FDA Warns Against Feeding Dogs These 'Human Foods'

Though people with dogs often see a lot of shared traits between themselves and their animal companions — the same preferences for lying in the sun and sleeping in the afternoon, perhaps — those similarities only go so far. As the Food and Drug Administration warned in a recent statement, people need to be careful about which "human foods" they allow their dogs to eat.

Dogs, after all, despite millennia of evolution and breeding alongside humans, have very different digestive systems. This means that some foods that are innocuous to us may be very harmful to them.

"Our bodies may break down foods or other chemicals that a dog’s can’t tolerate,” said Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian with the FDA. She also noted that a dog's allergic reaction to a food can present differently than it would in humans, as dogs often develop skin and ear issues in response to allergens.

So what should you avoid feeding your dog that you might happily eat? Here's what the FDA says:

• Grapes
• Raisins
• Currants
• Fried and fatty foods
• Onions (and onion powder)
• Garlic (and garlic powder)
• Chives
• Large quantities of salty snacks
• Macadamia nuts
• Chocolate (of course)
• Xylitol (a sugar replacement)

Cats tend to be choosier than dogs when it comes to food, so they are at lower risk of food-related complications — but they certainly should not be allowed any garlic or onions, either.

The FDA also includes on the list two items that even humans shouldn't eat: raw meat and moldy foods. It should probably go without saying that the risks these pose to humans apply just as much to dogs.

Stamper also points out that dogs may have different reactions to the foods on this list; plenty of people will tell you their dogs ate whole chocolate bars and appeared deliriously happy about it, not ill. A dog's size and genes will determine how it reacts to these kinds of foods.

But to be on the safe side, you should avoid feeding anything on this list to your dog. Consuming these items and ingredients, according to the FDA, may lead to stomach ache, dangerous illness, or potentially fatal pancreatitis in our canine companions.

Photo credit: Quasic via Flickr