What food should I not feed to my dog.

People often have a soft spot for their pets especially when they are giving them those sad, soulful look while preparing a meal or having dinner. This usually leads them to giving their pets scraps of food off the table. This practice is already wrong right from the start because it encourages your pet to beg. What’s even worse is that you might actually be doing more harm than good in terms of your pet’s health.

What kinds of table foods should you avoid? Here are a few that are worth keeping in mind.

• Dairy products – A bowl of milk for your pet isn’t really a good idea since cats and dogs don’t have enough lactase in their system to break lactose down. Side effects of drinking milk or eating any other dairy product include vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach and even allergies.
• Avocado – This fruit contains persin which is harmful to animals. When consumed it can cause severe congestion, difficulty in breathing, inflammation and even death. Even a small amount of avocado can cause your pet to vomit or suffer from diarrhea.
• Chocolate and Caffeine – You might think that giving coffee to your pet can help perk it up. However, caffeine is dangerous to animals because of methylxanthines that can cause hyperactivity, vomiting, panting, irregular heart rhythms and death. Although chocolates contain a low dose of methylxanthines, they contain theobromine which can cause muscle spasms, restlessness and vomiting as well.
• Macadamia Nuts – You might love eating Macadaima nuts but did you know that if you pet manages to eat a few of this nut they can suffer from health problems? Regardless of whether it is roasted or raw, macadamia nuts can cause weakness, tremors, vomiting and even depression.
• Yeast Dough – If you are fond of baking or often have yeast dough in the kitchen, see to it that your pet won’t be able to get its paws on it. The yeast dough can expand inside your pet’s stomach which can cause serious problems. It is best that you bring your pet to the vet if you suspect of dough ingestion.
• Grapes – seam to be a harmless fruit but not for dogs it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and kidney failure.
• Alcohol – should never be given to your pets it can cause your pet to have trouble breathing and cause cardiac arrest, something you never want to witness so keep away from your special little furry friends.

Xylitol – Artificial sweeteners may be normal for you but not for your pets, these can cause them a lot of trouble. Ingesting xylitol can cause hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar levels. When this happens, your pet will surely exhibit signs of lethargy, vomiting and even problems with its coordination.