You may like to pamper your dog and I certainly can’t blame you. With those loving eyes, who can resist? But when it comes to the food you give your Shih Tzu, you have to be careful, as you can harm your dog without even knowing it. Please review this list and make sure you are not feeding any of these foods to your dog. Some of the foods may even surprise you.
fast foods
Pizza, hamburgers, and similar foods contain a lot of dead calories. It can add a lot of pounds to your middle riff and the same is true for your dog. A small dog like a Shih Tzu doesn’t have to eat a lot of junk food before the extra pounds start to show. Worse yet, once your dog likes junk food, he may want it all the time and your dog won’t get all the junk food that can lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition and being overweight can have serious long-term consequences for your dog’s health.
Chocolate
The ingredient in chocolate that is toxic to your dog is theobromine. Approximately 150 mg per kilogram of body weight is needed for theobromine to cause a toxic reaction. Bakers chocolate is the most dangerous because it contains 390 mg of theobromine per ounce. Semi-sweet chocolate is the least dangerous, and milk chocolate is the least dangerous. Another reason to avoid chocolate is because it is known to cause depression in dogs.
Onions
Onions contain thiosulfate which will cause hemolytic anemia. It means that red blood cells actually burst as they circulate through the body. Scary!
Garlic
Garlic is from the onion family and will affect your dog in the same way, but to a lesser extent.
Avocado
The poisonous ingredient in avocado is called persin. This can be found in the avocado leaves, fruit, skin, and rind. Also be careful with products that contain avocado oil.
grapes and grapes
Grapes or raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. A small amount is all it takes, especially for a dog as small as a Shih Tzu. Be careful with foods like fruitcake.
Tomatoes
The tomato plant is the most dangerous, but tomatoes can also be fatal. Tomatoes can cause cardiac arrhythmias and tremors.
Caffeine
The most common dangerous ones are coffee and tea. Caffeine can cause restlessness, vomiting, and heart palpitations and can lead to death if overdosed. Caffeine has the same effect on dogs as it does on humans, meaning it affects the central nervous system and the cardiac system.
chicken bones
Chicken bones can splinter and cause serious damage to your dog’s digestive tract. For this reason it is best to avoid chicken bones. You should avoid all bones that have the ability to splinter.
Dairy products
Like humans, many dogs are lactose intolerant and it is best to avoid all dairy products. Dairy products are also one of the main causes of allergies in dogs.