Foods Dogs Should Not Eat

This is the time of year I always check in on ASPCA's poison control center updates to see if any new foods dogs should not eat has popped up that I need to be careful to lock away from Tessie. Most of the foods that are toxic to dogs are the usual suspects that remain the same and are the ones that are locked behind vault doors at our house.
So if you're not aware of all the possible foods poisonous to dogs, here's a top 10 list to get you started.
1. Chocolate - This is one of the few times I'm happy not to be my dog. If I had to stop eating chocolate all together or suffer extreme illness due to eating it, I'd be exceedingly depressed.
2. Alcohol - I always need to watch Tessie during parties as she has a penchant for the spiked punch. Similar to humans but on a much larger scale, alcohol is not good for your pooch at all, even in moderation.
3. Macadamia Nuts - My girlfriend keeps these on hand for making cookies, which is actually quite rare. However, be sure they do not make their way into the stomachs of your "best friends".
4. Grapes and Raisins - No worries in this household. You won't catch us eating anything that has raisins in it and the closest we get to eating grapes is drinking them with wine. So I think it's safe to say that since wine has both grapes and alcohol, that could be a double whammy.
5. Raw or undercooked meat or eggs - We're pretty much a well done type of family here. But take extra precautions if your dog is ultra sly when you're preparing meals with these ingredients. There's been many occasion when I'm cooking and all of a sudden, any food I've had on the chopping board has "mysteriously" disappeared. Fortunately, Tessie can't keep a straight face and hands it back pretty quickly.
5 More Foods Dogs Should Not Eat
6. Xylitol (the sweetener) - A lot of candy and cookies are made with this sugar free sweetener. We're pretty careful about natural products and foods so we check labels pretty intensely. Just be careful about tossing your terrier a chip if you're unsure about whether Xylitol is being used in the food.
7. Onions - Who can't live without an onion a day? Well apparently dogs must or they're going to suffer some severe consequences. Apparently though, it takes a fairly large dose to get them sick but it's really not worth that chance. Just keep that onion breath all to yourself.
8. Milk - Just remember your dog isn't a human and doesn't require milk to keep their bones strong. The only thing milk will provide is a nice upset stomach and some possible diarrhea.
9. Salt - I salt everything, I will confess. Fortunately my blood pressure is quite low. However, it's not good for a lot of humans as well when ingested in large amounts. For your dog, a large enough amount of sodium on a daily intake can cause sodium ion poisoning so just keep your eye on your extra salted french fries, a favorite of Tessie's by the way.
10. Coffee (+caffeine) - Again, my thanks to my un-dogness. This is always a problem as Tessie seems quite taken with trying to take a big old lap of my coffee every day. However, like chocolate, coffee and caffeine contain certain substances that do not cause healthy reactions in dogs. So no matter how much they beg, just stand your ground and go buy a portable coffee mug with the lid.
There are several other foods that are listed with the Animal Poison Control, so be sure to check out their site. We've listed them in our recommended resources sidebar.
So just remember to be alert especially this time a year. Between trick or treat sweets and pie dough being in constant counter reach, all the foods dogs should not eat are in abundant supply.
Tessie and I encourage you to have a safe and healthy eating season!