Dog Food Allergies and Toxic Foods

Everyone has allergies. Even Pugs. Worse than dog food allergies are foods that are actually poisonous to your Pug. Allergies should be monitored and those foods should be avoided but there are some foods that present a more serious and even fatal problem to your Pug. There are some foods quite common in the human diet that should never make their way into your Pug’s diet. Considering that they will eat just about anything (have we mentioned that they LOVE to eat?), you should take extra care about handling these foods. Some people believe that animals have an instinct to stay away from foods that can harm them. Not true! The Pug’s only instinct is to eat. And they have been known to eat just about anything including the foods listed below.

Chocolate Chocolate is extremely toxic to your Pug and can cause anything from vomiting and diarrhea to seizures and muscle tremors. The problem is that chocolate contains theobromine and it occurs in varying levels of different kinds of chocolate. Generally, the darker the chocolate the more dangerous to your dog because of the higher level of theobromine. The toxic dose for milk chocolate which has a relatively low level is between 10 and 24 ounces. The unsweetened chocolate used for baking, however, can deliver a toxic dose with just 1 to 3 ounces. The bottom line is keep chocolate away from your Pug!

Raisins and grapes As healthy as these might be for a human, raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure in some dogs. It can happen with as little as a quarter cup of raisins. Grapes are slightly less dangerous but still should be avoided. The toxic dose for grapes is about a pound.

Onions and Garlic Onions can lead to anemia for your Pug and this includes the raw or cooked variety. As little as 1 to 5 ounces of raw onions can cause the rupturing of red blood cells bringing on a case of severe anemia. Garlic is not as toxic as onions but should be avoided as well.

Macadamia Nuts For some reason this type of nut can cause vomiting and other symptoms such as depression in your dog. The toxic level has been estimated at 1-2 teaspoons per pound of body weight.

THIS NOT A COMPLETE LIST. Dog food allergies can come from many different sources. Please consult with your veterinarian or the American College of Veterinary Nutrition at www.acvn.org If your Pug seems to be scratching a lot, it may not be from fleas. Some owners assume their flea collar has lost its effectiveness when the real cause may be something that they're eating. For some very good information on dog food, nutrition and dog food allergies click here to see a great source of information.

As with all health related topics on this website we strongly suggest you seek professional advice. Dog Food Allergies can be serious so consult your veternarian with any questions you may have.