It’s tempting to share table scraps with our pets, especially when they give us those pleading eyes.
But many foods that are perfectly safe for people can be harmful, or even lethal, for dogs and cats. Knowing which items to avoid helps keep your furry companions healthy and safe.
This article is for general information only. If you suspect your pet has eaten something toxic, contact a veterinarian or an animal poison helpline immediately.
1. Chocolate
Your midnight chocolate cravings could spell disaster for your furry friend. The culprits are theobromine and caffeine, compounds that pets can’t metabolize like humans can.
Even small amounts can cause vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, and in severe cases, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, or death. Dark chocolate and baking chocolate contain higher concentrations of these toxins, making them even more dangerous.
Always store chocolate in closed cabinets and teach children not to share their treats with pets.
2. Grapes And Raisins
Those innocent-looking fruits in your fruit bowl could cause serious harm to your canine companion. For reasons veterinarians don’t fully understand yet, grapes and raisins can trigger kidney failure in dogs, sometimes after consuming just a few.
Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, and decreased appetite within hours of ingestion. Not every dog reacts, but there’s no way to know which pets are susceptible.
Keep fruit bowls out of reach and check ingredient lists in baked goods before sharing.
3. Onions And Garlic
The foundation of many delicious recipes poses a serious threat to your four-legged companions. All members of the allium family, including onions, garlic, leeks, and chives, contain compounds that damage red blood cells in cats and dogs.
Over time, this damage can lead to anemia, weakness, and respiratory problems. Cats are particularly vulnerable, but dogs aren’t safe either.
Be careful with table scraps, especially if they contain sauces or seasonings made with these ingredients.
4. Avocado
That creamy green fruit might be a superfood for humans, but it contains persin, a fungicidal toxin that can cause digestive distress in dogs and cats. Birds and smaller mammals like rabbits face even greater risks from avocados.
While the flesh contains less persin than other parts, the pit presents an additional choking and obstruction hazard. Many pets have required emergency surgery after swallowing these large seeds.
Keep guacamole to yourself and dispose of avocado pits where curious paws can’t reach them.
5. Caffeine
Your essential morning brew contains compounds that stimulate the central nervous and cardiac systems, effects that become dangerous for pets. Coffee grounds, tea bags, energy drinks, and even chocolate-covered espresso beans contain enough caffeine to cause serious problems.
Symptoms include restlessness, rapid breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tremors, and seizures. Cats are particularly sensitive to caffeine’s effects.
Keep coffee pods, grounds, and tea bags in secure containers, and clean up spills immediately to protect your curious companions.
6. Macadamia Nuts
These expensive nuts make delicious cookies but can trigger frightening symptoms in dogs. After eating macadamias, affected dogs may experience weakness in their hind legs, appearing unable to stand or walk normally.
Other symptoms include vomiting, tremors, elevated body temperature, and concerning neurological signs. The exact toxic compound remains unknown, but the effects are well-documented.
While rarely fatal, the distress these nuts cause makes prevention crucial, keep all macadamia-containing treats safely stored away from curious canines.
7. Raw Yeast Dough
Bread dough might seem harmless, but it creates two serious problems in pets’ digestive systems. First, the warm, moist environment of a stomach provides perfect conditions for dough to continue rising, potentially causing painful bloating or even rupture.
Second, fermenting yeast produces alcohol, leading to the same dangerous effects as alcoholic beverages. Symptoms include distended abdomen, vomiting, and signs of alcohol poisoning.
Keep raw dough out of reach during baking projects, and clean up any dropped pieces immediately.
8. Fatty And Fried Foods
That juicy bacon or crispy french fry might seem like a loving treat, but fatty foods can trigger painful pancreatitis in pets. The pancreas becomes inflamed and begins digesting itself, a serious condition requiring immediate veterinary care.
Symptoms include intense abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, hunched posture, and lethargy. Small breeds like Schnauzers are particularly susceptible, though any pet can develop this dangerous condition.
Even small amounts of rich, fatty foods can trigger problems, making prevention the best approach.
9. Cooked Bones
The cartoon image of a dog with a bone misrepresents a serious danger. Cooking makes bones brittle and prone to splintering into sharp fragments that can puncture the digestive tract or create blockages.
Chicken bones are particularly hazardous due to their small size and tendency to splinter, but all cooked bones pose risks. The resulting injuries may require emergency surgery and can be life-threatening.
Instead, choose commercially produced dental chews or toys specifically designed for safe chewing.
