What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat?

The diet of your French bulldog is vital for their health. You want them to have a balanced diet and an overall healthy lifestyle so you can enjoy them as long as possible.

Certain foods are toxic to your puppy without you even knowing. Some are more obvious than others.

What can French bulldogs not eat?

So, let’s go through a list of 15 foods that you should never add to your French bulldog’s diet.

1. Chocolate

Even if chocolate might be one of your favorite treats, that doesn’t mean it is suitable for your dog.

Chocolate

  • As a matter of fact, you should avoid giving your French bulldog at all costs. The danger, however, stays in the quantity they ingest and the type of chocolate they eat. Dark chocolate is even more dangerous to dogs as it might contain caffeine, which is a toxic ingredient.
  • However, caffeine is not the only problem that dogs have with chocolate. This delicious treat also contains an ingredient called theobromine. This is a toxic chemical that your dog should never ingest.
  • Your French puppy will not process this chemical, just like they will not process caffeine as their system is simply not made for these substances. Plus, the fat and sugar that can be found in any type of chocolate can cause your dog to develop pancreatitis.
  • One ounce of chocolate can put your dog’s health in danger, so it is best to just stay away from this type of snack altogether. Some signs that your dog ingested chocolate include vomiting, excessive thirst and urination, panting, agitation, high heart rate.
  • Your vet will know how to address such a situation, so don’t hesitate to take your dog to them if you notice such symptoms. Your dog might show the first signs of this condition in just a few hours after ingesting the chocolate, and the effects can even last for days!

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

2. Coffee

Giving coffee to your French bulldog or any other dog is a complete no-no. But if they happen to ingest coffee, you should be aware of the side effects.

Coffee

  • First of all, we need to point out that coffee is toxic to dogs. So, your puppy should never ingest that as there will be side effects. However, accidents might still happen, and if your dog eats coffee without your approval, here is what you should know.
  • Caffeine will affect your dog’s heart and brain, but they will not be able to process it as well as people do. Instead, your puppy will get agitated and, in extreme cases, present symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, or a high heart rate. Any of these symptoms should be a sign that you have to take your pet to the vet before his condition gets out of control.
  • In severe cases, your French bulldog can experience seizures and have difficulty breathing. This is more likely to happen if they ingest a large quantity of coffee at once. Coffee becomes a lethal danger if your dog ingests more than 150 mg per kilogram of body weight.
  • If your dog ingested coffee, you will see the first symptoms in not more than two hours. In case of severe side effects, your vet will prescribe a treatment for your dog that can include pills to stop the seizures and reduce blood pressure and induced vomiting treatment.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

3. Grapes

Grapes, as well as raisins, should never be an option when it comes to your dog’s diet. Both of these foods are very toxic to your Frenchie, and they can even lead to kidney failure and permanent damage to their kidneys.

Grapes

  • Even if grapes are dangerous for your puppy, you don’t have to panic if they ate just one or two. Such a small quantity will not kill them but will not benefit them either. The maximum quantity of grapes a dog can have without experiencing side effects is 0.7 ounces per kilogram of weight.
  • If your Frenchie does ingest more grapes than the maximum limit, you will notice side effects such as vomiting, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dehydration, tremors, seizures, bad breath.
  • Take your puppy to the vet if you notice any of these signs. Also, keep in mind that these effects happen regardless of the strain of grapes your Frenchie eats.

Suggested Reading:

What Kinds Of Fruit Can Dogs Eat?

What Kinds Of Fruit Can Dogs Eat?

Even if fruits are considered some of the healthiest foods for humans, can dogs eat fruits? Explore what kinds of fruit can dogs eat & what fruits to avoid.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

4. Tomatoes

When it comes to tomatoes, the discussion is very ample. Some people will tell you that your Frenchie can eat tomatoes while others will say they are bad for them.

Tomatoes

  • The reason is the fact that tomatoes contain a substance that is toxic to dogs. This substance can be found in the leaves and even tomatoes that are still green.
  • So, unripened tomatoes are not recommended for your Frenchie. Still, if they are ripened, they will be safe as long as they don’t eat other parts of the tomato plant.
  • However, even if tomatoes are not the best choice for your Frenchie, they are not fatal unless your dog consumes a large quantity of them.
  • Most likely, you will notice side effects like vomiting, upset tummy, and diarrhea. This happens if your dog eats tomatoes that are not fully ripened or if they eat leaves of the plant.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

5. Spinach

You wouldn’t expect spinach to be dangerous for your puppy, with all the benefits it brings to our diet.

Spinach

  • To feed your dog spinach or not is one of the most debatable topics among dog owners and even specialists. Spinach is not considered a good option because it contains a high quantity of oxalic acid that is toxic to dogs. This substance can generate kidney damage and interfere with the body’s capacity to absorb calcium. Your Frenchie can even get into kidney failure if this happens, and this is a risk no dog owner wants to take.
  • However, if your dog eats spinach by mistake on a rare occasion and in small quantities, you have no reason for concern. Healthy dogs with no kidney issues can process this food fine as long as they don’t eat a lot of it.
  • If you decide to give your dog spinach, prepare it the right way. You want to boil it or steam it to reduce the toxin that is harmful to your Frenchie, never feed your dog raw spinach as it has the highest concentration of toxins.
  • Stay away from adding any spices, too, since most of them are toxic for dogs in general.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

6. Bread dough

Bread dough, in general, is a hazard for dogs, not just French Bulldogs. It might seem like a quick and easily accessible snack to give your dog a piece of bread dough when making bread, but this is an option you should avoid.

Bread Dough

  • Bread dough finds the best conditions to grow in your dog’s tummy. Because of the yeast in the dough, it will keep rising even after your dog eats, and it will add toxins into their system.
  • The mild effect of eating bread dough is bloating and excessive gas. But it can get as worse as alcohol toxicosis, which can be fatal for your dog. If your dog ate bread dough, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact your vet to make sure they don’t experience such complications.
  • Alcohol toxicosis signs include seizures, coma, hypothermia, depression, and overall a weak state. Your dog will feel and look sick, so you should take measures as soon as possible.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

7. Raw nuts

Raw nuts might be a delicious and nutritious snack for you, but you might want to think twice before feeding it to your Frenchie.

Raw Nuts

  • There are safe nuts and dangerous nuts, and you should know the difference between feeding them to your Frenchie. But to avoid the risk altogether, you might want to just stay away from these types of snacks completely.
  • Your Frenchie might be able to eat peanut butter and even peanuts in small quantities. Still, some other types of nuts are generally dangerous. If your dog snack on the safe nuts, make sure they get the unsalted version as you don’t want them to ingest large quantities of salt.
  • The nuts you should never feed your Frenchie are pecans, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. These nuts are very toxic, and you should never feed them to your puppy.
  • The worst thing that can happen if your dog eats those nuts is an intestinal blockage. Left untreated, this could be a fatal disease. If your dog stole some of the harmful nuts, you should watch for signs of vomiting, diarrhea, or any upset stomach symptoms.

If you notice any of these signs, take your dog to the vet as fast as possible.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

8. Shrimp

If you like shrimp a lot, it is only natural to want to feed it to your puppy as well. But before you do that, check if it is the right choice for their diet.

Shrimps

  • The trick with feeding your dog shrimp is to make sure you cook it well beforehand. Cooked shrimp is safe for dogs, while raw shrimp can be dangerous.
  • Raw shrimp is not an option and even poisonous to dogs, so it could cause severe allergic reactions. Some of the most dangerous bacteria your dog could pick up from raw shrimp is salmonella or listeria.
  • But this bacterium is killed if you correctly cook the shrimp and skip the seasonings when it comes to your dog.
  • If your dog ate raw shrimp, you would want to wait a few hours to see any symptoms. If your dog experiences seizures or has problems breathing, take them to the vet immediately.
  • In milder cases, they could experience vomiting and diarrhea. You should make sure they stay well hydrated if that happens.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

9. Almonds

Almonds fall in the prohibited category because they come with digestive challenges. These nuts are not toxic, but they are hard to digest and can even create hard to manage obstructions.

Raw Almonds

  • Almonds can even be a choking hazard for your dog, especially for puppies who are not used to eating different types of foods. Also, almonds have a high concentration of phosphorus, and dogs that generate bladder stones. They can even give your Frenchie pancreatitis if you feed them almonds regularly and in larger quantities.
  • If your puppy is not allergic to almonds, one or two of these nuts will not impact them any other than creating the choking hazard we mentioned. However, a larger quantity can generate all the health issues we mentioned above.
  • The first symptoms of an upset stomach will appear in only a few hours after eating the almonds. Your puppy might experience vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and dehydration due to these reactions.

If you notice any of these side effects, you should have your dog checked by the vet.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

10. Avocado

Avocado might seem like a miracle food, but it is not so for your french bulldog. The reason why you should avoid avocado when it comes to your puppy is the fact that this fruit contains persin.

Avocado

  • Persin is considered to be toxic and even poisonous to dogs in general, not just Frenchies.
  • However, the opinions regarding whether or not you should feed your Frenchie avocado are still split. The confusion comes from the fact that persin is found only in the seeds, skin, and avocado leaves but not in the “meat“.
  • Even so, your dog can get food poisoning from overeating avocado. When it comes to Frenchies, they are susceptible to food in general. So, you are safer if you avoid giving your puppy this fruit, even if it contains plenty of nutrition.
  • If you consider giving your puppy only the “meat” of avocado, you might want to think again. It is not clear yet if this is a safe part of the fruit either, and you don’t want to experiment on your dog.

It is better to say no altogether to food rather than taking unnecessary risks when in doubt.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

11. Large portions of dairy

Even if dairy products might be a great source of calcium, they will not be the right choice for your French bulldog. The reason for that is that many of these dogs tend to be intolerant to lactose, which can be found in all dairy products.

Dairy Products

  • The result of giving your puppy dairy products in excess could be severe dehydration and vomiting.
  • Even so, in small quantities, you can offer your puppy some dairy products from an organic source. If you don’t know whether your dog is allergic to lactose, you will have to watch for any unpleasant side effects.
  • If these effects don’t appear, your puppy is most likely safe drinking some milk in moderation.

But if you notice any unpleasant symptoms, stop feeding them any dairy products and talk to your vet.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

12. Onion

Onion might bring out the best taste in many foods, and it has an excellent taste in itself, but it is not a good choice for your dog at all.

Onion

  • Frenchies are highly sensitive to this vegetable, and they can have severe reactions to it. Your dog shouldn’t eat onion in any form. It doesn’t matter if you cook it; there will still be hazards involved.
  • Onions contain thiosulfate, which is dangerous and even life-threatening to all dogs in general, not just the cute Frenchies. They can’t digest this toxin, and even if in small quantities will not be fatal; you don’t want to avoid that altogether.
  • Onions also contain organosulfur, which can cause toxicosis with severe consequences for your dog’s health.
  • One of the worst diseases caused by onions is Heinz Body Anemia. Your dog’s body will stop producing enough red blood cells and develop severe forms of anemia that can be difficult and even impossible to control.

Common signs of onion intoxication are darker color urine, high heart rate, and overall weakness.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

13. Garlic

The same concerns regarding onions come into play if you want to feed your French bulldog garlic. Garlic is toxic to dogs in general and French bulldogs in particular.

Garlic

  • However, it takes large quantities of garlic to harm your dog. But just to be on the safe side, you should look out for any of the unpleasant side effects up to a few days after they ingested the garlic.
  • The main symptoms of garlic poisoning are stomach ache, excessive drooling, diarrhea, lethargy, increased heart rate, vomiting, and pale gums.
  • If your dog shows any of these signs after eating garlic, you want to consider taking them to the vet for more checking.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

14. Potatoes

Potatoes are cheap and relatively accessible veggies, so you might be tempted to give some to your Frenchie.

Potatoes

  • You should never give your French bulldog raw potatoes, being them regular potatoes or sweet potatoes. This veggie contains solanine, which is toxic to dogs.
  • But if you cook the potatoes, they become safe for your Frenchie. You can cook them as you want as long as the high temperatures kill the vegetable’s solanine.
  • Mashed potatoes might be a great option, but your dog will love some fries as well. Skip the seasonings and herbs if you choose to give your dog cooked potatoes.
  • Even if cooked potatoes are safe for your dog, you should still watch the quantity. In large quantities, they might generate digestive issues and even vomiting and diarrhea.
  • In severe cases, overeating potatoes regularly can cause your dog’s heart to enlarge and develop a heart condition called canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Among the symptoms of this condition are difficulty breathing, panting, decreased energy, and coughing.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

15. Tea

While some tea might seem healthy for your Frenchie to drink, you are walking on eggshells if you choose this path. There are good teas and bad teas when it comes to dogs.

Tea

  • The bad teas are the teas that contain caffeine. Caffeine is toxic to dogs of all breeds, and it should be avoided in all its forms. However, they should have up to 5 cups of caffeinated tea to suffer any side effects.
  • With that being said, a cup of tea that doesn’t contain caffeine will not harm your dog. Just make sure it is a rare occurrence, and the tea you choose is safe.
  • As long as you don’t exaggerate with the quantity, your Frenchie will be on the safe side. But since you never know how your puppy will react to different tea plants, you are better skipping this drink altogether.
  • Sometimes, dogs have allergies we are not aware of, and most teas are made of a combination of dry plants. If your dog had too much tea and starts vomiting or refuses to eat, talk to their vet immediately.

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

French bulldogs might be sensitive to many foods, but if you learn how to prepare most of these foods, they become safe for your dog, with a few exceptions mentioned in the list above.

Keep in mind always consulting your vet before introducing a human food or snack to your dog’s diet. They will advise you about the best and most balanced diet your dog can enjoy a long and happy life!

What Can French Bulldogs Not Eat? 1

Key References

  • “Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Caffeine and Pets: Safety Tips and Considerations | PetMD”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Can Dogs Eat Grapes and Raisins? Are Grapes Poisonous to Dogs?”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Can Dogs Eat Tomatoes?”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Can Dogs Eat Spinach? | Healthy Paws Pet Insurance”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Dogs and Nuts: Risks, Benefits, and List of Nuts to Avoid”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Can Dogs Eat Cooked Shrimp? Here are Some Top Things to Know… | Bulldogology”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Can Dogs Eat Almonds? Are Almonds Safe For Dogs? – DogTime”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “CVMA | Documents | Some Pets Unable to Tolerate Dairy Products”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Onions and Dogs: A Lethal Combination – Dr. Sophia Yin”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Onion, Garlic, Chive, and Leek Toxicity in Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.
  • “Can Dogs Drink Tea? – What if you add Milk, Honey or Sugar”. Accessed January 09, 2021. Link.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here