Many dog owners give their pets table scraps or allow them to lick plates, bowls, pots and pans used to prepare and eat a meal, unaware that many fruits and vegetables are toxic to dogs. Giving your dog leftover spaghetti may seem harmless, but onions, garlic and tomatoes are all poisonous for dogs. It is important to know which foods are harmful so you can keep them out of your dog’s reach.
Vegetables Toxic to Dogs
Thiosulphate, which is toxic to dogs, is found in onions and garlic. It can cause gastrointestinal upset. Garlic and onions also both contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which damage red blood cells, causing anemia. Garlic is less toxic than onions, but thiosulphate can become more dangerous with repeated consumption of small, seemingly harmless amounts because it can build up in the system. Both onions and garlic are toxic to dogs in raw, cooked and powdered forms.
Oxalates harm the digestive, nervous and urinary systems and are found in potato peels and potatoes that have turned green. Eating tomatoes can lead to a sick dog with heart arrhythmia and tremors. Significant amounts of broccoli must be ingested by your dog to become toxic, but broccoli is a gastrointestinal irritant.
Fruits Toxic to Dogs
A single serving of grapes, raisins or prunes can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and kidney failure due to an unknown kidney toxin. Eating a few grapes or raisins may not be immediately fatal, but eating small amounts regularly can cause severe damage. Difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen or heart can be caused by ingestion of an avocado fruit, pit or plant. Avocados can also cause pancreatitis in dogs. Allowing your dog to eat cherries can cause rapid breathing, inflammation of the mouth, increased heart rate and shock.
Poisonous Plants, Pits and Seeds
Toxic oxalates can be found in the leaves and stems of potato, rhubarb and tomato plants. Cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs, can be found in seeds and pits from apples, cherries, peaches, pears, plums and apricots. Ingesting the stems, seeds and leaves from apples, almonds, apricots, peaches, cherries, plums, pears and prunes can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain or other canine poisoning symptoms. Impaction, or obstruction of the digestive tract, can also be caused by all seeds and pits, whether or not they are toxic to dogs.
Veterinary Care
If you notice any signs or symptoms of poisoning by toxic fruits and vegetables, seek veterinary care immediately. In many cases, the only way to avoid severe complications or death is to quickly and effectively treat the dog. Try to find out which foods your dog may have consumed and tell your vet immediately upon arrival at the veterinary hospital.
Sources
Animal Pets and Friends: 25 Human Foods Toxic to Dogs
Dog Health by Lowchens Australia: Common Foods that are Harmful or Even Fatal to Dogs
Rachel Fort - Rachel Fort is based in Tacoma, Washington. Her areas of interest including horses, farm animals, pet care, cooking and gardening. She is ...
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