Food Danger 101

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I have a few quick questions for you to think about; do you feed your pet human food as a treat? If you answered yes, do you know if those human food treats are considered toxic to your pet? Now if your answer is you do not know what human foods are toxic to pets, pay attention because your pet's health is our priority. I think most pet owner's know grapes are toxic to dogs but what else is toxic? Let's go through what else is considered toxic to your pets. 

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Did you know this was toxic? 

• Fatty/Junk Foods - can cause intestinal upset for your pet.
• Raw Meat and Raw Fish - bacteria in the product can cause intestinal upset for your pet. 
• Raw Eggs - bacteria in the product can cause intestinal upset for your pet. 
• Avocado - contain persin that can cause intestinal upset for dogs and cats.
• Grapes, raisins, and currants - can cause severe acute kidney failure. 
• Rhubarb - the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and irritation to the mouth.
• Grapefruit - is acidic and can cause intestinal upset for your dog.
• Fruit Pits (apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, nectarines) - they can be a choking hazard and are toxic and contain cyanide that is toxic to pets. 
• Garlic, Onions, Chives, and Leeks - can cause the red blood cells to rupture leading to anemia. 
• Mushrooms - some mushrooms are toxic to animals and humans!
• Tomatoes - unripe tomatoes can be harmful in large quantities. 
• Salty Foods - in large amounts salty foods can cause excessive thirst, urination, diarrhea, seizures, and death.
• Sugary Foods - in large amounts sugary food can cause diabetes, kidney failure, and liver failure. 
• Artificial Sweeteners - artificial sweeteners containing xylitol should stay far away from animals as it is highly toxic and fatal to pets. Other artificial sweeteners such as erythritol, stevia, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose will cause intestinal upset. 
• Chocolate - contains theobromine which is toxic to pets. Theobromine can cause vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, heart issues,  seizures, and kidney failure. 
• Nutmeg - in large amounts nutmeg can cause intestinal upset. 
• Nuts - Macadamia, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans can cause intestinal upset and pancreatitis. 
• Seeds - Sunflower, pumpkin, fruit contain cyanide which is toxic to pets. Cyanide poisoning can cause vomiting, heart murmurs, seizures, and irregular breathing. 
• Candy - due to sugar, artificial sweeteners, and chocolate. 
• Uncooked Yeast Dough - yeast uses the fermentation process which produces carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. If uncooked yeast dough were to go into the acidic stomach of an animal it would cause carbon dioxide to fill the stomach causing severe abdominal upset. 
• Moldly Bread or Food - due to tremorgenic and mycotoxins found in mold causing intestinal upset. 
• Potato Skins/Raw Potatoes - contain oxalates that can harm the kidneys, urinary tract, digestive system, and nervous system. 
• Milk, cream, half and half - cats and dogs can be lactose-intolerant just like humans. Plus, large amounts of dairy products can cause intestinal upset and diarrhea. 
• Butter, Butter Spread - contains a lot of fat causing pancreatitis and intestinal upset. 
• Ice Cream, Whipped Cream - some contain xylitol which is highly toxic to pets and fatal. Otherwise ice cream in large amounts can cause intestinal upset and diarrhea, 
• Alcohol  - contains ethanol which is toxic to pets. 
• Caffeine - can be toxic causing "a sugar rush," kidney issues, and intestinal upset. 

That is quite the list. Now what is safe to give my pets? 

Check Out the Safe List for Your Pets

• Cooked Lean Beef, lamb, pork, chicken or turkey (unseasoned) 
• Cooked Tuna or Salmon
• Cooked Eggs
• Broth (low sodium) 
• Apples
• Bananas
• Melons; Cantaloupe, Honey, Dew, Watermelon
• Kiwi
• Fruit only - no pits; Mangoes, Apricots, Peache, Plums, Nectarines
• Pumpkin
• Pineapple
• Pears
• Berries; Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries
• Citrus; Oranges, Clementines, Tangerines, Lemons (no rinds) 
• Honey (in small amounts)
• Peanut Butter (make sure it does not contain Xylitol) 
• Oils; Olive, Coconut, Flax
• Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes (cooked with skin removed) 
• Rice 
• Grains; Oatmeal, Polenta (cooked) 
• Whole Grain Bread
• Popcorn (cooked) 
• Green Beans
• Carrots
• Celery
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Cooked Zucchini/Squash
• Peas
• Cheese
• Cottage Cheese
• Greek Yogurt
• Water
• Coconut Oil (unsweetended) 

Now What if My Pet Accidentally Eats a "Toxic" Food? 

If your pet eats a food that is considered toxic to pets induce vomiting as soon as possible. If time of ingestion is within 3-4 hours you can induce vomiting to get the  toxic food out of your dogs stomach. A way to induce vomiting at home is to give hydrogen peroxide. The dosage is 1mL per 5 pounds. So a 50 pound dog could have 25mL of hydrogen peroxide. If after 5 minutes the dog does not vomit, you can re-dose the hydrogen peroxide. 
Otherwise call your local veterinary clinic as we can induce vomiting medically, or give insight to the situation. 

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Keep your pet's healthy, happy, and safe. If your pet has ingested a toxic food and is showing signs of poisoning please contact us to discuss your pet's best interest. 

Stay tuned for our next post for Pet Poison Prevention Week March 16-22!