This dog blog will answer the major question, “What do stray dogs eat?” we will also discuss the foods that stray dogs eat, what kind of disorders stray dogs can contract by eating food, and what you can do to keep your pet safe from those diseases.
What do stray dogs eat?
Stray dogs eat almost all kinds of food including bread, sugary food, leftover fruits, and other wastes. They will roam around your trash can to get the leftover food. Stray dogs roaming around your home are not safe as they have a variety of parasites and bacteria that can cause problems in your dog.
What foods do stray dogs eat with pleasure?
Following are the foods that stray dogs eat with pleasure:
Leftover bread
Stray dogs always want to eat the leftover food you have dumped in the garbage. This food has no value for you. The stray dogs will eat it as they don’t have anything else to eat. The bread may have fungus on it which may not be healthy for you and for stray dogs.
Sugary food
Stray dogs will eat candies and other junk food with pleasure because of the sweet taste of the food. The sweet taste will attract stray animals to your garbage can so you need to make sure your trash can has a lid on it.
Sugary foods like candies give instant energy to the stray dogs which they need in order to survive in that competitive environment.
Leftover fruits
The parts of fruits that we don’t eat are the leftovers of fruits. These may include outer covering, seeds, and some hard parts of it that we are unable to digest.
The dogs will eat it but the seeds are not healthy for the animals as they can cause cyanide poisoning in them. Stray animals are at lower risk of cyanide poisoning because of the active immune system of stray animals.
Spoiled milk and milk products
Milk products are easily spoiled due to their lower life expectancy. We dump the spoiled milk and milk products in the trash can but the stray dogs will eat them as they need food. Spoiled milk may cause several problems in stray dogs and other stray animals.
What diseases can the stray dog contract from eating leftover food from the garbage?
Following are the diseases your dog can contract by eating from garbage:
Food poisoning in dogs
The first bacterium is salmonella and the first condition that it cause is food poisoning. It is the bacterium that is present in wasted food. This bacterium can cause the following symptoms in your dog:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Bloat
The bloat is a concern because the gas production can put pressure on the diaphragm which can cause a respiratory collapse in your dog.
Garbage food causes listeriosis in dogs
The second bacterial disease in dogs is listeriosis. Listeriosis is a deadly condition in your dog. Following are the major clinical signs of listeriosis in the stray dog:
- Circling movement
- Head towards one side
- Unilateral facial paralysis
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Head pressing
This condition mainly affects the brain of a stray dog which is why it shows nervous signs in dogs.
Worm infestation can happen in dogs
The next problem is worms. There are several worms in the food that are wasted. These worms include heartworms, kidney worms, and pinworms. These worms can cause several conditions in stray dogs.
Following are the major clinical signs of worm infestation in the stray dog:
- Rough hair coat
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
Heartworm is the biggest cause of death in most dogs.
Blood protozoans infection in dogs
The next is the blood protozoan infection in dogs. Blood protozoan affects the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells. This causes anemia in dogs. Anemia is a condition in which there is a shortage of oxygen supply in the body. The hemolysis of the red blood cells leads to hemolytic anemia.
How can you keep your dog safe from contracting these infections?
Following are the ways by which you can keep your dog safe from contracting such infections:
- Cover your garbage so that stray dogs do not get near your house.
- Restrict the contact of your pet dogs with stray dogs.
- Please do not give food to start dogs at your doorstep.
- Keep your dog indoors at night.
- Feed your dog indoors.
- If your dog is showing any clinical signs, call your vet.
Conclusion
In this dog article, we answered the major question, “What do stray dogs eat?” we also discussed the foods that stray dogs eat, what kind of disorders stray dogs can contract by eating food, and what you can do to keep your pet safe from those diseases.
