London - Dog lovers are putting their pets at risk by feeding them leftovers and titbits, animal experts have warned.
Canine digestive systems are not equipped to handle the same food as humans – but thousands of people continue to feed their dogs scraps from the table.
Kristina Johansen, a canine dietician, said: ‘It’s time dog owners stopped killing their pets through misplaced kindness.
‘Their good intentions are sadly misplaced and by feeding their dog treats such as chocolate, grapes or, heaven forbid, a glass of wine, they are literally risking their lives. Some of these danger foods can be found in everyday products that you might feed your dog without thinking, such as gravy containing onions.
‘It’s so easy to give your dog your leftovers, but it’s important to remember that although they are part of the family they have a completely different digestion system to humans, and so some foods that we would class as healthy can be toxic.’
Her consultancy, Elmo’s Kitchen, has compiled a list of the ten most dangerous foods commonly fed to dogs.
It runs to chocolate, artificial sweetener, grapes and raisins, caffeine, macadamia nuts, alcohol, fruit pips and seeds, table scraps, cooked bones and onions.
Most fruit and vegetables are good for dogs, but grapes, leeks and onions are to be avoided. Onion and leeks contain a chemical that can damage dogs’ red blood cells and cause anaemia, weakness and breathing difficulties.
Grapes and raisins can damage their kidneys, potentially fatally.
Dogs are not adapted to metabolise alcohol or caffeine, which can do irreparable damage to their vital organs.
Chocolate is one of the most well-known toxic foods for dogs, as it contains the chemical theobromine, which cannot be broken down by their digestive systems. If the chemical accumulates it can become toxic or even fatal.
However other human foods, such as scrambled eggs, carrots and popcorn, are perfectly safe for dogs.
Elmo’s Kitchen has now created an app for dog owners to check which foods are safe for their animals to eat.
Johansen said: ‘I’m sure that if more people knew what harm they were actually doing to their dogs they would pay more attention to the foods they feed them, and so having an app you can check at all times makes it much easier.’ - Daily Mail