have a world full of unhealthy and unsound dogs.

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The AAFCO is made up of representatives from each state, and representatives from the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. The AAFCO is closely affiliated with the individual state departments of agriculture. Manufacturers must prove that the product actually meets or exceeds the acceptable guidelines as set forth by the National Research Council.

Because of the variety of dog foods now available to the consumer, he finds himself faced with the question, which is best? Canned, dry, or semi-moist food?

Complete and balanced foods are available in all three forms.

Nutritionally, they are the same. Only the means used to arrive at the end result (putting it in a can, bag or box) are different. In canned foods, fresh or frozen meat or meat by-products are used as a source of protein, though they are not the only source of it. In dry foods, the very same products are dehydrated, and other ingredients added to compensate for any loss of nutrients during the dehydration process.

This raises another set of questions.

Why then is there such a wide diversification of prices? How can some dog foods be priced at just a few dollars while seemingly the same amount of nutrients in a more popular brand be priced triple that amount? If both foods are labeled as “complete” and “balanced” then what is the difference?

The answer can be found in the list of ingredients the manufacturer uses to make the product. The ingredients used will affect the palatability of the product – that is – how it tastes and smells.

A person sitting down at the dinner table with a plate of broiled lobster, french fries, corn on the cob, and homemade yeast rolls would really savor the taste and smell of the meal, provided he enjoyed such cuisine. Then again, the smell of Hungarian goulash emanating from the table alongside wouldn’t turn him on at all. A person adverse to lobster meal might very well relish the Hungarian goulash. The price paid for each of the two meals would vary greatly.

In other words – people’s tastes differ – and likewise, dog’s tastes differ.

The manufacturer strives to develop the one taste that will be enjoyed by the largest percentage of dogs. To this end, each manufacturer strives for consistency. The job for proper blending to achieve taste and smell falls directly upon the manufacturer’s quality control staff.

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They include meat, meat by-products, corn, wheat middlings, barley, oats, rice, brewer’s yeast, vegetable and/or animal fats, fish meal, poultry, bone meal, cereals, soybean meal – all of which are rich in the required nutrients.

To meet the palatability requirement so that dogs would enjoy eating this food, manufacturers can add tomato puree, bacon, salt, onion powder, garlic and other ingredients to make the food smell and taste good.

The required ease in consumer handling is accomplished by packing the product in bags with graduated poundage from one to fifty pounds, in twelve to sixteen ounce cans, and in see-through cellophane packs or cans for individual serving.

After the manufacturers have packed their product in a can, bag or box, they have the added the burden of getting the dog owner’s attention to the pet food shelves. They know the family dog isn’t standing there looking over the product – a human is.

To get the human to reach out and select one of the many different brands available, the product must please the eye of the consumer. The dog doesn’t give one care in the world what the product looks like. The animal is only interested in how it tastes and smells.

Manufacturers today will exhibit their product to look like fresh ground hamburger, choice steaks, chunks of lean beef, even breakfast cereals. Although dog food comes in a variety of styles, it really comes in only three types:

1) The complete/balanced food (everything the dog needs in one container). This pet food type will list the product as containing all of the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that a canine should have for good health.

2) The supplementary food (to be added to the complete food to increase palatability). Such food items for pets are made to get the dog’s appetite stimulated enough to eat all of his main/complete food.

3) Treats and snacks (for training rewards or just plain pampering) which can range from beef jerky for dogs to small cereal biscuits.

If a dog’s diet consisted solely of a supplementary food, he would be deprived of the vitamins and nutrients he needs. The supplementary food and treats and snacks were not intended to be the sole diet of the dog. Most manufacturers will indicate this point on the label.

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Today’s dog owner is confronted with a bewildering array of food for his pet.

Years ago, when such a variety wasn’t available, dogs were fed foods that were most plentiful in the region. In the arctic, dogs were fed mostly fish and whale blubber; in the southern United States, a dog’s diet consisted mainly of cornbread; in Europe, potatoes were the main fare. These diets led to diseases such as black tongue (pelegra in humans), rickets, and other less commonly known ailments, many of them fatal.

In the wild, the canine did not just restrict himself to eating just the meat of his prey. He ate the entire animal, including the contents of the stomach. Wild dogs were known to kill each other while fighting over the stomach contents of their prey. Thus, nature provided the wild animal with a diet considered nutritionally complete.

Domesticated dogs were not allowed that luxury, and usually were fed table scraps. These poor diets resulted in serious nutritional imbalances and severe nutritional deficiencies.

After years of study, it was determined that even though the canine is considered a carnivorous animal, he requires certain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to satisfy nutritional requirements just as humans do.

In 1953, the National Research Council compiled and published nutritional requirements for dogs. The NRC is a federally established scientific body whose basic function is gathering research data.

After World War II, the pet food industry in the United States began an enormous expansion. Already a highly competitive business, pet food manufacturers quickly found themselves in neck to neck competition for a piece of this multi-million dollar a year business.

In order to survive and successfully compete in the market, pet food manufacturers knew that they must provide a dog food which was:

A) Nutritionally complete; containing all 26 nutrients that the National Research Council said that does need.

B) Palatable so that the dog would enjoy eating the food.

C) Easy and convenient for the customer to handle.

D) Economically competitive in the market.

Pet food manufacturers have established laboratories and hired nutritionists and food technicians to select those ingredients, which, when combined, will provide the sufficient nutrition to meet NRC standards.

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In order to survive, a full-grown dog requires, at the very least, two milliliters (mls) of water for every pound he weighs every single day (keeping in mind that there are 30 milliliters of water per 1 ounce). The two milliliters are just enough for the dog to produce urine in his body. Without enough water necessary for urine production, your dog, any dog, will not be able to live.

When given an unlimited amount of water, your dog will drink much more than the required two millimeters. This is especially true when you always keep a fresh bowl of water. Giving your dog just the least amount of water every day may be enough for him to survive, but not for long. Deficiency in water harms the body and gradually terminates its functions. He will eventually turn weak, get sick, and die.

The importance of giving your dog more water than the least amount needed is used in several ways:

1. Water is used to help digest and absorb nutrients.

2. It is used to burn fuel, which is turned into energy.

3. Water is responsible for maintaining a normal body temperature.

4. Drinking enough water replaces the fluids that are lost in the body during secretions.

5. Water is also responsible for mixing different types of chemicals in the body as they dissolve and transform into different chemical reactions.

6. Water carries nutrients to the cells and also transfers toxic waste products from the cells to the organs for proper elimination. With the absence of water, these organs will not be able to get rid of toxins from the body.

7. Last but not least, water is needed to regulate the blood’s acid level.

As you can see, water is almost always required for every function that takes place in the dog’s body. And because of its versatility and the degree to which it is used, water is considered to be the most important nutrient that is required on all breeds of dogs. There are pet supplies that aid in giving your dog the right amount of water. Consider an Automatic Pet Waterer for indoor pets and a WaterDog for dogs that spend a lot of time outside.

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