Can dogs eat chocolate? Some chocolates are less harmful than others but the best rule of thumb is to avoid it altogether. Cocoa beans contain “theobromine” which dogs find hard to remove from their bodies. The higher the cocoa content (thus theobromine content) , the more dangerous it is for dogs to eat. Cocoa powder, baking chocolate and dark chocolate are all potentially toxic.

Depending on the amount and type of chocolate consumed, your dog may experience:

• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• excessive thirst and urination
• hyperactivity
• abnormal heart rhythm
• tremors
• seizures and even death.

Mild intoxication would result from your dog eating 9g of milk chocolate or 4g of sweet dark chocolate per kg of their body weight. A fatal amount would be about ten times that.

Can dogs eat onions? Unfortunately not! Onions, in all forms (raw, cooked or dried) can cause damage to your dog's red blood cells, reducing their oxygen-carrying efficiency and even shortening their lifespan. Although processed onions are less dangerous than non-processed, it is best to avoid onions altogether and not feed dogs human food, which can contain onions.

Signs of intoxication include:

• lethargy
• weakness
• decreased stamina
• pale or bluish gums
• The toxic dose of onions is between 5 and 10 grams per kg of body weight (NB: 5 gram/kg equal over 6 tablespoons of dried onion powder given at one time to a 20 kg dog). In case you suspect the ingestion of this food and your dog shows any of the mentioned symptoms or for any additional food-related queries, please consult your veterinarian.

Grapes and raisins can cause sudden kidney failure and can be fatally toxic for a dog.

Signs of intoxication include:

• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• loss of appetite
• lethargy
• weakness
• too little production of urine, no urine production.

The estimated toxic dose of grapes, associated with kidney injury, is around 19g per kg of body weight. Signs of intoxication can be observed with the ingestion of 3g of raisins per kg of body weight.

When it comes to what not to feed dogs, "Can dogs eat nuts?" is one of the most common questions asked. The truth is, some are OK but macadamia nuts are definitely not. Dogs will begin to show symptoms of macadamia nut intoxication within 12 hours and these can last approximately 12 to 48 hours.

Symptoms include:

• vomiting
• weakness
• tremors
• hyperthermia.

These signs can be observed with the ingestion of just 2-3 grams of macadamia nuts per kg of body weight. In case you suspect the ingestion of this food and your dog shows any of the mentioned symptoms or for any additional food-related queries, please consult your veterinarian.

The major risk of feeding dogs home-prepared raw-meat-based diets is the potential contamination of the meat by pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Listeria. These pathogens not only affect the health of the dog but they can also spread to humans through contact with the stools of the infected dog. Even freezing and freeze-drying raw meat, as commercial producers do, cannot destroy all the potential pathogens.In case you suspect the ingestion of this food and your dog shows any of the mentioned symptoms or for any additional food-related queries, please consult your veterinarian.

Feeding dogs real raw bones can be very dangerous. Potential hazards include:

• choking
• puncturing of the digestive tract
• stomach or intestinal injuries (caused by sharp pieces of bone)
• bowel obstructions.

These risks are particularly high in the case of chicken bones.

Bones also have a high mineral content so, if too many are eaten, this can lead to a mineral imbalance.

If you want to give your dog something to chew, you'll find chews, which are safer alternatives to real bones, at your specialised pet shop or vet. Being treats, the amount given should be limited. In case you suspect the ingestion of this food and your dog shows any of the mentioned symptoms or for any additional food-related queries, please consult your veterinarian.

Some dogs are hypersensitive to certain ingredients and their nutrients (such as milk and its sugar lactose), leading to different adverse reactions to food. Lactose intolerance is one of these reactions.

Some dogs more than others experience a decline in lactase enzyme (a specific enzyme that breaks lactose into easily absorbed sugars molecules) and the lactose will therefore remain undigested in their intestines.

If an affected dog drinks too much milk they will get digestive upsets and diarrhoea.