As I was watching my kids sneak my golden retriever parts of their hamburger under the table at a barbecue this past weekend, it had me wondering what foods were truly unsafe for a golden retriever to eat. I did some research and dug up some information we had received from your vet. I found 10 foods you should never feed your golden retriever, many of which could harm your dog and land you at the emergency vet.
Your Golden Retriever should never eat the following foods. It’s important you keep these foods locked away when your golden retriever is unsupervised and that you inform others in your home of the dangers these foods can cause. If your golden retriever has consumed any of these foods please call your vet, emergency clinic or ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 immediately.
- Macadamia Nuts
- Almonds
- Raisins & Grapes
- Chocolate & Caffeinated Products
- Cinnamon
- Garlic/Onions
- Xylitol – sugar substitute
- Yeast Dough
- Bones From Meat & Fat Trimmings
- Alcohol
I’ll go into further detail with the risk each one of these foods can cause your golden retriever.
Macadamia Nuts
Golden retrievers should never consume macadamia nuts. They can be poisonous, especially if consumed in large amounts. Macadamia nuts can often be found in candy, cookies or stored in pantries for baking. Consumption in large amounts can cause your golden retriever to become extremely sick and even cause issues with their nervous system. In addition, macadamia nuts can cause tremors, vomiting, increased body temperature, lethargy, leg weakness and overall bodily pain. Symptoms usually subside within a few days, but should be monitored by your vet. These symptoms can be especially worrisome if your golden retriever has any underlying health concerns. If macadamia nuts are a staple in your home, just make sure to keep them locked away from your golden retriever.
Almonds
Your golden retriever should not consume almonds. Although healthy for humans, almonds can cause harm to your dog. Luckily, almonds are not toxic to golden retrievers like macadamia nuts can be, but they can cause chocking and tears in their esophagus if not chewed properly. In addition, salted almonds can lead to water retention, which is especially dangerous to golden retrievers who may be prone to heart disease. It may be best to keep those almonds locked away along with those macadamia nuts to ensure your curious, food driven golden retriever doesn’t help themselves to an unsafe mid-day (or midnight) snack.
Raisins & Grapes
Raisins and grapes can not only pose a choking hazard, they have also been found to be toxic to some golden retrievers when consumed in larger amounts. Recent research has found a link between raisins/grapes and kidney failure in some dogs. It is still unclear why some dogs can eat grapes and raisins without any issue, and yet others will eat them and get extremely sick. Kidney failure is not to be taken lightly. Your golden retriever could experience vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, lethargy and in some cases even death. Even if your golden retriever was able to recover from the incident, they may experience prolonged kidney damage. It’s best to keep your golden retriever clear of both raisins and grapes and not take the risk.
Chocolate & Caffeinated Products
Chocolate and caffeinated products such as coffee and soda should never be available to your golden retriever. This one can be a bit harder to conceal. I know I’m guilty of leaving my coffee out unattended. Chocolate (especially dark chocolate) and caffeinated products contain a stimulant called methylxanthines that can do harm to your golden retriever. When ingested in smaller amounts golden retrievers can experience vomiting and diarrhea. If your dog has consumed a large amount of chocolate or caffeinated products such as coffee please contact your vet immediately. In some cases this had led to abnormal breathing and heart rhythm, seizures and even death. Take the steps to avoid any of these symptoms by keeping all chocolate and caffeinated products out of reach from your sweet furry babies.
Cinnamon
Although not toxic, you should avoid letting your golden retriever eat or have access to cinnamon. When consumed cinnamon can cause irritation to the insides of your golden retriever’s mouth. Cinnamon can also cause your golden retriever to experience fluctuation in heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea and in some rare cases liver disease. Inhaling cinnamon in its powder form can cause your golden retriever some discomfort leading to coughing, sneezing and choking. It’s best to keep your cinnamon sticks and powdered cinnamon in an area of your pantry that is not easily accessible to your golden retriever.
Garlic & Onions
Chances are your golden retriever will not be jumping on the kitchen counter to snatch raw garlic or onions, but you still want to be cautious for your dogs health. Golden retrievers should never eat onions or garlic in any form, including raw, powdered, cooked or dehydrated. Garlic and onions contain compounds that can kill your golden retriever’s red blood cells and lead to anemia. If you suspect your golden retriever has consumed garlic or onions, please keep a close eye out for symptoms for up to five days, as it is common for symptoms from poisoning to be delayed. You’ll want to watch for difficulty breathing, weakness, pale gums, and/or orange to red tinted urine. Call your vet immediately if you observe any of these symptoms in your golden retriever.
Xylitol – Sugar Substitute
Xylitol is a sugar substitute that is found in more and more products these days and can be toxic to golden retriever and other dogs. Xylitol is most commonly found in sugar-less gum and candy but is popping up in other low sugar or sugarless foods such as peanut butter, yogurt, and jello. Xylitol can even be found in items such as toothpaste, lip balm, vitamins, and medicines. If a golden retriever ingests xylitol, they can experience extreme drops in blood sugar, liver changes, and even liver failure. If your golden retriever has consumed any amount of xylitol, contact your vet immediately. You’ll want to monitor your golden retriever for up to 12-48 hours as symptoms can sometimes be delayed. Be on the look out for vomiting/diarrhea, tremors, poor coordination, and even seizures. Keep products that contain xylitol out of reach, and remember to read labels before feeding your golden retriever any table food, especially peanut butter.
Yeast Dough
If you like to make your own bread, just remember to keep your golden retriever away from the yeast dough before it bakes. Bread dough needs to rise before it’s ready to bake and you definitely don’t want that to happen inside your golden retriever’s stomach. The warm and moist environment in your golden retriever’s abdomen allows the yeast to multiple and expand potentially causing them a lot pain. In addition to rising, yeast dough produces alcohol as it ferments. If this happens inside your golden retriever’s stomach, it could cause alcohol poisoning. You’ll want to contact your vet if your golden retriever has consumed any amount of yeast dough. Keep an eye out for a distended abdomen, vomiting, breathing difficulties, lethargy or seizures. It’s best to always keep your golden retriever away from yeast dough to avoid any complications.
Bones From Meat & Fat Trimmings
It can be tempting to want to share a bone or fat trimmings with your golden retriever, but unfortunately this has been found to be unsafe. Golden retrievers are very far removed from their long ago wolf ancestors and can experience choking and/or intestinal tears from splintered bones from meat. In addition, the high fat content in fat trimmings can lead to pancreatitis, a serious attack to your golden retrievers pancreas that can even lead to death. It’s best to avoid sharing bones and fat trimmings with your golden retriever. Like me, you may need to remind family and friends during holiday gatherings.
Alcohol
This one may seem obvious but I was surprised to learn that alcohol can lead to dangerous reactions in a dog’s liver and brain much quicker, even when consumed smaller quantities when compared to humans. If your golden retriever has consumed beer, wine, or alcohol in food, please call your vet and keep an eye out for the following symptoms: vomiting/diarrhea, poor coordination, and breathing difficulties. Sadly alcohol poisoning in dogs can lead to coma and even death. It’s best to keep alcohol out of reach from your golden retriever at all times.
What Dog Food Ingredients Should I Avoid Feeding my Golden Retriever?
In addition to the list of table food, there are several ingredients in dog food you should avoid feeding your golden retriever. It’s best to choose a high quality dog food that will keep your golden retriever healthy and lead to longevity. Make sure your golden retriever’s dog food does not include:
- artificial colors or flavors
- chemicals or preservatives
- sugar/salt
- animal digest
- corn/soy
- ethoxyquin
- BHA
- BHT
- sodium nitrate/nitrite
- “grain free”
If you have any questions about what you should or shouldn’t feed your golden retriever, please contact your veterinarian and they should be able to answer your questions in greater detail based on the recent research and recommendations.