Dangerous Foods for Cats and Dogs

There a number of substances in your home that can be dangerous to your pets. If your cat or dog ingests these substances they can suffer harmful consequences ranging from intestinal upset to seizures, coma, and death. Before you bring a puppy or kitten into your home you should consider possible dangers and remove dangerous substances from your pet's environment. If you have an older pet, it's never too late to make some changes.

The most common danger to pets is people food. Most of these foods will not kill your pet unless eaten in a large amount relative to his size, but they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and organ damage. You should avoid giving cats and dogs: chocolate, grapes or raisins, garlic and onion in all forms, alcohol, and yeasty dough.

Also, do not give your pets bones from poultry or fish, although they are not toxic, they can splinter when chewed and cause serious internal damage. Other foods to avoid are raw fish and eggs, raw potatoes, persimmons, nutmeg, poultry skin and caffeinated beverages. These foods, while not deadly, can still cause serious problems. In addition to the foods mentioned above cats are particularly sensitive to tomatoes, tomato products, and tomato plants.

Dogs are also sensitive to macadamia nuts and some types of mushrooms. You should not feed your dog mushrooms or allow him to eat wild mushrooms when he is outside. Wild mushrooms growing in your yard should be destroyed.

Xylitol, a sugar substitute found in many sugar free products is extremely toxic to dogs. As little as two pieces could kill a smaller dog and five or six pieces could kill a larger dog. There are some foods for which pets can develop a sensitivity. For instance, dogs and cats can be lactose intolerant just like people.

The foods listed above are the most common foods that can harm pets or that are particularly toxic, but other foods can be harmful as well. If you notice your dog consistently suffers stomach upset after eating certain foods, ask your vet whether it is a toxic food or simply something your pet should avoid. In general, most foods are not deadly unless eaten in large amounts, so you need to distinguish between something that is toxic and requires a trip to the vet, or something that simply doesn't agree with your pet. Make sure that any foods that are toxic to pets are kept where even the most determined pets cannot get to them.

Sources:

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/protect_your_pet_from_common_household_dangers/foods_potentially_poisonous_to_pets.html

http://www.wisegeek.com/which-foods-are-toxic-to-cats-and-dogs.htm