12 Foods to Avoid for Dogs
This post shows you 12 Foods to Avoid for Dogs.
We all want to give our dogs the best life, and we treat them like family! They are our family! But we can’t spoil them with food, as not all the foods we enjoy are safe for them!
- 1 Salami and Other Processed Meats
- 2 Jalapeños and Spicy Foods
- 3 Mac and Cheese and Other Creamy Dishes
- 4 Skittles and Sugary Candies
- 5 Ranch Dressing and Creamy Condiments
- 6 Doritos, Chips, and Salty Snacks
- 7 Blue Cheese and Other Moldy Cheeses
- 8 Fatty Foods (e.g., Bacon, Sausage, Fried Foods)
- 9 Ice Cream and Sugary Desserts
- 10 Gravy
- 11 Nutella and Other Spreads
- 12 Granola
In this article, I’ll cover 12 Foods to Avoid for Dogs and show that some foods that seem harmless can really damage your dog’s health!
1 Salami and Other Processed Meats
Ah, who doesn’t love salami, pepperoni, and spicy chorizo? All these processed meats seem like a really good treat for dogs (so says your dog), but they are really not good for them!
They are way too salty and have so much sodium that if you give them too often, your dog will get dehydrated! And if you have a small dog, there’s a chance they could experience sodium toxicity.
On top of that, salami, beef jerky, and spicy sausages come with a variety of spices like pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili that can upset your dog’s stomach.
Please remember—and don’t panic—that the amount of onion and garlic powder in these processed meats is not enough to cause toxicity in dogs, but still, you should really avoid using them as treats and snacks.
2 Jalapeños and Spicy Foods
Believe it or not, some dogs actually like to eat jalapeños! This is indeed odd, as jalapeños and chili peppers definitely belong to the group of foods to avoid for dogs!
You can add hot sauces, spicy mayo, and sweet chili sauces here, as they can also cause digestive issues and discomfort. If your dog eats spicy food, there’s a good chance they’ll have temporary diarrhea and stomach pain!
3 Mac and Cheese and Other Creamy Dishes
You already know that most vets preach that you shouldn’t share your table scraps with your dog—especially when it comes to comforting and tasty mac and cheese that most dogs adore!
The big issue with mac and cheese and other creamy pasta dishes is that they are way too salty for dogs and full of rich, fatty cream that will make them sick.
If they eat too much mac and cheese or eat it too often, you can expect some gas, bloating, and even vomiting—not to mention explosive and runny poops!
4 Skittles and Sugary Candies
All sugar is definitely one of the foods dogs should avoid! Sugar is absolutely unnecessary, and dogs don’t need it in their diets!
Candy is bad for dogs not only because it’s high in sugar but also because some candies can be toxic. Skittles and similar sugary candies have artificial colors and flavors that are slowly getting banned by the FDA.
This candy can also cause dental problems, hurt your dog’s teeth, and sometimes even be a choking hazard!
5 Ranch Dressing and Creamy Condiments
For some odd reason, dogs just can’t resist eating fatty dressings and condiments like ranch or mayonnaise! All creamy condiments are full of unhealthy fats, salt, and spices that can upset your dog’s stomach!
Some dressings, like blue cheese dressing, can even cause allergies!
6 Doritos, Chips, and Salty Snacks
I know that dogs adore chips, salty snacks, and everything we snack on in front of the TV. My dog goes crazy for tortilla chips, but listen—salty snacks are one of the worst things you can give to your dog!
Did you know that just four (4) Doritos exceed the daily limit of sodium for dogs?
In addition to salt, snacks like Doritos, Pringles, and Cheetos come with so many artificial flavors, colors, and additives that they are really one of the most important foods to avoid for dogs—especially because dogs can eat a lot of them!
7 Blue Cheese and Other Moldy Cheeses
Moldy cheeses have a substance called roquefortine C that can cause serious health problems in dogs. Some symptoms of blue cheese toxicity include muscle tremors and, in extreme cases, seizures!
They are also full of fat that can upset your dog’s stomach, so please tell your dog to skip the charcuterie board!
8 Fatty Foods (e.g., Bacon, Sausage, Fried Foods)
All fatty foods like sausages, bacon, and fried foods like nuggets are one big group of foods to avoid for dogs!
One of the most dangerous conditions in dogs is pancreatitis, where dogs suffer from inflammation of the pancreas. Science says that fatty foods significantly increase the risk of developing this serious health issue.
On top of that, fatty foods can really cause obesity and problems with digestion.
9 Ice Cream and Sugary Desserts
The combination of sugar and fat from dairy is one of the worst combinations for dogs! These definitely belong to the group of foods to avoid for dogs, as together, sugar and fat can trigger pancreatitis!
In addition, many ice creams, frozen yogurts, flavored yogurts, and puddings can have sugar replacements like xylitol, which is toxic to dogs and very dangerous.
10 Gravy
You probably let your dog lick some gravy or give them a little during the holidays, along with mashed potatoes and turkey, but gravy can be bad for dogs!
First of all, it’s so hard on the stomach because it’s greasy, high in calories, and full of spices!
Most gravies are packed with fat, salt, onions, and garlic. While the small amounts of onions and garlic in gravy won’t cause toxicity, they can still upset your dog’s stomach.
Too much gravy can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration because it’s way too salty for dogs!
11 Nutella and Other Spreads
The good news (or is it?) is that Nutella doesn’t have enough chocolate to cause chocolate toxicity! But Nutella and other chocolate spreads are still full of fat!
Unhealthy fats are really bad for dogs, especially when combined with sugar!
Be careful, as some spreads like protein peanut butter or healthier chocolate spreads with reduced calories can contain sugar substitutes like xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.
12 Granola
Ah, a healthy snack for us, but a real nightmare for dogs! While homemade granola can be a healthy snack, most store-bought granola isn’t really healthy for us either since it’s full of sugar!
Now, almost all types of granola are bad for dogs!
Many granola mixes contain raisins, macadamia nuts, and chocolate, which are all toxic to dogs. Even if the granola doesn’t have these toxic ingredients, it’s still high in sugar and fat (since nuts are high in fat).
The only safe ingredients in granola are oats and puffy rice. Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts are not toxic to dogs, but they are hard to chew, difficult to digest, and so full of fat that they can cause digestive problems.
Puppies and older dogs can also hurt their teeth and gums on hard granola pieces.
One of the best ways to approach sharing foods with your dog is to stick to lean protein, healthy fruits and veggies, and healthy grains. Choose plain and simple ingredients, and don’t share your processed snacks with your dog!
What foods do you avoid giving your dog? Let us know in the comments!
Don’t forget to pin this post so you’ll always have this list of foods handy!
Love, life, and fur forever!
This post showed you 12 Foods to Avoid for Dogs.
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