Dog Health Advice – 13 Foods to Never Feed Your Dog

Just about everyone at some point needs some dog health advice. Usually because they’ve been guilty of feeding something they shouldn’t. You know those times when your dog is giving you that burning stare, from a discreet position at your side, while your’e sat at the kitchen table.

We all spoil our dogs. It’s impossible to resist right?

But, what you may not know is that there are a number of foods you should never feed your dog. Giving in to a begging dog can spell trouble if you’re not aware of the dangers some foods can present for dogs.

With dog health care in mind, here is a list of 13 foods to never feed your dog.

1. Dairy Products – Dairy is allergenic to dogs and causes upset. Dogs do not digest milk very well and this often results in skin allergies.
2. Fast Food – Apart from being nutritionally useless, fast food will cause obesity, allergies and contains synthetic additives, building a toxic load in your dog’s body. And this leads to chronic disease.
3. Chocolate – The occasional treat of a small piece of chocolate is just fine. But, you know how it starts and before long your parting with Hershey’s bars as your dogs got you feeling guilty from his Zen-like stare.
4. Onions – Toxic beyond small amounts.
5. Deli Meats – Contain high levels of preservatives and other synthetic additives that can lead to upset, allergies, long term obesity and chronic disease.
6. Vitamins and Minerals – There is no complete scientific study on the outcome of feeding extra vitamins and minerals to dogs – it’s all guesswork at best and completely unbalanced, leading to health issues at worst. Nearly all vitamins and minerals added to dog food or sold separately are synthetic. Dogs cannot process them so they pass through the body as expensive waste and cause long tern renal problems. Far better to feed a nutritious raw food diet which contains natural vitamins and minerals.
7. Starchy Foods – Think potatoes, fries, potato chips, biscuits, cake, pie crust and ice cream. They all lead to bloat, extra nutrition-less calories, upset, obesity, gum disease and future chronic disease.
8. Cooked Bones – Big no-no here as bones become hard and brittle in the cooking process. This can lead to stuck bones in the throat and intestines with possible puncture of the gastrointestinal tract. Only ever feed raw bones with plenty of meat covering them and of a size larger than can be swallowed whole. They are soft, pliable, easy for a dog to break down and digest very fast in the stomach.
9. Artificial Sweeteners – Aspartame, Xylitol, Splenda, Acesulfame, Saccharin, Neotame, Surcalose etc are VERY bad for dogs. They are highly neurotoxic synthetic substances that can lead to brain damage, seizure, liver damage, cancer, auto immune disease, nervous system damage, allergies and death. The surprising thing is that we often don’t know we are feeding these poisons. Many of them are found in candy, cereals, baked goods, flavored drinks and even kibbles – so beware.
10. Nuts – Almonds, black walnuts, english walnuts, hickory nuts, Japanese walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans and pistachios, can cause upset stomach or an obstruction in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract.  Symptoms usually show around 12-48 hours after eating and can include vomiting, muscle spasms, rapid heart rate and rising body temperature.
11. Salt – Too much salt can cause your dog to experience excessive thirst and urination. Here’s sound free dog health advice – keep salty treats away from your dog.
12. Semi-Moist Dog Treats – The semi-moist packet dog treats at the supermarket or pet store – the ones you can squeeze like Play-Doh are kept moist by using an ingredient called propylene glycol. This preservative is banned in human food and destructive to dog health.
13. Deli Store No Name Brand Dry Dog Food – Low in moisture, of questionable origin and filled with additives. Over time, low moisture dry dog food causes chronic dehydration, kidney problems and possible renal failure. Your dog does not take on enough water to compensate for the imbalance. The ingredients are extremely low in nutritional value and filled with synthetic additives that cause allergies, liver disease, kidney disease, arthritis, mental fatigue, eye problems, yeasty ears, gum disease, brittle coat, diarrhea and many other health complaints.

While we love to treat our dogs – its part of the fun in keeping them – it’s important to be aware of foods that can cause harm. If you’re unsure and you have dog health questions un-answered about a particular food item, it’s best to avoid giving the food in the first place.

Free Dog Health Tips: Make Your Own Healthy Dog Treats

For healthy homemade dog treats that your best friend will go crazy for, watch my homemade liver treats recipe video below. You can make a whole batch and freeze them for as long as you like. You’ll feel safe in the knowledge that what you are feeding is not only free of chemicals but packed with quality nutrition.

Please comment below and let me know of any foods you found to be bad for your dog.