Avoid Giving Your Pet These 12 Common Human Foods
Puppacinos are a go, cappuccinos… let’s talk about it
I’m sure you’ve heard your vet tell you a thousand times not to feed your pet people food, and there’s good reason for that.
Your pet can be quite sensitive to abrupt changes in diet or receiving foods that they normally wouldn’t, especially human foods high in salt, fat, and sugar. But some human foods are worse than others — with the toxic potential to result in extreme illness or death. So, before we get our pets in a pickle, let’s commit these 12 toxins to memory:
1. Alcohol
Let’s start with the obvious.
On the once popular Netflix series Love is Blind one of the female contestants, Jessica, was featured inebriated in the female lounge sharing a glass of red wine with her Golden Retriever. Don’t be like Jessica.
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed and can lead to drops in blood pressure, blood sugar, and body temperature.
At high doses, alcohol toxicity can even result in seizures and respiratory failure. I’m not sure who else out there is sharing a drink with their pets, but let’s not.
2. Caffeine
Caffeinated drinks are also not for sharing.
Caffeine is of a class of chemical compounds called methylxanthines, which cause stimulation of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Pets are much more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than people are. Think about how you feel after a cup of coffee and then multiply that by ten.
Within 30-60 minutes, your pet may begin to experience vomiting, agitation, elevated body temperature, rapid heart rate, shaking, or seizures.
While a few sips of tea or soda won’t be enough to cause toxicity, coffee grinds or coffee beans, tea bags, or caffeine pills all contain enough caffeine to cause serious illness and even death.
3. Chocolate
This one most people are familiar with.
Though chocolate toxicity is most commonly seen in dogs, many different species including cats are susceptible. Cacao also contains the chemical compounds, methylxanthines (specifically caffeine and theobromine), so the clinical signs of chocolate toxicity are similar to caffeine. If ingested in high enough quantities, toxicity may result in vomiting, agitation / restlessness, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), tachycardia (dangerously elevated and/or abnormal heart rhythm), seizures, and even death.
Not all chocolates are created equal.
The toxic principles are higher in purer chocolates, with a higher percentage of cacao. In order of toxicity: bakers chocolate > dark chocolate > milk chocolate > white chocolate. Technically white chocolate isn’t a true chocolate containing cacao, so it doesn’t contain the toxic principle, methylxanthines.
But white chocolate is full of sugar, so your pet shouldn’t have that either.
4. Onions, Leeks, & Chives
Onions, leeks, and chives are all part of the Allium family of plants and are poisonous to both dogs and cats of all breeds.
Cats are much more sensitive than dogs. And among dogs, the Japanese breeds such as the Akita and Shiba Inu tend to be more sensitive. Toxic doses can cause signs associated with gastroenteritis (vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea) or, worse yet, oxidative damage to the red blood cells resulting in anemia.
Signs don’t develop until several days after ingestion, so if your pet accidentally eats some onion and doesn’t get sick immediately, that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear. You should still check in with your vet as soon as possible.
5. Garlic
Garlic is also of the Allium family, but this one deserves a line all its own.
Garlic is the most potent of all the Alliums — FIVE TIMES more toxic than onions, leeks, and chives. Cats are most susceptible, but many species including dogs, horses, birds, reptiles, sheep, and goats are at risk of toxicity. If your pet consumes any garlic at all, notify your vet immediately.
6. Grapes
Grape toxicity primarily affects dogs.
In cases of toxicity, signs usually begin within 6-12 hours of ingestion starting with lethargy, anorexia, increased thirst, dehydration, and elevated kidney values. If left untreated, kidney failure can occur within 24-48 hours.
Unfortunately grape toxicity is idiosyncratic, meaning that we don’t know with certainty what the toxic principle is or which animals will be affected.
If you’re concerned that your pet may have consumed a grape, ALWAYS contact your vet immediately. As few as 4-5 grapes can result in the death of a small-medium sized dog. And I’ve treated a Pitbull that went into acute kidney failure from eating just one.
7. Raisins
Raisins are just dehydrated grapes, so the same toxic principles apply. Please avoid.
8. Macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs.
The toxic principle within the nut has not yet been identified, but just a few nuts are enough to cause toxicity in a small to medium sized dog.
Within 3-6 hours, your dog may begin vomiting, develop a fever and become lethargic, within 6-12 hours neurologic signs set in with muscle and joint stiffness, trembling, stumbling, or an inability to stand. With supportive care, fortunately, these signs typically resolve.
Although not a mechanism of toxicity, high fat foods such as macadamia nuts can also cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) which can be very painful and make your dog quite ill, also requiring hospitalization.
Small breed dogs like miniature schnauzers, Yorkshire terriers (and other terriers), dachshunds, and miniature poodles are at a higher risk for this.
9. Salt
Salt toxicity usually happens when your pet ingests something very salty and someone forgot to refill the water bowl.
Beyond salty foods, we also see this when a pet eats play dough, licks rock salt off of their paws after walking outside in winter, or eats paintballs. Any animal is at risk, and signs can range from depression, weakness, wobbly gait and vomiting/diarrhea, to muscle tremors, seizures, and even death. Correcting electrolytes (such as sodium) is a very precise science and must be done very carefully, so do not just try to give your pet a bunch of water after they’ve already become sick, bring them straight to the vet.
10. Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found in sugar-free foods, gum, and toothpaste, and it is EXTREMELY toxic to dogs.
Even just a small amount can trigger the release of a large amount of insulin, quickly resulting in severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and seizures, progressing to a coma. Animals that survive the acute phase of toxicity may, if left untreated, develop liver failure within days.
11. Yeast dough
Unbaked yeast dough is dangerous for several reasons.
First, the unbaked dough will rise in the warmth of your pet’s stomach, resulting in bloat, and potentially in large dogs, a Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV), which is a life-threatening flip of the stomach. Yeast dough will also begin to ferment in the stomach, releasing alcohol for rapid absorption, resulting in alcohol toxicity (see above).
12. Avocado
Avocado isn’t directly toxic to cats or dogs (although the high fat content may pose an issue), but many other pets — mice, rabbits, budgies, cockatiels, and fish — are susceptible to avocado toxicity.
Any part of the avocado plant, when ingested, can cause sterile mastitis (painful inflamed mammary tissue) in lactating mammals and/or myocardial necrosis (death and degeneration of heart muscle cells) in mammals and birds. Best to reserve that trendy fruit for yourself.
Tips for toxicity prevention
Make sure everyone in the home, including any children, are aware of the different foods that are toxic to your pet
Be sure to educate your friends and pet-sitters on toxic foods before leaving your pet in their care
If you’re feeding your toddler grapes, raisins, or other toxic foods, consider locking your pet out of the kitchen until lunch time is over and everything is cleaned up
Keep these numbers on speed dial: your vet, ASPCA Poison Control (USA), Pet Poison Helpline (USA), or Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum (NL)
And lastly:
If you’re unsure whether your pet can have a particular human food, do the opposite of Nike and Just DON’T Do It.
Dr. Sami