A Dog's Immune System?
Would it ever be possible for a dog to become immune to something that is usually toxic for them, such as chocolate or grapes? I know that chocolate has so many components that it would be too hard to become immune to, but what about grapes? There is one chemical in them that dog's can;t handle, it starts with an x I believe. So if you were to give a dog grapes in smaller to larger doses over time, could they build a tolerance to them?
This is all hypothetical, of course ^.^
Thanks!
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
No.
Toxicity of various foods isn't like an allergy. It's not about an exaggerated immune response to some non-threatening protein.
It's usually about some enzyme the dog lacks to break down a component of the food, or about the body misidentifying a component of the food and throwing body systems out of whack. Additional exposure to toxic food items will not lessen the danger. In fact, it could increase it as certain foods seem to cause harm over long-term exposure as the damage to organs accumulates.
I've been breeding for over 10 years, and when it comes to feed, NO HUMAN FOOD. A good grade of dog food such as Science diet, Eucanuba, etc. is the way to go. You are just asking for trouble if you do anything else
No.
Don't feed your dog bones - they can splinter and lodge in your puppies throat. Real bones from butcher shops or chewy bones from pet stores are fine.
Don't feed your dog people food - it will get them hooked on it and they may never want to go back to dog food, plus people food doesn't have the protein and nutrients dogs need.
Don't feed your dog cat food - cat food is TOO high in protein and fat and doesn't meet your puppies nutritional needs.
Don't make drastic changes in your puppies diet unless instructed by a veterinarian. His nutrient balance relies on dietary consistency.
AVOID THESE FOODS: VERY TOXIC FOR DOGS:
Chocolate (contains theobromine which is extremely toxic for dogs and they can't properly metabolize it).
Onions.
Anything caffeinated.
Grapes and raisins - can cause kidney failure.
Fat trimmings - may cause unwanted weight gain.
Milk and dairy products - upsets dogs stomachs.
Sugary treats.
Here's the saying " Everything in moderation". Lots of one thing is never good. This is true with any species. However, you must account for the size of the person and/or dog before deciding what is considered a moderate amount.
We've fed our dogs significant amounts of chocolate their entire lives, their 12 years old now and still in good health.