What Foods Should Basset Hounds Avoid Eating?

The Basset Hound, whose hallmark features are its short legs and floppy ears, is a lovable and caring breed, which is why it is often used as a children’s pet. Nevertheless, this type of dog is known to have a somewhat sensitive digestive tract and is very poorly tolerant of the majority of human food, which may occasionally become its lives in danger. So to make sure that this dog stays in perfect health, its caretakers should firstly know what kind of food dog dietary restrictions imply and secondly how to avoid leaving the wrong food lying around.

I. Foods Containing Theobromine and Caffeine

The amount of theobromine and caffeine in the cases of chocolate, coffee, strong tea, and other alike foods are the factors that make these products the most dangerous ones for Basset Hounds. In a dog’s body, the necessary metabolic enzymes dealing with these compounds are missing, hence the animals are left with the stimulation of the central nervous system as the result of intake. Moreover, the symptoms might be racing heartbeat, uncontrolled muscle movement, and so on. Among them especially high-purity dark chocolate should be mentioned because very small amounts of it can cause convulsions, coma, or even death without much time to recover. Consequently, no Basset Hound should be given a bite of any product containing chocolate.

II. Allium Vegetables

Besides consuming and utilizing a few other elements, Onions, garlic, leeks, and any other allium vegetables bring in sulfides that demolish red blood cells. So, for Basset Hounds when they consume these sulfides they get an attack on their red cells leading to the deficiency of hemolytic anemia. At first, the disease signs are lack of energy and loss of appetite which then evolves in urine becoming dark and the gums of the mouth turning pale. The substance that causes the effect is definitely delayed, infecting the days following the consumption. Dog owners should be very cautious, not only while tossing the leftovers into the bins but also preparing the meal since dog filling is another way for allium elements to get to dogs. No matter if it is raw or cooked, allium vegetables are still considered partially toxic food items which are not healthy for Basset Hounds.

III. Grapes and Raisins

The exact cause of the toxicity leading to the result of the Basset Hounds eaten by grapes and raisins is still a mystery, but to be sure, there were numerous clinical cases that the doctors reported stating even the smallest amounts led to fast and fatal kidney failure. Early symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, and less frequent urination. If the illness is not followed by proper treatment and recovery, the functioning of kidneys will deteriorate progressively leading to a high death rate. So to avoid this, it is necessary not to allow access to both fresh grapes and raisins. As a matter of prevention, both grapes and raisins must be illegal trading commodities in every pet store.

IV. High-Salt, High-Sugar, and High-Fat Foods

On the other hand, Basset Hounds’ renal metabolic abilities are not so strong. For that matter, consumption of high-salt foods such as pickles and salted meat for a long time results in increased workload of the kidneys, hypertension, and even kidney disease may follow. High-sugar foods like cakes and candies are very easy pathways to the development of obesity, thereby the risk for diabetes and dental caries is also increased. The ingestion of high-fat foods such as fatty meat and fried foods may become a cause of pancreatitis which, in turn, will be closely associated with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. The most severe cases may require cutting/opening the belly to fix the issue. The diet should consist of specially made dog food, giving human foods that are heavily flavored should be avoided.

Feeding Basset Hounds with proper food is like giving them medicine without them knowing it. Owners should keep an eye on it and make sure that nothing forbidden is put before their dogs. In case that they accidentally happen to be consumed, the action of taking the dog to the vet should be done as fast as possible. Only through nutrition according to science, they can stay fit and become the owner’’s companions for a longer period of time.