What Foods Should I NEVER Feed My Pet?
Your pantry might be safer for you than for your pet. We sat down with Dr. O’Hara from Abingdon Animal Medical Center to unpack the foods that quietly send dogs and cats to the ER, the myths that linger from childhood, and the simple swaps that keep pets healthy without killing the fun. From xylitol in sugar-free gum to grapes, raisins, chocolate, and the allium family (onions, garlic, leeks), we explain what happens inside the body and why “just a taste” can cause big trouble.
We also dig into hazards most owners overlook: cooked bones that splinter and wedge between teeth or puncture the gut, corn cobs that block intestines, and bread dough that keeps rising in the stomach. Fatty table scraps get a hard look too, since bacon, grease, and rich meats are repeat offenders for pancreatitis. And yes, the classic saucer of milk for cats and cheese for dogs can backfire—most pets are lactose intolerant after weaning, so dairy often leads to GI issues.
If you’re wondering what to feed instead, we’ve got you covered with easy, vet-approved choices like cooked chicken breast, plain rice, carrots, green beans, and lean cooked fish. We talk candidly about raw diets and the real-world risks of spreading bacteria in your home, then share how to choose commercial foods from research-driven brands, target lower fat formulas, and build a feeding routine that your whole family can follow. You’ll leave with a clear do-not-feed list, a pocketful of safe treats, and a plan to prevent emergencies before they start.
Love what you hear? Follow the show, share this episode with a fellow pet parent, and leave a quick review to help more families keep their pets safe and healthy.
To learn more about Abingdon Animal Medical Center visit:
https://www.MyAbingdonVet.com
Abingdon Animal Medical Center
19586 Dennison Drive
Abingdon, VA 24211
276-628-9655
Episode Transcript
Welcome to Tale Talk with Dr.
O'Hara, where eastern Tennesseeand Southwest Virginia's
favorite pets get the spotlightthey deserve.
Combining small-town jar withstate-of-the-art veterinary
care.
Whether your furry friend purrs,barks, or just steals your sock,
(00:24):
this is the place for tips,tails, and a whole lot of tail
wagging.
SPEAKER_00 (00:30):
Some foods are downright dangerous for pets.
Let's break down what to avoidand why it matters more than you
think.
Welcome back, everybody.
Skip Monty, co-host slashproducer, back in the studio
with Dr.
O'Hara of Abington AnimalMedical Center.
Dr.
O'Hara, how's it going?
It's going good.
How are you?
I'm doing fine.
Always a pleasure.
SPEAKER_01 (00:50):
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (00:50):
Today's question is an important one.
What foods should I never feedmy pet?
SPEAKER_01 (00:56):
Let's start with the basic things of like onions and
garlic.
Those can cause and leaksactually too.
Don't do those.
They can cause blood issues.
Xylitol is a big one that somepeople don't know about.
Xylitol is in sugar-free gum andsome candies that causes serious
issues with the liver and umsugar issues.
(01:18):
So don't do that.
Basic things you you know wantto avoid that people might not
know is you know, pitted thingslike peach pits, avocado pits,
right?
You want those choking hazards,and stone fruits can actually
cause cyanide in their theirpits, and that can be a problem.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
Chocolate's the one that most folks know about,
right?
SPEAKER_01 (01:41):
No chocolate, no, no, no kind of anything with
stimulants, right?
No caffeine, chocolate, tea.
Um, simple things that peoplemay not realize, you know, you
do this for a long time and yousee a lot of things, is like um,
I think I told you on a previouspodcast about a corn cob avoid
corn cobs.
I've taken several corn cobs outof dogs surgically, and you
(02:04):
know, so don't don't let themnear near the grill if you're
growing corn and stuff likethat.
So um don't feed them on a breaddough.
Um, it's kind of a weird one,but bread dough will continue
the yeast in it will continue torise in their stomach, and that
can cause some issues too.
SPEAKER_00 (02:18):
So, what about with like if you had a piece of bread
that was bald?
I mean, if it's if it's alreadyrisen, I guess it's okay.
SPEAKER_01 (02:25):
Yeah, I mean it's cooked, but bread bread is not
great for you.
White bread, especially, is fullof you know, oil and sugar.
It's it's not great for them.
Um, you want to avoid I tellpeople a lot of times, just
avoid fat, high fatty things indogs like bacon, grease, you
know, not good for them.
It can set off the pancreas andthen get pancreatitis, and then
(02:46):
you know, little doggies in thehospital with me for a couple
days.
SPEAKER_00 (02:49):
Well, now you mentioned some things.
I was gonna ask, what are themost toxic foods for dogs and
cats that people might notrealize is is toxic?
But one you mentioned garlic andonions, that was a new one.
Is there anything else that'ssurprising?
Um, macadamia nuts.
SPEAKER_01 (03:03):
I mean, that's a weird one, right?
Grapes is a big one too.
I have grapes and raisins.
I mean, some people I mean,that's a hard one to know if you
don't know.
It caused kidney issues in dogsand cats.
Um, so if you have like toddlersand stuff, your dogs, you know,
and they I got a box of raisins,you know, keep them keep them
away.
SPEAKER_00 (03:22):
Now here's a here's a big question.
Um that, you know, I grew up uhin uh where uh my family
members, grandparents wouldwould throw, you know, leftover
soup bones and you know, beefsteak bones and that sort of
thing, just not chicken.
What what's your thoughts onthat?
SPEAKER_01 (03:39):
Yeah, I love that question because um that's
really important.
Cook bones, bones in general,that they're not good because
they can cause mouth injuries,right?
I pulled bones that have beenstuck inside the teeth, right?
They can stuck in there and thedog physically can't get it out.
It's wedged in there, and I haveto take it out.
They can cause throat injuries,right?
(04:01):
That bone coming down, sharp,can cause esophageal injuries or
puncture there.
That's a major issue.
It can cause perforation in thestomach.
It can cause obstruction in theintestine.
So bones in general, you know,explosions, especially like
hollow chicken bones, they'redangerous.
Don't do that.
SPEAKER_00 (04:21):
Wow.
So so any kind of bones, not notjust chicken.
SPEAKER_01 (04:26):
Yeah, I don't, I don't like I've had some issues
through my career with bones, soI just I really don't.
I'm not a huge fan.
I mean, I guess if you're gonnaget a big like cow femur bone
that's been disinfected andcooked off, you could probably
do that and it'll probably beokay.
SPEAKER_00 (04:41):
Well, are there are there any common table scraps
that you you know a lot ofpeople like, oh it's safe, give
it to the dog that you you wouldrecommend stay away from or just
stay away from it, period?
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
Stay away from people's food in general, unless
it's healthy.
Um bacon, people always givethem the dog bacon and eggs and
stuff like that.
It's not healthy.
The saturated fat value in thereis a ton.
And then they'll get pancreaticissues or gastroenteritis.
I mean, it's what if you want tofeed your dog, go with things
(05:11):
that you know, chicken breast,boiled chicken breast, carrots,
green beans, things like that,rice.
That's healthy.
What you could consider yourselfeating if you want to top your
dog's food with people food likethat, go ahead.
That stuff's healthy and goodfor them.
Dairy is not good.
Let's say you talk about peopledon't dairy's not good, you
know.
Most dogs, after they're weanedoff their mother, um, they're
(05:33):
lactose intolerant.
You know what I mean?
So really.
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
So wow, so cheese is out.
SPEAKER_01 (05:39):
Yeah.
And I know people do cheese, andI know sometimes they give it
with medicine or something, andprobably a little bit here and
there won't hurt them, but somedogs, it just takes a little bit
to set them off.
So most species on earth,besides like humans, I think
primates in general, are goodform some form of lactose
intolerance after wean from frombond.
SPEAKER_00 (05:59):
So hmm.
Well, you know, that's that's uhinteresting.
Uh, because you know, a lot ofgrowing up you see people feed,
you know, give the cat a littlesaucer of milk, but that's I've
I've read that that's not good.
SPEAKER_01 (06:12):
No, no, it's not good.
unknown (06:15):
It's not good.
SPEAKER_00 (06:16):
Wow.
Well, what um how how how canpet parents create a safe
feeding routine that avoidsthose risks?
SPEAKER_01 (06:25):
Well, you just eliminate table food.
I mean, you can there's healthytreats out there, and we just
talked about some healthy thingsyou can give to your dogs.
Is if you create this tableroutine thing, you know, it's
it's it's gonna they're gonnaget sick at one time or another.
It's just taking time off.
SPEAKER_00 (06:47):
Very interesting.
Now, I've had uh sick dogs inthe past where the vet
recommended to feed them chickenand rice.
SPEAKER_01 (06:54):
That that's okay.
Yeah, chicken and rice.
Very bland, low fat, andhealthy, right?
If I mean if we ate chicken andyou know, rice and healthy carb
all the time, we'd be prettyhealthy too.
SPEAKER_00 (07:08):
Wow.
So I guess it sounds like youknow, whatever but generally
things that are good for us arealso good for dogs, and there
are things we eat that are notgood for dogs, but like healthy
vegetables, rice, chicken,that's all good.
SPEAKER_01 (07:22):
Fish, lean fish is good, you know.
But as long as you like withyour meat and this used to be
kind of controversial, but Icook your meat.
The raw to me, the raw diet islike not healthy um because of
bacteria, right?
Um you know, but the raw dietwas a big fat out, say 10 years
(07:42):
ago.
I think there was some push tobring it back in, but you know,
you get your dogs eating thisraw food with bacteria all over
their mouth, right?
And then they can spread iteither in their fecal material
or with their mouth, right?
They go lick your kids orsomething like that.
They may be resistant, have someresistance to salmonella or some
(08:04):
kind of bacteria.
It doesn't mean you do or yourchildren do.
So I find it's a way ofspreading bacteria, and that's
why I'm anti-raw diet.
And if you're gonna cook, um,you can give your dogs meat,
make sure it's cooked.
SPEAKER_00 (08:17):
And I know this is about what not to feed your dog,
but any advice you could give onwhen when trying to find the
right dog food, non-table scrap,non-human food for your dog,
what should you look for?
SPEAKER_01 (08:30):
I tell people, I mean, there's a billion dog
brands of dog food, right?
There, there really is.
Um, I kind of say, hey, ifyou're you're going to the pet
store to buy your food, um,you're probably gonna find a
good brand.
There's no brand in particular.
There's so many that I'm like,oh, you gotta go with this one.
(08:50):
Um, but if you're probablyshopping in the grocery store,
they kind of can be lower endbrands and they might not be as
healthy.
Um, you know, there's there'sones that have done a lot of
clinical research, and they'relike the big giants of the pet
food industry, and that's likeHills, which is science diet.
And I give them credit becausethey're the ones who've done all
(09:12):
a ton of research, and Kirinahas too, and you know, Royal
Canaan, Ucanuba, they're allpretty good brands.
SPEAKER_00 (09:21):
Hmm.
So look for natural ingredients,maybe, or or fewer like
chemicals like the one my kidsdo when they come in my house
and go in the kitchen and lookin the refrigerator, they'll
look at the ingredients beforethey decide if they're gonna eat
it or not.
SPEAKER_01 (09:35):
Yeah, I mean, just look for a well-balanced diet
and low fat.
Like I and I preach low fatbecause I've treated hundreds of
dogs with pancreatitis,hundreds, hundreds, and so I'm
kind of anti-fat.
SPEAKER_00 (09:48):
Well, Doc, um, that was incredibly helpful.
I learned a lot, and I'm sureour listeners did too.
I mean, garlic, onions, uh, didnot know that, didn't know about
the pancreas issues with that.
So thanks so much, and uh, we'llcatch you next time on Tell
Talk.
SPEAKER_01 (10:05):
All right, thanks, kid.
SPEAKER_02 (10:09):
Thanks for joining us on TEL Talk with Dr.
O'Hara.
If your four-legged familymember needs a checkup, a
stylish groom, or just a cozyplace to stay, give us the call
or text at 276-628-9655, orvisit myAbbingdonvet.com to book
your appointments.
Abingdon Animal Medical Center,a small town field with state of
(10:32):
the art care and plenty of bellyrubs.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.