For most, the holidays are a time to enjoy some of our favorite foods, parties and celebrations. It may be tempting to share some of your favorite treats with your pet, but think twice. Treating your pet to an occasional bite of your food may be fine in some cases, but there are certain human foods that can make your pet sick…or worse. Here are 10 foods you should always keep out of your pet’s reach.
1. Chocolate
Chocolate contains caffeine and a chemical called theobromine—both of which are toxic to dogs and cats. The darker the chocolate, the more danger it poses, but chocolate in any form can make pets quite ill. Signs of chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness. In severe cases, it can cause seizures and death.
2. Grapes and Raisins
Not harmless treats, as some responsible pet owners might think, grapes and raisins are dangerous for pets. Although some pets may not show any ill effects from eating a couple grapes, for other pets consuming just a few may be very serious, potentially causing kidney failure or death if not treated quickly.
3. Onions and Garlic
Onions, garlic, chives, shallots, and leeks are off-limits to dogs and cats. A small amount of any form (raw, cooked, powdered, minced, dehydrated) of these vegetables may destroy red blood cells, causing anemia in pets. Vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, a reduced appetite, rapid heart rate, dark or pink urine, and fainting or collapse may be signs of onion toxicity.
If you think your pet may have eaten something toxic, call us right away. This is a serious, potentially life-threatening situation.
4. Bacon, Ham and Fat Trimmings
Bacon, bacon grease, ham, and fat trimmed off meat or bones contains a lot of salt and/or fat and at the least can cause indigestion, vomiting, and diarrhea in both dogs and cats. These foods can also cause pancreatitis, a serious, potentially deadly inflammation of the pancreas.
5. Salty Snacks
Although a single potato chip or French fry shouldn’t cause a problem in most pets, you generally want to keep chips, fries, pretzels, and other salty foods away from your dog or cat. These popular people snacks can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and seizures in pets. For pets with heart issues, anything with a lot of sodium is even more of a concern.
6. Macadamia Nuts
It only takes a few of these nuts that are popular around the holidays to make a dog very sick. Macadamia nuts can cause vomiting, weakness, and tremors. Plus, they may be covered in chocolate, so that’s another reason to keep them far out of reach of your pet. Some other nuts, like walnuts and almonds, are also high in fat and can cause stomach issues and possibly pancreatitis if consumed in large enough quantities, so it’s best to avoid feeding them to your pet as well.
7. Anything with Xylitol
Peanut butter, gum, sugar-free candies, and baked goods may all contain this sugar substitute. Peanut butter in particular is often given as a treat to pets, so make sure you carefully check the product label before letting your pet have a small amount as an occasional snack. Xylitol in even small amounts can cause vomiting, weakness, a decrease in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and even seizures or liver failure.
8. Avocado
At Jacksonville Community Pet Clinics, we love avocado in any form. But this doesn’t mean we should share avocado or guacamole with our pets (and not just because of the onions or garlic). Although many websites (even reputable ones) indicate that avocados can poison pets because of a toxin they contain called persin, the fact is that dogs and cats aren’t usually affected by this toxin. However, avocados are high in fat, which can lead to pancreatitis, and the pit can be a choking hazard. To be safe, keep these tasty fruits all to yourself.
9. Raw Dough
The yeast in unbaked dough will continue to rise inside a pet’s stomach, resulting in a distended stomach and in some cases even leading to bloat (a life-threatening condition in dogs in which the stomach twists over on itself). When eaten, raw dough can also cause alcohol poisoning (from the ethanol produced by the yeast), which can result in seizures and respiratory failure. Pets who have eaten dough may try to vomit but may not be able to produce anything because the dough has already expanded too much inside their stomach.
10. Alcoholic Beverages
Although alcohol isn’t a food, we think it’s important enough to earn a spot on this top 10 list. Giving a dog or cat a sip of alcohol or letting a pet lick up spilled drinks is incredibly dangerous—similar to letting a baby or young child take a swig of your drink. Alcohol affects pets very quickly and can cause serious medical issues, like drops in body temperature, seizures, and even respiratory failure and death.
Seek Veterinary Help Immediately!
If your pet eats anything on this list or anything else you’re not sure is safe for your pet to consume, call us right away. Don’t wait for your pet to develop symptoms, and don’t induce vomiting, unless your Jacksonville veterinarian recommends it.
If your pet eats something toxic during off-hours, don’t wait for us to get back into the office. Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 for critical advice on how to help your pet. A fee may apply, but the call may save your pet’s life.
