Several published articles about dog owners and their pets I have read are concerning. The owners clearly love their pets, but they give the latter some food that are not suitable for dogs. Two examples are a certain meat stewed in lots of soya sauce and ice cream. The culprits in the two examples are salt and sugar.

Yes, dogs will eat just about anything we give them. But not all types of human food are appropriate for them. Some may cause treatable health issues, while there are those so toxic they can be fatal.

That is why mutts kept by most owners especially in Third World countries almost always have short lifespan. They are usually fed fresh human food, if their owners are generous, or stale leftovers. Both often contain food that are toxic to dogs. Garlic is just one example. Of course, they get no proper care, either.

Before we take a look at what types of food are unsuitable for dogs, let’s first take a look at the common practice of giving bones to them, and at what we may overlook but are toxic.

Bones

Dogs love to gnaw on bones since time immemorial. We can postulate that it harks back to the prehistoric days when, after out hunting with their dogs, the hunters carved out the meat and gave their dogs the bones. The bones would have some meat left on them.

When their teeth are still growing, dogs also love to gnaw on many things. Give them a bone, and they’ll be happier than happy.

But never give cooked bones to our dog. Cooked bones are brittle. When our dog chews on them, they splinter into tiny, sharp pieces. These can perforate his oesophagus, stomach, or colon. Or even all three organs.

Some presumably experts say we can give our dog uncooked bones, which are good sources of minerals and vitamins, but we need to ensure they are bacteria-free. Ask your vet how to make raw bones safe for your dog.

I don’t give my dogs even raw bones, full-stop. The reason is that the chewed bits can cause blockage in their intestines. There are fake bones available which are safe for our dog.

Pits

While many of the fruits that we eat can be eaten by dogs, the pits of all are not. The pits are toxic. When the fruit has a core, such as apple, it has to be removed also.

Garlic

I have picked this one because it is one of the most common, oft-used ingredients in cooking. Some presumably experts say it is all right for dogs in tiny amounts, but significant amounts can be poisonous. It kills dogs’ red blood cells.

I always feel hopelessly inadequate when I see phrases such as ‘tiny amounts’ and ‘small quantities’ in advice of this nature from experts. They remind me I am too dumb to determine how much is tiny or small in relation to a given amount.

There are experts who are quite specific, and I feel relieved. For example, they provide the names of vegetables that are all right to give our dog as long as they constitute only around 5 percent of his meal. Although I am not bright, I can work that out.

As I love my dogs, and I am not clever enough to tell how much is tiny, I won’t take chances. So, I just don’t give them garlic, full-stop.

Allow me to digress a bit, please. You’ll understand why. I also get terribly upset when I come across directions such as mix, say, ½ a cup of bleaching agent with 1 quart of water. This sort of direction is common. The instructors presuppose that everyone cooks and bakes at home and has measuring tools, whereas not everyone does. To my mind, the best way is to say mix 1 part of the bleach with 10 parts of water. That way, I can use any container.

Xylitol

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener. It is found in several kinds of things we eat, such as sweets and chewing gums. It is extremely toxic to dogs. On ingestion, it causes rapid insulin release. Our dog goes into coma within 15 to 20 minutes. We need to rush him to the vet’s faster than fast. Or else . . . And what if all veterinary clinics are closed?

List of food unsuitable for dogs

The list below is by no means comprehensive, but it should give us a good idea of what are not suitable for our dog.

Please research on the types of food for full details. I cannot give them here, or else this article will be of book-length. A few are not toxic per se, but they can cause problems. Milk and dairy products, for example, are not suitable for dogs that are lactose-intolerant. They can cause digestive problems and may trigger food allergies in such dogs.

Alcohol, Asparagus, Avocado, Black walnuts, Bread dough, Broccoli, Cat food, Cherries, Chives, Chocolate and anything made from cocoa, Citrus oil, Coffee, tea & other caffeine, Corn On The Cob, Fake currants, Fat, Fat trimmings, Garlic, Grapes and Raisins, Green potato, Green tomatoes, Hops, Horse chestnuts, Leeks, Liver, Macadamia nuts, Marijuana, Milk & dairy products, Mustard, Nutmeg, Onions & Chives, Peppers, Raw eggs, Raw meat & fish, Raw potato, Rhubarb, Rhubarb & tomato leaves, Salt, Spinach, Sugar, Sweets (including Chewing Gum), Tobacco, Tomato, Wild mushrooms, Xylitol, and Yeast.

Note that giving dogs raw meat and fish is advocated by some experts, who encourage us to put our dog on raw diet sometimes or all the time. If we want to follow their advice, we need to ensure that both are bacteria-free, and we remove any visible fat in the meat, and all bones from the fish.

Dogs do not really need fruits and vegetables, although we can occasionally give those suitable for them on their own as treats or with their usual food.

Some of the fruits and vegetables dogs can eat are Apple, Banana, Blueberry, Cantaloupe, Cranberry, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Raspberry, Strawberry, Watermelon, Brussels Sprout, Carrot, Celery, Cucumber, Green bean and Pea.

Human pharmacological products and toiletries

We must not give our dog medicines, vitamins and supplements meant for humans.

We also must not use toiletries meant for humans, such as toothpaste and shampoo, on our dog. Toiletries for dogs are specially formulated to suit them. Toothpaste for humans may contain Xylitol and other substances toxic to dogs.

Toothpaste? an uninitiated might wonder. Yes, toothpaste. There are also toothbrushes specially designed to be used to brush our dog’s teeth.