http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sharing-leftovers-with-pets.html
Sharing Leftovers with Pets
One thing I miss about my family’s three dogs (besides their unconditional love and zealous sweetness, of course) is their unswerving ability to vacuum food from the floor and to make haste with leftovers that no one else would claim. I never realized, at all, how much I relied on them for these tasks until they were gone–and now I wonder how much food I was unconsciously passing off to them on a daily basis. As happy an arrangement for all parties concerned, was it in their best interest?
With leftover season officially here, it seems like a good time to take a closer look at feeding pets human food. As it turns out, some foods that are fine for us to eat aren’t such a great fit for our pets. The list below, from the Humane Society of the United States highlights some of the most common foods that can be dangerous to animals. They also remind us that this is not an exhaustive list and any decision to provide your pet with food not specifically intended for animals should be discussed with your veterinarian or pet nutritionist.
The following foods may be dangerous to your pet:
Alcoholic beverages
Apple seeds
Apricot pits
Avocados (toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle and dairy goats)
Cherry pits
Candy (particularly chocolate, which is toxic to dogs, cats and ferrets, and any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol)
Coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans)
Grapes
Hops (used in home beer brewing)
Macadamia nuts
Moldy foods
Mushroom plants
Mustard seeds
Onions and onion powder
Peach pits
Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
Raisins
Rhubarb leaves
Salt
Tea (caffeine)
Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
Walnuts
Yeast dough
For more information about what not to let your pet eat, visit the American Animal Hospital Association.
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10 comments
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Kabin
Konteyner
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Aside from the pits and seeds, which I too think are rather obvious, it's a good list. I didn't know that macadamia nuts and walnuts were bad for dogs.
Another thing which should be noted isn't food, but which our dog used to consume when sandwiches were left out--foil. When her stomach was finally empty from food, she would vomit the foil. Then there's soap. Our in-laws had to stop using bar soap--all types--because their yellow lab would seek it out and eat it (no ill effects, but eating soap/detergent bars can't be a good thing for any animal).
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My dog loves coffee so much. He will bark all day under dining table if he want and doesn't get his part. The only way I can do is diluted the coffee with lots of milk.
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My thought about all the things listed was: "kind of obvious that you don't give your pets these things!"
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Grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs and anything really fatty can cause pancreatitis.
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i read that turkey skin wasn't good for dogs as it's too fatty (i guess duck too) and is bad for some organ or other.
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my two dogs live under a walnut tree!! the gathering season just finished, here in greece, and we raced for the falling nuts: they both ate tens of them per week! is it a question of a food allergy?? they seem fine. thanks for the article(s).
carole s.
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Wow. I didn't know grapes were bad for dogs. My family has been feeing my dog grapes. Not a lot but every once in awhile.
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My former vet told me not to feed turkey to my dog, as it causes pancreatitis. However, I see turkey dog food all the time. Has anyone else heard of this? Thanks.
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We had aan Australian Blue Healer and she had 4 children to give her food and to pick up after them. Anything we ate she would eat too. Grapes Peas for an example. She lived to be nearly 20 years of age and although she's been dead for 17 years I still miss her dreadfully.
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