Food Safety Tips to Keep Your Beloved Pooch Safe on National Puppy Day

We know you dog lovers do everything you can to keep your pets safe. But what you don't know about animal safety can hurt you—and your fur babies. That's why it's important to read the following tips and learn about all the foods that don't agree with your pets and other tips to keep them happy, safe, and wagging their tails.

Know which foods harm pets

While your dog might seem like he/she has an iron stomach, that's not the case when it comes to most human food. In fact, things people can easily digest can be poisonous to dogs.

According to Pets Web MD, these are the foods you should never feed your dog:

• Grapes
• Raisins
• Peanut butter (if it contains Xylitol)
• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Avocado
• Alcohol
• Onions
• Garlic
• Macadamia nuts
• Chicken bones (and other cooked bones not bought at a pet store)
• Persimmons
• Peaches
• Plums
• Raw eggs
• Uncooked yeast dough
• Salt
• Human medicine (unless prescribed by a veterinarian)
• Dairy (it's not poisonous, but it does irritate the stomach)

Basic house plants and many outdoor plants can also harm pets, so read up on those dangers too to keep fluffy 100 percent healthy!

Store dangerous foods in high cabinets

Puppy-proofing is similar to baby-proofing. As long as everything is locked away, they'll stay safe! If potentially dangerous foods are within snout's reach of pets, that's okay as long as they're sealed up tight in containers pets can't open.

Don't leave trash unattended

Out of sight isn't out of mind for a hungry pup. They'll be able to smell everything you throw in the trash, and unless you have a locking trash can or take the trash out immediately, your pup could get into something dangerous to his health. Either buy a locking trash can or get in the habit of bringing chicken bones and leftover food directly out to the trashcan on the curb.

Be careful of other household items that could hurt pets

Cleaning supplies, food wrappers, plants, and more can harm pets. Read up on other household hazards for your animals, so you know to keep them out of their paws.

Know your emergency pet numbers

The ASPCA has a poison control number, (888) 426-4435, that you can call in case your pet ingests something you're worried about. Call at any time of day and they'll be able to tell you what to do. Also keep an emergency 24-hour vet phone number taped to your refrigerator, so help is never far away.

National Puppy Day reminds us all to give our lovable pooches some extra love—and to take extra steps to keep them safe! Use this guide to make your puppy the luckiest dog in the world.