Summer & BBQ Foods Toxic to Dogs

Summer months are plentiful as many foods come back into season for us to enjoy, but it’s important to understand which human foods are toxic to dogs. We tend to fill the fridge with lots of different fruits during the summer months but many of those are not suitable for our beloved pets. Summer food that your dog shouldn’t eat includes:

While some will just cause a tummy ache, too much of others like grapes can cause more serious issues. Ice cream is also something that we usually buy in bulk to stay cool during the summer months! The dairy content can cause an upset stomach but you can buy doggy ice cream instead such as the Frozzy's Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt Tub.

Dogs are not able to metabolize alcohol at all and too much can cause serious health concerns, from alcohol poisoning to upset stomachs. Even the smallest of drops can kick-start the health issues for your pup.

When hosting or attending a BBQ, ensure all alcohol including spirits are kept out of reach from your dog. If you suspect your dog may have consumed alcohol or beer, reach out to your vet or the Community Pet Clinic for further support.

While a small amount of corn is perfectly safe for your canine companion, the cob is another story altogether. With the cob being so tough, if fed to your pooch, they are likely to swallow it either in large portions or they might even give up trying to chew it all together and swallow it whole.

Corn cobs can cause massive and dangerous obstructions throughout their digestive tract that may need surgery to remove if it becomes stuck. It’s safer to just dispose of your cobs and keep them out of the way.

Meat skewers are another risk when it comes to BBQs with curious dogs. While we understand that they’re made from inedible materials like wood and metal, all our dogs smell is the meat that they were used to cook in. If swallowed, these often very sharp utensils can do a lot of damage to our four-legged friends.

To avoid temptation, meat skewers should always be disposed of immediately after eating instead of being allowed to lay around for your dog to explore.

While the fleshy inside of an apricot might be delicious for humans, they can lead to various health problems for your dog as the pits of an apricot contain cyanide.

Cyanide is dangerous because it inhibits cells from uptalking oxygen which starves them of it and makes it hard for our pups to breathe. While humans know not to eat the pits of apricots, our dogs are more likely to still smell the tasty fruit on it and eat it in one. After eating any fruit, the core or pit should always be disposed of to avoid our pets ingesting them.

Whilst there are many foods they should enjoy during BBQ season, there are several summer foods that our dogs can enjoy with us, such as:

Many berries and different varieties of fruit are perfectly safe to feed as treats to our pets, they should just never consume the pits or the seeds of them. Fruits like blueberries are actually very good for our pups as they contain antioxidants and high amounts of vitamin C. All summer fruits should always be fed in moderation as they can upset tummies if your pooch isn’t used to eating them.

Fruit can be great to freeze in a bowl with water and let your dog’s cool off by licking it until they can get to the juice fruits inside. Giving them some form of enrichment with summer foods they can eat will distract them from searching for ones they should stay away from.

Common BBQ foods to avoid feeding your dog include any bones cooked once you’ve removed the meat. While bones are a great way to keep dogs busy, cooked bones become brittle and can break off into sharp pieces. When swallowed can cause all kinds of injuries internally. Bones should only ever be fed raw to avoid them splintering.

Most BBQ food that is hazardous to our pups is usually something we make that contains an ingredient that is bad for them. Salads that contain grapes should be avoided so they don’t consume grapes or raisins. Any chocolate desserts should also be kept well away, as chocolate is considered poisonous to dogs.

BBQ meat is not dangerous to dogs and is a great way to include them in the summer fun, but it’s important to be mindful of a few things before feeding them grilled BBQ meat.

Anything seasoned with onions needs to be avoided or if it’s cooked in or accompanied by any other ingredients that are dangerous to dogs.

If you’re cooking on a charcoal grill, be careful that there’s not too much charcoal on the meat. While charcoal is not toxic to dogs, vets use it to encourage vomiting after they’re eaten something they shouldn’t have. If your pup has too much charcoal from the BBQ it can upset their stomach.

You can share a few different BBQ foods with your four-legged friends including cooked meat and fish from the grill. The lean meats are better so you’re not introducing too much fat into their diet.

If you’re grilling some vegetables too, most of them can make great additions to your pup’s diet. Vegetables that are safe for your pooch to eat include:

Dogs can eat sausages from a BBQ but only if they are unseasoned and in moderation. Sausages can be high in fat and salt so it’s not the best kind of meat to share with our canine companions, but they love them so much it’s hard to say no to giving them a taste.

Since they are quite calorically dense, if you have a small breed of dog, you may not want to give them a whole sausage, it will amount to feeding them an entire extra meal that day!

To stock up and get our garden summer ready for your pooch and all your other day to day dog accessories and food essentials, take a look at our wide range of stock in-store and online.