Poisonous Foods for Dogs and Cats

Whether your dogs and cats are well-established or new family members, it’s always important that they receive all the love and care they need. Whilst it’s essential that they get the right amount of exercise, nutritious food to fill their tummies and regular check-ups at the vet, it’s also necessary that we ensure we’re not feeding them harmful foods.

The following is a list of foods you should never feed to your companion animals:

Alcohol

Even small amounts of alcohol can cause intoxication as well as a dangerous drop in blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature, along with vomiting, seizures, respiratory failure, coma and even death in more severe cases.

Bread Dough

The live yeast present in bread dough expands inside an animal’s stomach in the same way it makes bread expand. This causes “bloat”, which can be fatal when not treated quickly.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains two chemicals which can be harmful and even fatal to our animal friends: caffeine and theobromine.

Dairy Foods

Many dogs experience bad reactions – including nausea, diarrhoea and itching skin – to dairy foods.

Garlic and Onions

Garlic, onions and other foods in the allium family (shallots and scallions) can damage our animal companions’ red blood cells, which can cause bloody urine and severe anaemia as well as gastroenteritis (stomach flu).

Grapes and Raisins

Dogs can experience terrible side effects – including vomiting, diarrhoea and even acute kidney failure – from eating even a small quantity of grapes or raisins.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamias are known to cause neurological symptoms in dogs, including depression, vomiting, tremors and leg weakness.

Salt

In large quantities, salt can cause symptoms such as thirst, vomiting, diarrhoea and seizures, which may lead to kidney damage, coma or even death.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar substitute found in sugar-free products like chewing gum and lollies as well as in some brands of toothpaste and peanut butter. It can cause a sudden life-threatening drop in blood-sugar levels or liver failure and even death, especially when ingested in large amounts.