Tail Talk with Dr. O’Hara

Pet Foods To Avoid: Dr. O'Hara Discusses Safe Swaps & Better Routines

• Dr. O’Hara • Episode 9

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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

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to Tale Talk with Dr. O'Hara, where eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia's favorite pets get the spotlight they deserve. Combining small-town jar with state-of-the-art veterinary care. Whether your furry friend purrs, barks, or just steals your sock, this is the place for tips, tails, and a whole lot of tail wagging.

SPEAKER_00:

Some foods are downright dangerous for pets. Let's break down what to avoid and why it matters more than you think. Welcome back, everybody. Skip Monty, co-host slash producer, back in the studio with Dr. O'Hara of Abington Animal Medical Center. Dr. O'Hara, how's it going? It's going good. How are you? I'm doing fine. Always a pleasure.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

Today's question is an important one. What foods should I never feed my pet?

SPEAKER_01:

Let's start with the basic things of like onions and garlic. Those can cause and leaks actually too. Don't do those. They can cause blood issues. Xylitol is a big one that some people don't know about. Xylitol is in sugar-free gum and some candies that causes serious issues with the liver and um sugar issues. So don't do that. Basic things you you know want to avoid that people might not know is you know, pitted things like peach pits, avocado pits, right? You want those choking hazards, and stone fruits can actually cause cyanide in their their pits, and that can be a problem.

SPEAKER_00:

Chocolate's the one that most folks know about, right?

SPEAKER_01:

No chocolate, no, no, no kind of anything with stimulants, right? No caffeine, chocolate, tea. Um, simple things that people may not realize, you know, you do this for a long time and you see a lot of things, is like um, I think I told you on a previous podcast about a corn cob avoid corn cobs. I've taken several corn cobs out of dogs surgically, and you know, so don't don't let them near near the grill if you're growing corn and stuff like that. So um don't feed them on a bread dough. Um, it's kind of a weird one, but bread dough will continue the yeast in it will continue to rise in their stomach, and that can cause some issues too.

SPEAKER_00:

So, what about with like if you had a piece of bread that was bald? I mean, if it's if it's already risen, I guess it's okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I mean it's cooked, but bread bread is not great for you. White bread, especially, is full of you know, oil and sugar. It's it's not great for them. Um, you want to avoid I tell people a lot of times, just avoid fat, high fatty things in dogs like bacon, grease, you know, not good for them. It can set off the pancreas and then get pancreatitis, and then you know, little doggies in the hospital with me for a couple days.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, now you mentioned some things. I was gonna ask, what are the most toxic foods for dogs and cats that people might not realize is is toxic? But one you mentioned garlic and onions, that was a new one. Is there anything else that's surprising? Um, macadamia nuts.

SPEAKER_01:

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 dogs and cats. Um, so if you have like toddlers and stuff, your dogs, you know, and they I got a box of raisins, you know, keep them keep them away.

SPEAKER_00:

Now here's a here's a big question. Um that, you know, I grew up uh in uh where uh my family members, grandparents would would throw, you know, leftover soup bones and you know, beef steak bones and that sort of thing, just not chicken. What what's your thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_01:

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 been stuck inside the teeth, right? They can stuck in there and the dog physically can't get it out. It's wedged in there, and I have to take it out. They can cause throat injuries, right? That bone coming down, sharp, can cause esophageal injuries or puncture there. That's a major issue. It can cause perforation in the stomach. It can cause obstruction in the intestine. So bones in general, you know, explosions, especially like hollow chicken bones, they're dangerous. Don't do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow. So so any kind of bones, not not just chicken.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I don't, I don't like I've had some issues through my career with bones, so I just I really don't. I'm not a huge fan. I mean, I guess if you're gonna get a big like cow femur bone that's been disinfected and cooked off, you could probably do that and it'll probably be okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, are there are there any common table scraps that you you know a lot of people like, oh it's safe, give it to the dog that you you would recommend stay away from or just stay away from it, period?

SPEAKER_01:

Stay away from people's food in general, unless it's healthy. Um bacon, people always give them the dog bacon and eggs and stuff like that. It's not healthy. The saturated fat value in there is a ton. And then they'll get pancreatic issues or gastroenteritis. I mean, it's what if you want to feed your dog, go with things that you know, chicken breast, boiled chicken breast, carrots, green beans, things like that, rice. That's healthy. What you could consider yourself eating if you want to top your dog's food with people food like that, go ahead. That stuff's healthy and good for them. Dairy is not good. Let's say you talk about people don't dairy's not good, you know. Most dogs, after they're weaned off their mother, um, they're lactose intolerant. You know what I mean? So really.

SPEAKER_00:

So wow, so cheese is out.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. And I know people do cheese, and I know sometimes they give it with medicine or something, and probably a little bit here and there won't hurt them, but some dogs, it just takes a little bit to set them off. So most species on earth, besides like humans, I think primates in general, are good form some form of lactose intolerance after wean from from bond.

SPEAKER_00:

So hmm. Well, you know, that's that's uh interesting. Uh, because you know, a lot of growing up you see people feed, you know, give the cat a little saucer of milk, but that's I've I've read that that's not good.

SPEAKER_01:

No, no, it's not good.

unknown:

It's not good.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow. Well, what um how how how can pet parents create a safe feeding routine that avoids those risks?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, you just eliminate table food. I mean, you can there's healthy treats out there, and we just talked about some healthy things you can give to your dogs. Is if you create this table routine thing, you know, it's it's it's gonna they're gonna get sick at one time or another. It's just taking time off.

SPEAKER_00:

Very interesting. Now, I've had uh sick dogs in the past where the vet recommended to feed them chicken and rice.

SPEAKER_01:

That that's okay. Yeah, chicken and rice. Very bland, low fat, and healthy, right? If I mean if we ate chicken and you know, rice and healthy carb all the time, we'd be pretty healthy too.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow. So I guess it sounds like you know, whatever but generally things that are good for us are also good for dogs, and there are things we eat that are not good for dogs, but like healthy vegetables, rice, chicken, that's all good.

SPEAKER_01:

Fish, lean fish is good, you know. But as long as you like with your meat and this used to be kind of controversial, but I cook your meat. The raw to me, the raw diet is like not healthy um because of bacteria, right? Um you know, but the raw diet was a big fat out, say 10 years ago. I think there was some push to bring it back in, but you know, you get your dogs eating this raw food with bacteria all over their mouth, right? And then they can spread it either in their fecal material or with their mouth, right? They go lick your kids or something like that. They may be resistant, have some resistance to salmonella or some kind of bacteria. It doesn't mean you do or your children do. So I find it's a way of spreading 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:

And I know this is about what not to feed your dog, but any advice you could give on when when trying to find the right dog food, non-table scrap, non-human food for your dog, what should you look for?

SPEAKER_01:

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, if you'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. Um, but if you're probably shopping in the grocery store, they kind of can be lower end brands and they might not be as healthy. Um, you know, there's there's ones that have done a lot of clinical research, and they're like the big giants of the pet food industry, and that's like Hills, which is science diet. And I give them credit because they're the ones who've done all a ton of research, and Kirina has too, and you know, Royal Canaan, Ucanuba, they're all pretty good brands.

SPEAKER_00:

Hmm. So look for natural ingredients, maybe, or or fewer like chemicals like the one my kids do when they come in my house and go in the kitchen and look in the refrigerator, they'll look at the ingredients before they decide if they're gonna eat it or not.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I mean, just look for a well-balanced diet and low fat. Like I and I preach low fat because I've treated hundreds of dogs with pancreatitis, hundreds, hundreds, and so I'm kind of anti-fat.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, Doc, um, that was incredibly helpful. I learned a lot, and I'm sure our listeners did too. I mean, garlic, onions, uh, did not know that, didn't know about the pancreas issues with that. So thanks so much, and uh, we'll catch you next time on Tell Talk.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, thanks, kid.

SPEAKER_02:

Thanks for joining us on TEL Talk with Dr. O'Hara. If your four-legged family member needs a checkup, a stylish groom, or just a cozy place to stay, give us the call or text at 276-628-9655, or visit myAbbingdonvet.com to book your appointments. Abingdon Animal Medical Center, a small town field with state of the art care and plenty of belly rubs.