| Foods to Avoid | Reasons to Avoid |
| Alcoholic beverages |
Can cause intoxication, coma, and death. |
| Avocado |
The toxic ingredient in avocado is called persin (toxic amount unknown). Symptoms include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. |
| Baby food |
Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. (Please see onion below.) Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts. |
| Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources |
Cooked bones can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system. |
Canned tuna (for human consumption)
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Large amounts can cause malnutrition, since it lacks proper levels of vitamins and minerals. |
| Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine |
Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems. |
| Citrus oil extracts |
Can cause vomiting. |
| Fat trimmings |
Can cause pancreatitis. |
| Grapes and raisins |
Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys. There have been no problems associated with grape seed extract. |
| Hops |
Unknown compound causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death. |
| Large amounts of liver |
Can cause Vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones. |
| Macadamia nuts |
Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle. |
| Marijuana |
Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate. |
| Milk and other dairy products |
Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in diarrhea. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets. |
| Mushrooms |
Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death. |
| Onions |
Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. |
| Fruit Pits and Seeds |
Apple seeds, cherry pits, peach pits, and plum pits contain the toxin cyanide. Avoid Stems, leaves, and pits. Signs of Cyanide poisoning include vomiting, heavy breathing, apnea tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmias, coma, skin irritation. |
| Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems |
Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. |
| Raw eggs whites |
Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Cooked egg whites are fine, raw yoke is good also. |
| Raw fish |
Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly, without adding the proper supplements. |
| Salt |
If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances. |
| Sugary foods |
Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus. |
| Table scraps (in large amounts) |
Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat; bones should not be fed. |
| Yeast dough |
Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines. |
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