Bad foods for pets are sometimes the same as bad foods for humans. While there are certainly species-specific foods that should be avoided, pets need balanced diets of healthy foods just like humans do.
- Alcohol
- It may seem like an obvious warning to say that you should never give alcoholic beverages to your pet. Keep in mind though, that a roaming dog or an un-caged bird may help herself to a glass of wine or cocktail left on a table.
- Avocados
- Some types of avocados are toxic to Birds ; the best advice is to avoid feeding any types of avocado to your bird.
- Caffeine
- Coffee, tea, soda and other caffeinated drinks can have a harmful effect on your pet’s cardiac functions and should always be avoided. As with alcoholic beverages, be sure to monitor any free-roaming pets when caffeinated beverages are being consumed, to ensure he doesn’t help himself to an unattended soda.
- Chocolate
- Never feed a pet chocolate; this is toxic to most animals even in small quantities. As a general rule, the darker the chocolate, the higher the toxicity.
- Dairy Products
- Most animals cannot properly digest dairy products since their bodies lack the proper enzyme to break down the lactose. While small amounts of cheese are generally fine for dogs, most dairy products should be avoided for pets.
- Fruits and Nuts for Ferrets
- Ferrets should not get a lot of fruit in their diet, as their bodies do not need the carbohydrates contained in fruits and the naturally-occurring sugars can cause dental problems. Ferrets cannot digest nuts, so these should never be part of your ferret’s diet.
- Fruit Seeds
- Some fruit seeds contain dangerous chemicals or compounds, so fruit seeds should be removed before any fruit is fed to pets. One example of this is apple seeds, which contain cyanide; these seeds can be dangerous to pets such as dogs and birds. The pits of peaches, plums, apricot and cherries may be dangerous as well, and should be removed before these fruits are fed to pets.
- Salt
- While most responsible pet owners would never consider feeding their pet straight salt, some may fail to recognize the high sodium content in some foods. Watch out for foods that contain salt and minimize them in your pet’s diet.
Like humans, pets need to eat balanced diets consisting of healthy foods. If you are in doubt about whether something is a bad food for pets, chances are that it is. Pets should avoid the same things humans should, such as fatty and sugary foods. Always take care to avoid bad foods for pets and fill their diets with healthy things instead.
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