What Not To Feed Your Dog

[sheena]

The December issue of Dogs NSW magazine has an article on nutrition & diet. It lists 8 human foods NOT to feed your dog. They are Onion, avocado, grapes, chocolate, rhubarb, mushrooms, beetroot & spinach. While I have always known about the first 4, that is the first I have seen rhubarb, mushrooms, beetroot & spinach added to the list. I often feed silverbeet to my dog

Unfortunately they don't explain why.

[poodlefan]

Rhubarb leaves are toxic to dogs.

Silverbeet (chard) is a cruciferous vegetable. Fed beyond moderate levels, cruciferous veggies can suppress thyroid function in dogs. Perhaps that's why it made the list.

[sheena]

Rhubarb leaves are toxic to dogs.

Silverbeet (chard) is a cruciferous vegetable. Fed beyond moderate levels, cruciferous veggies can suppress thyroid function in dogs. Perhaps that's why it made the list.

It listed them as human foods , so obviously they meant the part of the rhubarb that we eat. Funny they didn't mention cabbage, brocolli & garlic.

[megan_]

rhubarb leaves are poisonous to people too!

Can't feed dogs macadamia nuts (apparently even one can kill) and anything with artifical sweetner (deadly too).

[sheena]

They are talking about rhubarb stems (the part we eat) as being poisonous. The leaves are poisonous to everything except the caterpillars that feed on them. I feel the article by Dogs NSW was a little bit inconclusive...omitting some foods & including new ones.

[whiskedaway]

rhubarb leaves are poisonous to people too!

Can't feed dogs macadamia nuts (apparently even one can kill) and anything with artifical sweetner (deadly too).

I believe macadamia nuts only affect SOME dogs. Could be wrong though. And even humans shouldn't have too much artificial sweetner, it breaks down to formaldehyde and formic acid both of which can be dangerous. I have a pretty bad food intollerance to it.

[Vickie]

Silverbeet (chard) is a cruciferous vegetable. Fed beyond moderate levels, cruciferous veggies can suppress thyroid function in dogs. Perhaps that's why it made the list.

seems odd that they just mentioned one cruciferous vegetable though

I've just done some googling & can't find anything about silverbeet being bad for dogs. I grow it, specifically for my dogs . Might have to start growing something else instead.

[Staranais]

I didn't know spinach, mushroom, or beetroot could cause health problems in dogs (when fed in reasonable amounts)? Have never heard of that before. Don't really have the time to research it right now, but would be interested if anyone else had some concrete info on it.

Pity they didn't include more information or even references, so you could tell if it was actual fact that some of these things cause harm, or just a rumour or an over-reaction.

Edited December 8, 2010 by Staranais

[sheena]

I have just googled it & got onto this website about BARF

http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/ba..._specific.shtml

Among the vegies it mentions as being important to the dogs diet it list brocolli, spinach, carrot & cayenne pepper & garlic. It also mentions that pork is OK for dogs.

The Dogs NSW also mentions in this article not to feed your dogs pork or pork products, it says (regarding pork) "most dogs cannot tolerate fat derived from pig products....ingestion can lead to pancreatitis which can be fatal" Pity they couldn't put up some evidence to cover their claim.

Articles like this, just add to my confusion as to what I can & can't feed my dog...it's a wonder any dog has ever survived in my household.

ETA another site I found lists beetroot & carrot made into a soup & given daily to help with some major liver problems of dogs.

Edited December 8, 2010 by sheena

[Shmurps]

I buy the BARF patties and they inc pork, broccoli, spinach, carrot etc...

Once every 2 weeks they get veggie slops with broccoli, spinach and carrot in the mix.

[KitKat]

My GSD's love their pig feet, pig legs, pig ears, tails/spines/necks/etc etc!

Seems like a rather badly written article