Some pet owners feed their pets with human food as an alternative and somehow as a treat yet most of them might have no idea how much this can affect their health. Certain foods that are good for humans can pose a threat to your pet’s life. It might be healthy for us but it can cause severe health problems for them.
Here are a few of the most common human foods that can cause harm to your pet.
Fatty Foods
Grease and fats are probably not good for your pets. No matter how much they show excitement as they see your fried fatty food, don’t give in. Once consumed, it can lead to diarrhea, gas, and vomiting, and can also cause pancreatitis and/or gastrointestinal issues. You might not want that to happen, do you?
Chocolate
This is perhaps the most common food that we all know is bad for our pets. This food has theobromine that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, and heart arrhythmias, which can be fatal. The darker the chocolate, the greater the risk for your pets, especially small ones.
Onions and Garlic
Hmm, food tastes better with garlic and onion, but for pets – it’s a no-no. Thiosulphate is found in onion, chives, and shallots, and can be potent in garlic too which can be lethal to your pet and can cause severe damage to their red blood cells that can lead to anemia.
Salt
Small amounts of salt can be harmless but it’s not recommended. Larger quantities of salt can cause salt poisoning which has severe neurological symptoms, including brain swelling and seizures. Saltwater isn’t an exemption.
Fat Trimmings and Bones
Though bones have always been associated with dogs, they are actually bad for our pets to chew on bones. Same with cats, they can eat fishbones but they shouldn’t as both of these can be a choking hazard to them. Be cautious with bones from your leftovers as sharp pieces can tear digestive organs and cause internal bleeding. And as for the fat trimmings from pork, chicken, or steak, you run the risk of causing liver and pancreas problems. Make sure to choose the right food for your pets.
Raw Meat
Cats are very into some fishy stuff while dogs aren’t but when it comes to meat, that’s irresistible. Even humans can’t eat raw meat as it can lead to Salmonella, same with our pets. Raw meats can be poisonous to cats and dogs. Even raw fish meat is included. Once consumed, there’s a high risk for your pet to get “fish disease” and other bacterial infections.
Raw Eggs
Moderate consumption of cooked eggs is a healthy point for your dogs and cats. However, uncooked eggs will never be a great idea as they can lead to a biotin deficiency that can affect their skin and fur once consumed excessively.
Milk
For cats, milk is not quite poisonous but it’s definitely not the best treat to give them. In fact, most cats and dogs, as they grow, lose their ability to digest milk, which makes them lactose intolerant as adults. Consumptions of dairy ingredients can result in diarrhea and other issues.
Cherries
There are only certain fruits your pet can eat but cherries aren’t one of them. Beware of any cherry trees and shrubs as they are poisonous to them, especially the non-pulp parts as it contains cyanide that can cause serious health problems such as breathing problems, shock, dilated pupils, or even death.
Yeast
One of the ingredients of bread dough is that can be dangerous to dogs. Just like how it affects the dough, it can also expand in their stomach. Yes, it can expand inside of them causing serious cases such as tearing or twisting of organs, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach bloating. As yeast converts sugar and starch to carbon dioxide and ethanol (alcohol), alcohol can also be toxic to them.