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Number 5 – Dairy Products Milk products such as yoghurt or cottage cheese are sometimes said to be good for dogs – when in fact, they are not! Dogs are not designed to digest dairy products, which is why they can cause a long list of health issues: starting from mild nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and going all the way to serious digestive problems. Also, milk products can cause painful inflammations and food allergies that are difficult to correct later on. This can get very expensive, as your dog could require costly special food from a vet to not trigger those allergies again. Number 4 – Avocado Avocados are very healthy for humans, but not for dogs: All parts of the Avocado plant and fruit contain persin, which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting, if ingested by a dog. Therefore, make sure your dog stays away from the plants, should you grow Avocados in your garden: Especially puppies have the tendency to nibble on everything they can find whilst exploring their environment – toxic plants included. Number 3 – Xylitol Our number 3 most dangerous food for dogs is an artificial sweetener called Xylitol. Unfortunately, many people thinking peanut butter is a safe treat for their dogs, accidentally fill them up with this very dangerous substance. Other food items that can contain Xylitol include pastry, candy, and some diet foods that are advertised as sugar-free.  Ingesting this substance can cause severe drops in your dog’s blood sugar – as well as liver failure. Common early symptoms to watch out for are problems with coordination, vomiting general lethargy and seizures. If you suspect your dog could have consumed foods containing Xylitol, take it to your vet immediately. Otherwise, you risk losing your dog, due to liver failure. This can happen just a few days after it has eaten Xylitol-containing foods. Number 2 – Caffeine For us humans, nothing beats a good, strong coffee in the morning to get us ready for our day. For canines, however, caffeine can be deadly! If you suspect your dog ingested any caffeine-containing drink or food, get them to your vet immediately. Apart from the obvious source of caffeine – coffee in a cup -, the substance is also quite often contained in coffee beans and -grounds. Coca Cola, Red Bull, and other energy drinks – as well as Cocoa and chocolate – also have caffeine in them.  Number 1 – Grapes and Raisins Grapes and raisins are healthy snacks for people, especially once grape season comes along in autumn. Unfortunately, these innocent-seeming fruits are among the deadliest foods for dogs! If not released quickly from your canine companions’s system by means of vomiting, grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure. Which is why you need to act very quickly in case your dog has eaten these fruits. In other words – call up your vet (on their emergency number if necessary), as this is NOT the time to “wait and see”: Vets will usually give an emergency-injection to make your dog vomit – therefore preventing the toxins from getting deeper into the dog’s system. Puppies in particular can be tempted to pick up grapes from the ground and eat them – for example on walks during grape season. So, if you live in an area with vineyards around, this is something to watch out for