Foods That Are Bad For Dogs

[silverbreeze]

I am horrified; I think I must be poisoning my dog every day!! I can't find why mushrooms are bad for them; do they mean wild mushrooms or our mushrooms?
My dog always eats mushrooms, broccolli, grapes and raisins. he also has cabbage and cauliflower and loves it all..

Obviously I will stop now but can anyone explain the mushrooms? he will be most upset!

 

[lauraandjack]

With regard to preparing homemade/BARF diets for dogs, remember that a significant proportion of the UK population can't feed themselves properly, never mind their dogs!

If you can only be bothered to sling a crappy salt and fat laden ready meal in the microwave for your family you are hardly going to go to the butcher and buy chicken wings etc for the mutt?

 

[Cedars]

Hi,

Stupid question alert!

Are apples good/bad for dogs? My puppy LOVES apples that have fallen off the trees in the garden and we can't stop her eating them lol.

xxxx

 

[JosieSmith]

My dog has choked on a chicken bone twice now (after picking them up in the garden not after being fed them by us!)so personally I wouldn't feed them. Each to his own

 

[JosieSmith]

I've never heard of feeding dogs raw so I'm afraid mine gets pedigree, has done for 13 years and it's only since she got cushings disease in the last year that she's had any stomach problems. Does anyone else have problems with cats bringing chicken bones into the garden? They do it quite often in our garden and last time I tried to get a bone out of my dogs mouth she clamped her jaw on it and bit through my finger! Luckily she's small so not much damage done, though I needed a tetanus, boo! I'd be interested to hear how I could change onto a natural diet though, anything healthier is always welcome. I also hate people who overfeed their dogs, my Mam used to give ours a full chicken dinner every sunday, complete with gravy and she got really fat, since she moved in with us she's lost 2kgs and is now a very healthy weight. She begs for food when we're cooking or eating, but only tries once, as soon as we tell her no she goes away and gets one of her chews, my friends are amazed at how well trained she is but I see it as basic manners, no more than any dog should do every day

 

[Vicki1986]

[ QUOTE ]
I feed my 2 daschunds real human food (rice, chicken, fish, vegetables, apples, cheese etc...). I used to give commercial food to my previous dogs but they were always overweight & unhealthy.

Raw bones are ok. And also garlic in small quantities. Olive oil or fish oil does wonders for their coats.

Here's some information regarding natural food diets :DrPitcairn Natural Nutrition for dogs

[/ QUOTE ]

I feed a similar diet to my chinese crested - but no raw bones.
he eats cheese, cooked garlic, cooked onion, and apples (no pips) in moderation and never has ill effects.
he doesnt ever have grapes, chocolate, raisins though - or ham/pork as this gives him a problem with bladder control.

My dog eats what i eat, which is a balanced diet, and looks well on it. I like to know what he's eating and in what quantity. i'd never feed processed or pre bought food again. his skin & weight is in great condition now compared to when i fed him a shop bought (good quality) food.

 

[lexiedhb]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
by the way you missed out grapes

[/ QUOTE ]

I've mentioned them, 3 alone can kill an adult dog.

[/ QUOTE ]

REALLY?? an old cavalier king charles of mine suffered no ill effects having somehow managed to get onto the table and eat a whole bunch, plus 2 apples before I found him!!!

 

[cheekymonkey24]

This topic needs to be made more aware in the media as many dog owners do not realise the extent of which some products have on their dogs but also what goes into their processed dog food packets.

Many major companies do not do extensive research into what is good for the dog and therefore just look for cheaper alternatives just to make a profit. I believe that as with human food we should have the right to know what goes into the food we are feeding our animals!

Although many posts have said personally they have had no problems feeding some of these 'bad' foods it only takes one bad turn for the worse to end up ruining the animals life. Should we live like that risking the animals just for the sake of them having a 'treat'. Do dogs even know that it is classed as a treat or is it just for the sake of the owner and their needs to pamper their pets?

I know many people will disagree or dislike my comment but at the end of the day we have domesticated the dogs to such as extent they are not wild dogs anymore and therefore do not live like them, so they depend on humans to a large extent to realise what is 'good' and 'bad' for them.

 

[vecthom]

dont want to get in any heated discussion or anything i thought id just tell you my story.
I was a breeder of DOGUE DE BORDEAUX'S and i used to feed chicked wings RAW. They were a registered company made especially for dogs i used to buy them for my dogs and feed raw as treats in there meals. I was also told it was good for bitches in pup. I had a bitch in pup (estimated about 8 pups on the scan) and i fed her the chicken wings one night and a couple of days later i found her in one of the kennels really ill looking and slobbering, Her gums were white and she looked very ill. I rushed her to the vet and she died on the table. The vet had regually checked her throughout her pregnancy so he advised me to go for a autopsy. He found the bone of the chicken wing stuck in her throught but it had slid down perferating her whole throat and she blead to death but inside. I sued the company and the rest is history!

 

[KarynK]

I am really sorry to hear about your sad loss, I have been feeding wholly raw diet 80% of which is bone for 13 years and never experience any problems. Mine are fed human grade food and are never fed complex carbohydrates which are common is commercial dog foods.

I know many raw feeders that combined have over 100 years raw feeding experience and have never heard of this in a properly fed species appropriate wholly raw diet.

Firstly you say they that the wings were "made" for dogs? Does that mean they were treated in some way I wonder what the source of those wings was?

Secondly you say that the wings were fed as treats in their meals?
Anyone feeding raw meaty bones should be made aware that they should NEVER EVER feed raw bones anywhere near a commercial diet as the two feeds are totally incompatible. A dog on raw swallows great chunks which go quickly into the stomach where they are quickly broken down by hydrochloric acid. Commercial dried food travels slowly and is not chewed by the dog nor pre digested as it is in humans that slow travel can SERIOUSLY impede the passage of bones and cause serious complications.

Yes RAW diet is good for dogs especially bitches in whelp but raw meaty bones are not a mixer or supplement to an inadequate diet and the benefits are really only seen when it is adopted wholly and fed properly as a whole diet. I know of 20 odd litters from raw fed bitches, with the pups themselves being fed raw from the get go and many of those bitches regurgitating partially digested meat and bone for the pups. The benefits were obvious with some of the bitches feeding their pups to a natural weaning at 10-12 weeks and not loosing condition or experiencing diarrhoea with an increase in food. The pups were well grown with healthy coat and bone development.

At the end of the day there are always exceptions which is sad but having seen the huge benefits to the dogs in feeding a species appropriate diet I feel a tiny risk is far outweighed by the health problems and risk to life (particularly bloat) associated with modern commercial feeds.

 

[CorvusCorax]

What, like cans of dog food?

 

[KarynK]

sardines and any canned foods are bad for dogs ^^,

Actually canned sardines in tomato sauce are very good for dogs more so than most dog foods!!!! They contain all of the Omega three that dogs need in an appropriate form from a proper protein source and are the only cooked food that I feed on Raw diet as my current dogs do not like raw fish (indeed a lot of people feeding raw feed them along with some on commercial diets). As we always feed human grade I cannot see why Sardines are "bad" for dogs?

 

[KarynK]

What, like cans of dog food?

Allegedly !!! (Looks around for the pet food lawyer (Yes!))

 

[Cinnamontoast]

To answer someone earlier re mushrooms: they are obviously a fungus, we digest more slowly than dogs, allowing us to get rid of toxins, they digest quickly and they can be poisonous, therefore.

 

[kimsie]

Yes - this is the important point - "just not loads of them".
A greatly varied diet is what dogs thrive on, just like us. I am dead against feeding the same food day in day out, from a packet or tin. Dogs can tolerate all sorts of horrors in their diet - they love poo - as long as their gut gets plenty of practice in dealing with a wide range of stuff, cooked or raw.

 

[soloabe]

dont want to get in any heated discussion or anything i thought id just tell you my story.
I was a breeder of DOGUE DE BORDEAUX'S and i used to feed chicked wings RAW. They were a registered company made especially for dogs i used to buy them for my dogs and feed raw as treats in there meals. I was also told it was good for bitches in pup. I had a bitch in pup (estimated about 8 pups on the scan) and i fed her the chicken wings one night and a couple of days later i found her in one of the kennels really ill looking and slobbering, Her gums were white and she looked very ill. I rushed her to the vet and she died on the table. The vet had regually checked her throughout her pregnancy so he advised me to go for a autopsy. He found the bone of the chicken wing stuck in her throught but it had slid down perferating her whole throat and she blead to death but inside. I sued the company and the rest is history!

I don't buy this at all!

 

[Andrea83]

OMG I've got such a funny story....a few years ago I went to stay with my boyfriend at his parents house in the South of France and i have a packet of fig biscuits on the side....

Not really thinking I left them on the side when we went to bed...

As you can imagine a certain Retrieverdor had a very poorly tummy all night long!!

And I was so embarrassed in the morning....

 

[EAST KENT]

REALLY?? an old cavalier king charles of mine suffered no ill effects having somehow managed to get onto the table and eat a whole bunch, plus 2 apples before I found him!!![/QUOTE]

Some dogs are just plain indestructable!!

 

[Nicki85]

Wish my Spaneil would read this! Her current love is socks... clean socks, dirty socks, wet socks.... She will quietly go upstairs find a sock and eat it whole. She will then be fine (still eating etc) till a couple of days later till the sock is thrown up... Needless to say we are very careful with socks now!

She has also made her way through a box of miniture heros- wrappers and all- with no problems. Oh and a bar of dark chocolate.

Oh and on walks she will find dead animals and eat them... and conkers, acorns and bracken are all fair game.

She won't touch raw meat though... if it's not off a stinky dead animal carcass!

 

[dig2zax]

i feed the barf diet to my dog he is as fit a lean. cool

 

[Saby]

HI
I no i am fairly new to this forum but i have read all the posts in this thread.
I have done a lot of work and research into dog feeding and animal nutrition in general.
Grapes and raisins are incrediblely toxic to dogs, although some dogs may get away with eating the odd one, and some miricale dogs with many, the general feeling is to aviod feeding them at all costs.
Mushrooms are less of a problem, as they are naturally ground occuring they are something that in the wild dogs would have come across, therefore in small quantites are fine.
Chocolate is another one to avoid as the toxins in it build up very quickly in a dog and can in severe cases cause death, however again very small amount are unlikely to casue long term or fatal results.
As for raw against brand feeding, it is mainly up to your dog. If your dog is fit and healthy and recieveing all it needs nurtient-wise then the diet is appropriate. Raw feeding has advantages but so does commerical. It is balancing what is feesable over what is best. I have been in the veterianry world for some years and involved in dog breeding and i have never seen any major bone spliter related injuries, i personally feel it is like in humans, occassionally accidents happen, a bone is swallowed badly and so can cause damage but this is very rare like with humans and fish bones. Many brand diets now are far more aware of what goes into their feed and there are much tighter regulations over what products can be added.
It is not adviseable to mix a complete diet with other products as it will lead to inbalances in nutirents and will most likely cause obesity. If fed in the correct quantities as stated by the brands then no dog should (with correct exercise) get obese, the major casue of obestiy in dogs is tit-bits and lack of exercise just like in humans.
In all it is about quantities and quality it doesn't really matter what type of feeding it is about what suits YOUR dog and YOUR lifestyle and trying to get the best that works for that. No one can say what is right or wrong, they can only say what may cause harm.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Can't resist: allegedly Bakers is bad for dogs! (In my opinion)

 

[KarynK]

Ooh you devil, can I add to that an awful lot of dog foods can be considered bad for your dog, until such time as all their makers fully declare ALL the ingredients and additives in their food, along with where they sourced them from both place and animal/veg/min or synthetic, how they cooked them oh and what part of the animal it came from, if indeed any of it actually came from an animal in some cases!!!!

Does that about cover it do you think???

 

[arwenplusone]

Can I add one please? Fluoride!

For those of you who brush your dogs teeth (or are thinking of doing so), keep up the good work, but please make sure you use a toothpaste that is for pets. More specifically, do not use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, as this is toxic. (it IS toxic for humans as well, but mostly we spit it out. If you can get your dog to rinse & spit then great - I'd like to see it! )

 

[floral]

If anyone wants to feed a natural, additive and colourant free diet then you could look at feeding Fish4dogs diets like I do. I have a Viszla, a border collie and a regular visiting GSD who are all fed on their Salmon and Potato and only have the Fish4dogs jerky treats which are essentially fish skins, totally natural. I have been feeding this food for years with excellent results and ended up finding it simply because I had a dog with a very bad red meat intolerance. Its amazing how many so called white meat diets are covered in red meat fats!!

I dont have the time to put together a raw diet for my dogs and wouldnt be confident that each dog was getting the correct amount of nutrients so Fish4dogs does it for us and for me. Hope this helps anyone interested. I got free samples from the company website when I first started as its a pain to shell out for expensive food when they may not like it isnt it ?! Good to chat

 

[melindaregner]

From the list; maybe I can take out the chicken bones and mouldy foods.
Maybe the what he/she means about chicken bones were the wing part of the chicken, this portion is too pointy and sharp bones that can damage the intestines of your dogs.

 

[CorvusCorax]

My friends and I feed raw chicken wings for tracking as high reward food (doggy cocaine ) , no problems as yet I have been cutting them up, but for size reasons rather than to eliminate sharp edges.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Just bagged to 15kg of wings from the Dog Food Company. My three get lots and fingers crossed, no accidents so far. I only ever feed then raw and the brother-in-law, bless, us now saving all his wings for the dogs!

 

[KarynK]

From the list; maybe I can take out the chicken bones and mouldy foods.
Maybe the what he/she means about chicken bones were the wing part of the chicken, this portion is too pointy and sharp bones that can damage the intestines of your dogs.

Wings are fine as long as they are not cooked or fed anywhere near kibble. I must have fed thousands over the last 13 years or so and no problems, though I always feed them stretched out and not folded like you get them from the shops as my greedy B's will try and swallow them whole instead of at least crunching the once! My sister's 14 year old Husky still manages her wings with a bit of help, she has been fed them all her life.

My now turned GSD mafia sister, when she started training her puppy could often be seen dragging a chicken wing across the forest on a piece of string and hiding it in a bush for the dog to track! Now she makes my brother in law run off and hide!!!

 

[Foxhunter49]

I have always fed raw as have my parents with their dogs.

On average our family dogs (26 in total) have lived for 15 years 3 months. The only ones that have needed the vet for anything other than injuries, have been rescues. None, once adapted to raw, have need their anal glands emptying or teeth cleaned. Their faeces are firm and smell far less than prepared food fed dogs.

A dog's gut is not designed to digest grain.

I am always getting compliments on how well the dogs look and the shine on their coats and when told that they are raw fed I get comments of it being an unbalanced diet for them.

One elderly labrador I am feeding suffered from epilepsy and if he missed his medication for two days he would fit. In nearly four years of me feeding him and weaning him off his tablets, he has only once had a fit and that was when he was dry food fed for two days whilst I was away. Surely that says something?

A research started by some vets in the Netherlands has already, after five years, found that dogs fed raw and or table scraps live an average of three years longer than processed feed fed dogs.