Which Human Foods Are Unsafe for Animals?

I've always heard that chocolate was unsafe for dogs and cats. However, I have seen animals eat chocolate and they didn't seem to be affected by the substance. Well, that is where I was wrong. It is actually a fact that chocolate is unsafe for animals. In fact, there is a whole list of human foods that can be hazardous to pets.

The reasons I didn't get to witness the ill effects of chocolate, was because the pet I saw was large and had eaten milk chocolate. Not all chocolate is the same. Milk chocolate is mixed so that the actual chocolate content is not as high as semi-sweet or dark chocolate. In fact, cocoa powder and baker's chocolate have the highest content and the highest danger to your pets. Also, the size of the animal is a factor as well.

In addition to chocolate, there are a number of other human foods that can be hazardous. These include the following foods.

- Onions and/or onion powder
- Garlic

- Coffee
- Avocado
- Macadamia nuts
- Rotten foods
- Grapes and raisins
- Salt
- Dough made with yeast
- Foods that contain xylitol (a sweetener)

Cats can drink milk, contrary to what some might think. However, they are not very good at digesting milk. Although ingesting milk is not as serious as ingesting one of the above items, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

In addition to the foods listed above, alcoholic beverages can also be very dangerous. This is common sense to most of us, but it should be noted as such. In fact, giving your pet alcohol or alcoholic beverages could be considered animal abuse. In addition, medicines also pose a risk to your pets. Even aspirin and other medicines that seem harmless can actually be hazardous to your pets.

If your pet accidentally ingests a substance that you know or think is dangerous, you can call the Animal Poison Control Center hotline. This number is 1 (888) 426-4435. When you call the hotline you should have as much information ready as possible. They will probably ask for the animal's weight, breed and type of animal, age, and sex. They will also ask you about the substance they ingested including what the substance was, how much they ingested, how long ago the substance was taken, and what the effects have been thus far.