Toxic foods ...

[lynnruby]

I recently had a newsletter from my vet warning about toxic foods for dogs.  Obvious things like chocolate, Xylitol, grapes (and dried derivatives .... raisins, sultanas etc.)  But also peanuts!  I have never fed actual peanuts as I thought they may be a choking hazard,  but I have put peanut butter in Ruby's kong.  The newsletter states that peanuts "can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and more seriously fitting, twitching and muscle spasm".

The next things mentioned are onions, garlic & chives.  Again, I have never fed these but I'm sure that I have seen liver cake recipes on here that contain garlic?  According to the newsletter, these can cause the destruction of red blood cells.  Poisonous reaction can result from raw, cooked or dried onions, garlic & chives, including those in powdered or dehydrated forms.

So, I'm a bit confused ...... 

[Archie bean]

Gosh, equally confused on the peanuts as peanut butter is a regular suggestion for kong fillers. Archie doesn't like it anyway but still....  I did know about the chives/onion/garlic thing but maybe cooked in liver cake garlic is OK? I actually dont like garlic so he doesn't get that either! 

[lynnruby]

Thanks Emma, I did know about onions ... but I thought garlic was OK 

[elaine.e]

Peanut butter is absolutely fine, preferably unsalted and not too much at a time though. Allergies to peanuts are extremely rare in dogs. I can understand warning against feeding whole peanuts, which I suppose could be a choking hazard, and if salted would be even worse. http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/peanut-butter-good-dogs-2555.html

Onions are definitely toxic to dogs but there are lots of people who feed garlic every day in capsule form or fresh, as a flea deterrent and to add something (can't remember what) to the diet. I know it can be toxic in large amounts though.

[Emilyoliver]

I think it's like anything - fine in small amounts. I don't feed any peanut butter in Kongs as it has high fat content and I worry about cockers being predisposed to pancreatitis.

[lynnruby]

Thanks Elaine & Michelle    She has only ever had tiny amounts of peanut butter (unsalted) and only occasionally.

[Joules]

With garlic (and some other things too) it is a question of amounts!   

Coco has garlic whizzed up in her pulped veg, and I use it when I make homemade treats.  It has many health benefits in small quantities and also works as a flea and tick repellant. 

This is an interesting article:

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-friend-or-foe/

[lynnruby]

With garlic (and some other things too) it is a question of amounts!   

Coco has garlic whizzed up in her pulped veg, and I use it when I make homemade treats.  It has many health benefits in small quantities and also works as a flea and tick repellant. 

This is an interesting article:

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-friend-or-foe/

Very interesting reading ...... thanks Joules 

[HJandKatie]

No one told our lab that the rhododendron he ate was poisonous, so he waited for it to grow back and ate it again!

[MIN]

gem and pops look forward to their daily garlic pearlee

[Sharon]

This makes interesting reading, although my dogs are fed raw and according to this site it's one of the foods that shouldn't be fed to dogs.
 
http://www.dogshow.com/worst-7-human-foods-for-your-dog/11/

Ice-cream I never considered but I guess it could be the artificial sweeteners that could cause problems.

[chrisp]

I knew about all those foods but the garlic is the confusing one.  It seems from what I've read that in small amounts it is fine.  It is used to deter fleas etc naturally and I've always put it in my liver cake.