List of Good and Bad Ingredients for Dogs

Everyone knows that dogs aren’t supposed to eat people food and table scraps but many of us still do it anyways. Do you know what sort of harm this can pose to your dog? Did you know that there are some “people” food that is actually beneficial to dog health? Please read on for the complete list of good and bad ingredients for dogs.

Several Tips for keeping your dog away from harmful and toxic people food

• Do not let your dog eat food that falls on the floor.
• Do not feed your dog table scraps.
• Make sure your trash cans have locking lids on them.

DANGEROUS AND TOXIC INGREDIENTS FOR DOGS

All Sugars: sugar/sucrose, corn syrup, molasses and honey
A dogs body and digestive system works very much like humans and it is well known that sugar is unhealthy for humans and dogs alike. Not only does sugar poorly effect the body’s immune system it causes cavities. Sugar also greatly increases the body’s blood sugar levels which can increase the risk of many terrible diseases including obesity and possibly diabetes mellitus. Before giving your dog anything be sure that it does not have any form of sugar in it. Even when giving your dog store bought dog treats be sure to read the label and be sure that there isn’t any form of sugar in the dog treats . You will be surprised to find that it is hard to find dog treats without sugar in them. Many of today’s dog treat manufacturers load their treats and cookies full of sugar, corn syrup, molasses or honey. All of which are harmful to dog health.

Artificial Sweetener: Xylitol
Xylitol can cause fatal liver failure in dogs. Xylitol is a form of sugar alcohol that is commonly found in chewing gum, toothpaste, candy, and baked goods. Even a small amount of xylitol can be fatal to a dog.

Macadamia Nuts
These nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis. These symptoms are usually temporary but don’t take the risk.

Caffeine: coffee, coffee grounds, tea, and tea bags
These are some of the more common cases of dogs eating harmful foods. This usually happens when dogs get into the trash. So be sure your trash can has a locking lid. Caffeine stimulates the dogs central nervous and cardiac systems, and can cause vomiting, restlessness, speed up their heart rate. This can cause cardiac arrest and death within hours.

Nutmeg:
Nutmeg is found in many holiday goods like eggnog. Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death.

Onions, Garlic and Chives: raw, powdered, dehydrated, or cooked
Onions, garlic and chives kill dogs red blood cells and can cause anemia, weakness, and breathing problems. Even small amounts can cause cumulative damage over time. Garlic contains only a small amount of the problematic substance that is in onions so many dog treat company’s include it in their ingredients. Poison is poison and this one causes damage over time.

Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and raisins have a similar effect on dogs as alcohol does to humans but it is much more potent and toxic to dogs. Grape or raisin toxicity can cause kidney failure in dogs.

SAFE AND HEALTHY INGREDIENTS FOR DOGS

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is one of the healthiest things you can treat your pet with. Dogs love the taste and it can be used as toothpaste on your dogs toothbrush, it improves digestion and nutrient absorption, helps control body and breath odor, aids healing of digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel syndrome and colitis, contains powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal agents that prevent infection and disease, prevents and treats yeast and fungal infections, including candida, promotes normal thyroid function, helps prevent or control diabetes, aids in arthritis relief, reduces allergic reactions, improves skin health and hair condition, disinfects cuts and promotes wound healing, and is an antioxidant, 50 times more potent than Vitamin E, 15 times more potent than carrots, and 300 times more potent than tomatoes. No wonder Albert’s Finest uses Coconut oil in their dog treats. (list of benefits and purchase Coconut Oil from OnlyNaturalPet.com)

Pumpkin
Pumpkin is packed with nutrition. It has large quantities of vitamin A which is great for fighting off infections. Pumpkin also helps fight off cancer with its vitamin A content. Pumpkin contains potassium for good blood pressure and iron for healthy blood. If feeding your dog pumpkin be sure to feed him fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin. Do not feed your dog pumpkin pie mix it has sugar and other harmful ingredients.

Sweet Potatoes and Yams
Sweet potatoes and yams are distant relatives of regular potatoes. Sweet potatoes are packed with a lot of the same nutrition as Pumpkin and provides the same benefits. Sweet potatoes have even been known to help regulate blood sugar levels in diabetics. Be sure to keep your dog away from other potatoes though Potato peels and green potatoes are dangerous to dogs.

Carrots
Feeding your dog carrot sticks are a great healthy snack. Carrots are low calorie, low fat and is a great antioxidant.

Ice
Ice is a great guilt free treat for any dog. It it a great treat that helps your dog cool down during the summer.

Plain Popcorn
As long as you don’t include any of the toppings like salt and butter plain popcorn is safe to treat your dog with. Popcorn is extremely low in fat, calories and nutrition. Even though it is safe it doesn’t really provide any health benefits.

Apple Slices
Be sure to keep the apple seeds from your dog since they can be toxic. Once sliced, apples are a safe treat for your dog.

Banana Slices
Dogs love bananas! They are high in potassium and have a calming effect for most dogs. Bananas are safe for your dog, but don’t feed them too many since they contain a lot of naturally occurring sugars.

Green Beans
Chlorophyll is very good for dogs. This is the reason they try to eat grass, but then they can’t keep it down or digest it. String beans have lots of green chlorophyll and is fully digestible and is packed with nutrients. You can buy bags of frozen string beans. Give them to your dog frozen or thaw them out. Many people have had great success getting their dog to lose weight by replacing a portion of their daily kibble with green beans. Do a Google search for “green bean diet.”